Rosario Vampire: Brightest Darkness Act V
by Lord Daemon
Summary: Based off the Anime - Alucard has fallen. The world was saved by monsters. Mankind is starting to accept those of the darker world. However not everybody is so in favor of the new peace, and a new war is just on the horizon. Will Tsukune and his friends be able to prevent the two worlds from killing each other? Contains OC, violence, and sexual themes.
1. The New Girls

Yokai Academy was originally created by the great dark lords of the monster world with one goal in mind; to teach growing monsters to blend in and learn to live peacefully in the human world. To disguise what they really were so they could live in the real world once again. Monster and humans always had a rough past, to put it mildly. The Battle of Kahdaln was a prime example of this as that was not only the turning point of the war over the earth, but a perfect example of how monsters and humans fought continuously over control of the world. Monsters had failed to fight back against humans back then and were pushed back into the recesses of the human world as well as back into the monster world. With humans increasing in number and with their advances in human weaponry it seemed all hope of monsters existing in the real world was gone forever. Learning to hide themselves and live in secret was their only choice for survival, although many monsters hated the idea of having to cower in fear of the humans.

Now however that was changed drastically. The existence of monsters was now publicly known in the human world after the appearance of Alucard, the great destroyer, and a group of teenage monsters that fought against it. Humans around the world saw firsthand that, although it was true that monsters could indeed live up to their names, there were those that were kindhearted all the same. By putting an end to the great destroyer Alucard and saving the human world from annihilation the group of kids that were far from human proved that monsters could be possibly be trusted. Shortly after the horrible event the great dark lords made their existence known to the world leaders and talks were underway about allowing the two worlds to coexist together. It would be a gradual process since, let's be honest here, monsters scare the living shit out of most people. However it was at least a step in the right direction.

Now that monsters would be starting to be accepted in the human world for how they were, hopefully, the school of Yokai Academy had a few changes being implanted in it's curriculum. Those too would be gradual changes, but again it was progress towards true peace between monsters and humans.

Yes it seemed that the students of Yokai Academy would be learning about being peaceful, kind, and gentle beings in the eyes of the human world that was learning to trust them as they were. To show that monsters could be peaceful and cherish life no matter what that life was.

**"Dammit all just die already!"** Tsukune yelled as he punched a giant three headed lizard as it crashed through the walls of the school. The boy was dressed in the clothing style for the school; black shoes and brown dress pants along with his white shirt and green button down shirt that was left undone. He had forgone wearing the traditional tie of the school in favor of a more casual look. The boy normally wore a special rosary seal over his wrist to suppress his enormous vampire power, but at the moment he had chosen to remove it to deal with a slight pest that was casually destroying a side of the school building. His normal brown eyes had turned crimson with black edges while his hair had a gray streak that bled through the side. The giant monster stumbled back then roared out with it's other two heads. Tsukune gave the monster a dull expression of annoyance, the vampire boy not really scared by the giant monster but rather eager to be done with it so he could get on with his day. From above a boy with angel wings flew down and slammed down onto one of the roaring heads of the giant beast.

"C'mon, just ONE DAY! Just ONE DAY without having to deal with this crap! Is that too much to ask?" Rason yelled as he jumped back into the air. The angel was wearing his normal school attire, mostly. Black tennis shoes, blue jeans, and his short blonde hair flowed in the wind. He had his white t-shirt and golden button down shirt tied around his waist as his large wingspread was known to tear apart any shirts he had on if he extended them out. Around his neck he wore a golden necklace with a crescent shaped moon. He flew up with his feathered wings while looking at the giant monster attacking the school with brown eyes. As the angel flew up the third head of the monster snapped up only to be knocked left, then right, then back. It roared out before two of it's large teeth were knocked clean out of it's mouth. From in front of the giant monster that was howling in pain a black wisp flowed around, and within a boy became visible.

"Pathetic." Dark said simply as he stood before the monster with a blank expression. The boy wore his usual outfit of black tennis shoes, blue jeans, black t-shirt, gray button down shirt that was left undone, and a golden necklace around his neck that had a golden pendant. His short black hair was messy as always while his dark brown eyes just eyed the monster in front of him. He casually felt down towards his hip where he had his mp3 player clipped to, the boy switching the song to a heavy metal mix while he wore his trademark earbuds. The shadow demon vanished into a black wisp as the monster tried to snap at him, the large beast then being shot back as a blast of lightning struck the head. The electrical shock jolted through the monster as a young boy looked at the lizard with discontent.

"Such an annoying pest." Ahakon said coolly as he aimed his hand towards the giant monster. He wore brown leather boots, black pants, a brown sweater, and a red cape that flowed behind him. His blue eyes watched the monster with discontent as his short red hair flowed in the breeze. He fired out a blast of fire, the attack striking the monster and exploding into a small fireball. The monster recoiled a bit then roared at the boy with three heads. Suddenly a young girl raced past the mage in a flash then struck towards the monster, the girl engulfed in flame entirely.

"Just stay down!" Kokoa yelled out. She normally wore her school uniform every day, however now her clothing was mostly blackened and turning to ash as her overcharge had set her body on fire once again. The young vampire however had grown immune to fire and felt no pain from the side effect of her new ability, the girl using her increased strength to strike at the center head with a powerful kick. The monster recoiled as Kokoa jumped off the center head, struck the left one with a kick, jumped off of that one then punched the third head. As the vampire leapt away while the center head snapped at her a giant werewolf raced in.

"Don't even think about touching my girl!" Gin roared as he punched the center head, the monster skidding back and crashing into the destroyed side of the school again. The wolf had the usual Yokai Academy uniform on for boys, his outfit somehow stretching to match his increased size of his true form. The wolf growled then darted away as the giant monster snapped at him with all three heads. Suddenly black chains whipped around all three heads and slammed the giant down onto the ground. It howled as a bolt of black lightning struck it, the dark power electrocuting it as a man aimed his hand at the beast.

"Seriously, how did this stupid dagger make that thing appear?" Razico said holding a dull dagger in his hand as he looked at the giant monster with curiosity. The warlock had dark hair and black eyes, the man wearing his usual outfit of black shirt, dark pants, red belt, gray boots, and black cape. The giant monster broke free from the chains before a blast of purplish energy raced by and struck it in one of the heads, the large monster then howling in pain and staggering back.

"Because that dagger isn't some toy, now put it back where you found it!" Ruby said with anger towards her new boyfriend. The witch was wearing her usual outfit and holding a wand forged by a pair of witch sisters, the weapon allowing the witch to use their trademark shield and energy blasts.

"You heard her man, stop being a damn thief!" Rason shouted as he flew around the giant monster.

"Treasure hunter!" Razico snapped.

"Thief." the boys said in unison, the elder witch flinching at that. She looked at the man with remorse then down. Witches and warlocks normally never got along, however the man had captured her heart in their previous encounters by proving to be both charming and friendly with her. However it had become more than apparent his occupation as a treasure hunter that he boasted about was a bit exaggerated.

_Why couldn't he have been a real treasure hunter? My first real boyfriend, and he's a thief…_

"I said I was sorry didn't I?" Razico said looking at the giant monster as Tsukune and Kokoa sent it flying back with a punch and kick respectively.

"Actually, you only defended you taking that thing, you never once said sorry." Ahakon pointed out. The man twitched at that and looked around with a nervous smile.

"Oh…well, sorry." he said weakly. Tsukune and Kokoa rolled their eyes then jumped back as the giant monster swung at them with it's claws. The group looked at the monster as it roared at them with it's three heads.

**"This needs to stop now."** Tsukune said as he growled, the boy's aura flaring around him.

"I agree." Kokoa hissed as the flames around her burned brightly.

"Let's finish this!" Rason said as he flew up then around towards the giant monster at high speed.

"No problem." Dark said coldly as he ran toward the monster, the boy appearing from a black wisp.

"Give it all you've got!" Ahakon said as he charged up a lightning attack in his arm, the boy aiming at the giant monster with a glare.

"This is going to get really rough!" Gin roared as he raced towards the monster with blinding speed.

"Hey, I can fix this myself." Razico said as he focused his dark magic, the man preparing to unleash a powerful dark blast of necro energy at the monster.

"Then let's put an end to this!" Ruby said as she aimed her wand towards the large beast.

While they engaged in a colossal and epic battle that would surely use up my budget for the first chapter to describe, four girls were walking down the path towards the school with calm smiles on their faces. They had faced evil vampire lords, oppressive and powerful armies of twisted and demented monsters, time itself, and a legendary destroyer that was hell bent on annihilating all life on earth. They had gone through pain and suffering, trial after trial, all united with their friends and boyfriends against each daunting and insurmountable task that came before them. Now that all of that had finally been put behind them they could focus on what was really important to them. Being with their boyfriends they had each found, the boys that were made perfectly for them.

As the four girls walked down the path several male students were looking with awe at the sight, the boys seeing the girls that were widely known across the campus for being the most beautiful and sought after girls.

"Look, that's her, that's Moka Akashiya. Oh what I wouldn't give to have a girl like that." A boy said with lustful eyes. The vampire he was looking at was dressed in the usual school uniform for girls, from the green jacket to slightly shorter than most would think to be normal skirt. Her long pink hair flowed behind her as a rosary glittered while it was worn over her chest. The vampire's emerald eyes glanced to the boys quickly then back forward, the girl paying the boys that were looking at her with perverted stares no mind.

_Really? Don't they know who I'm dating by now?_

**_They might be new students. Very sad if you ask me, to be drawn to something that they could never obtain in any of their lifetimes._**

"You kidding? Look at that girl, that's Kurumu Kurono, nobody's hotter than her." another boy said drooling at the second girl in the group. She was slightly shorter that Moka, the girl wearing the Yokai Academy skirt with her trademark yellow sweater and long sleeve white shirt underneath. She had a red bow over her chest and had her blue hair held back in a ponytail, the girl wearing a purple bow with a golden cross attached to it. The girl's violet eyes glanced to the boy then back again, the girl having a smug smile on her face as her obvious breast size caught the attention of a few boys.

_Damn right I'm hotter than her. However I'm taken by a true angel boys, so keep dreaming._

"No way, I hear she's all boobs and no brains. Besides, that ice princess Mizore Shirayuki is the picture of beauty." another boy said looking at the third girl in the group. The snow maiden's short purple hair flowed a bit as her clear blue eyes just looked ahead with a dull gaze. Her lollipop rolled gently around in her mouth as she walked with her friends, the girl wearing her usual outfit of black shoes, purple and white leggings, had her traditional belt around her left thigh, the usual Yokai Academy skirt, and black undershirt with a loose fitting white sweatshirt. She also had a black choker around her neck that had a white pendant on it, the pendant having a black marking that looked like three jagged lines going upward in a spread formation with a straight line crossing through the far right jagged line. The snow girl kept looking ahead, the girl well aware that others were looking at her.

_As if they could ever have a girl like me for a wife._

"Please, look at the young witch walking with them and tell me with a straight face that she isn't the definition of cute. Yukari Sendo has more potential than the others by far." another said confidently looking at the girl in the witches outfit walk with her friends. Although much younger than the others, she was still considered cute by far and had earned her own following of admires. However most of those chasing after her were creepy students that no girl in their right mind would want for a boyfriend. The witch giggled as she glanced to them then forward again.

_Sorry, already taken hee hee!_

"You guys are all nuts, you can't score with those four. Don't even bother trying." another boy said shaking his head.

"Oh yeah? What would you know? We may be new here but we've learned all about the girls of this school. And those ones are the top of the girl food chain here my friend." another said with a cocky tone.

"Yeah…but, did you even bother to learn about the _guys _that go here?" the other boy said with a raised eyebrow.

"Why would we want to learn about dudes? What's wrong with you? Just shut up and watch how it's done, this is how a real man gets a girl." one of the other boys said with a smug grin.

"Yeah, at this school you gotta show them that you're strong stuff otherwise they won't give you jack. Just watch." the other lustful boy said with a smirk. The four walked out towards the girls while the other boy just looked at them with worried eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." the boy who had been going to this school for a while now said shaking his head.

The girls glanced to the side to see four boys walking towards them with slick smiles.

"They wouldn't be so foolish would they?" Moka said with an amused smile.

"No way, nobody's that stupid." Kurumu said shaking her head.

The four boys walked in front of them, each of them eyeing the girl they desired.

"You sure about that?" Mizore said softly. Yukari just looked at the boys curiously, the witch wondering just how stupid they really were.

"Hey there, would you ladies like an escort to school?" one of the boys said with a polite bow. The girls blinked, glanced to each other, then back to the boys.

"No thank you, we're fine." Moka said in a forced polite tone.

"Oh but we insist. Don't worry, we'll make sure nobody else bothers you here at this school." another boy said with a smirk.

"Really? I doubt that." Kurumu said flatly.

"Haha, don't be so cold. C'mon, we'll take good care of you pretty young things." a third boy said with a smug grin. Mizore glanced to the boy at the side of the path, the one that was shaking his head and waving his hands around franticly.

"Looks like your friend is trying to warn you about something." Mizore said simply looking back to the boys in front of them.

"He just doesn't have the courage to take what he sees in life, we however wouldn't let such beauty slip by. That would be a crime after all." the fourth boy said with a chuckle.

"Courage huh?" Yukari said raising an eyebrow.

"You boys…should really reconsider this." Moka said with a weak smile. The four boys looked at the girls with discontent then chuckled.

"Fine, we'll play this the rough way if you prefer." one said as he shifted into his monster form. He changed from a normal student into a larger three eyed ogre, the gray-skinned monster chuckling as he looked at Moka. The second boy shifted into a larger armor plated brute, the monster's flat head having dull yellow eyes that looked at Kurumu while he clenched his fists. The third shifted into a large white furry monster, the yeti-looking monster having large tusks and blue eyes that stared at Mizore. The fourth boy shifted into his form, a spider monster that retained the human shaped head that had large incisors that extended from the sides of his mouth. The four girls looked at them then to each other.

"So…how should we play this?" Moka asked casually.

"I'm not really up for a fight so early. After all we've been through I just wanted to relax." Kurumu said with a yawn.

"These guys aren't even worth our time." Mizore said shaking her head.

"We're going to be late for class at this rate." Yukari said simply. The four girls exchanged looks then turned back to the boys.

"Haha, so, what's it going to be?" the ogre said with a wide grin. Moka looked at him with a dull expression then shrugged.

"Again, you _really_ want to reconsider this…" she said tiredly.

_He's asking for it._

**_Big time._**

"We'll keep that in mind. Now c'mon over here and let your new boyfriend hold you close." the armored brute said with a sly smile, the monster waving Kurumu over to him.

"You want me, come and get me." Kurumu said dully with a shrug.

"Stupid girls, you need to learn to do as your told." the yeti monster said as he walked over and grabbed Mizore by the arm. The girl merely looked at the hand with a dull stare then up at the monster.

"Not the smartest thing you could do buddy." She said with narrowed eyes.

"Come along my little witch, let's get to know each other better." the spider monster said as it skittered closer to Yukari. The witch just looked at the monster with a bored expression as a web shot out and wrapped around her. She glanced to the webbing then back to the monster.

"Oh dear…they're serious." she said shaking her head.

"Enough of this, let's get going with our new girls." the ogre said walking up and grabbing Moka's arm. She just looked at the hand then back to the monster as it started walking her forward. The armor plated brute grabbed Kurumu and pulled her while the yeti pulled along Mizore. Yukari merely walked behind the spider monster as it skittered in front of her.

"So…you're new here, am I right?" Moka said simply.

"Haha, yeah, just transferred today." the ogre said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, we figured." Kurumu said rolling her eyes.

"Hey, you could show a little enthusiasm here. Here we are offering to be your boyfriends and protectors and you just give us the cold shoulder." the yeti said with a laugh. The girls just looked to each other, each one wondering if they should deal with this themselves or watch it play out as they knew it would.

"So, you want us to play the part here?" Mizore asked curiously.

"Haha, sure why not?" the spider chuckled. Yukari looked around then shrugged.

"Ok, if you insist." she said simply.

Each girl looked to each other and nodded.

"Ahhh! Help me! Help me!" Moka cried out in a mocking tone as she thrashed around gently, the ogre looking to her with a perplexed expression.

"Oh my god, they're going to rape us! I'm too pretty to be taken like this!" Kurumu cried out as she bounced around, her breasts doing more of the bouncing while the brute looked back to her confused.

"Oh such a cruel world, won't somebody do something?" Mizore said softly before she started crying, the girl feigning tears while the yeti looked at her curiously.

"Oh no, help! Help us!" Yukari cried out loudly as she started jumping up and down, the spider looking to her with surprise.

"What are you doing?" the ogre said shaking his head. Moka stopped and blinked, then looked to the monster with a curious expression.

"I thought you wanted us to act the part of helpless girls." she said innocently.

"Seriously? Screaming for help? Really?" the brute said simply. Kurumu stopped instantly and just looked at him with an amused smile.

"Well, you wanted a show didn't you?" she said with a shrug.

"Would you knock it off?" the yeti said sternly at Mizore. The snow girl stopped instantly and looked at the monster with a bored expression.

"Isn't that what you expected from a girl you take by force?" she said flatly.

"What's with you girls? Would you shut up already?" the spider snapped at Yukari. She blinked then just looked at the monster.

"First I'm quiet and you complain, then I'm loud and you complain. You're impossible." she said simply.

"What is this, some sort of joke to you or something?" the ogre said annoyed.

"Well, yes actually." Moka said with a nod. The ogre growled then backhanded her, the girl recoiling with a gasp while the beast held onto her arm.

"You need to show your boyfriends some proper respect." the armored brute said with discontent as he backhanded Kurumu, the succubus recoiling back as the yeti did the same to Mizore. The three girls faced away from the monsters, their hair covering their eyes, while the spider grabbed the young witch with two of it's legs and held her up in the air.

"You need some proper training on how to be a girlfriend, you won't get by on just cuteness with me." it hissed at her. Yukari just looked at him then smiled amusingly.

"What's so funny?" the spider said with anger.

CRASH!

The monsters looked over to see a giant three headed lizard crash down in the path in front of them. One of the heads was burnt to a crisp, another was bloodied and torn up, while the other was crushed in and bleeding out the ears. It's large body was scorched and bloodied as it lay dead before them.

"What…what is that?" the ogre said in surprise.

"Now you've done it." Moka said with anger, the girl slowly turning back to glare at the ogre.

"You creeps just made the dumbest mistake you could possibly make." Kurumu said as she looked back towards the brute with a glare.

"That…will not be forgiven." Mizore said coldly as she turned to glare at the yeti. The three monsters looked at the girls with surprise as the spider looked to Yukari with caution.

"Didn't you know? We have boyfriends already." the witch giggled. The four monsters jumped a bit then looked at the girls with surprise.

"What?" they said nervously. Moka glared at the ogre then glanced to his side. The large monster turned to see the black and crimson eyes of a boy glaring at him. Tsukune narrowed his eyes as his vampire aura flared around him. Kurumu smirked and glanced to the side, the armored brute turning around to see the glowing eyes of an angel glaring at him, the boy cracking his knuckles with discontent. Mizore glanced to the side, the yeti then looking behind to see the pitch black eyes of a shadow demon glaring at him, the monster from hell having seen his girl struck by the foolish student. Yukari giggled then glanced to the side, the spider then turning to see a mage holding his hand towards the monster that was holding his girlfriend up while his arm sparked a bit.

Tsukune reached out and grabbed the ogre's arm, then threw the monster off to the side with one hand as it let go of Moka.

**"You dare…to touch ****_my_**** mate?"** Tsukune said with anger as he walked up toward the frightened ogre.

Rason grabbed the armored brute then shot into the air with him, the brute screaming as the angel flew them up into the sky while the succubus watched with an amused smile.

"You think you can touch _my_ Destined One like that and get away with it?" Rason said with anger as he flew up into the sky with the poor fool that struck his girl.

Dark walked up while growling at the nervous monster that struck his beloved while Mizore watched with a cool smile.

"Touching my wife is punishable by death." Dark said as a black fog seemed to swirl around him and the frightened yeti.

The spider looked at the boy who was aiming his attack at him with fear, then screamed as Ahakon fired a bolt of lightning at him. It struck the monster and knocked him back into a tumble. Yukari dropped down and looked at her boyfriend with loving eyes as he aimed an electrical attack at the smoking monster again.

"Yukari's all mine you jerk." Ahakon growled as his arm sparked wildly.

"Wait, wait c'mon we didn't-" the ogre said before Tsukune dashed to him and punched the monster, the large beast crashing back through several trees before slamming into the ground with a powerful explosion. Moka watched her mate strike down the pest that hit on her and sighed with a loving smile.

"AHHHH!" the armored brute cried out as Rason dived bombed him nearby, the angel throwing the monster down into the ground with a powerful explosion. If not for his armored skin he would likely have splattered on the ground from the impact. Kurumu watched her boyfriend slam the poor idiot into a large crater with loving eyes.

"Hey…what…what are you-" the yeti said before Dark vanished. Suddenly the yeti's arm snapped back with a loud crack, then his knee snapped backwards as well. The large monster screamed in pain before dropping down to one knee, the beast crying out before his head jerked to the side from a fierce punch. As a few teeth and a tusk flew out of it's mouth the monster was slammed into the ground with a painful howl. Mizore watched, in a manner of speaking, her future husband strike down the monster with a warm smile.

"Keep your hands off of her, all eight of them!" Ahakon yelled as he fired out a powerful blast of lightning, the bolt striking and zapping the spider monster violently. The bully twitched around wildly then dropped to the ground smoking and breathing out in pain. Ahakon growled then walked over and started ripping off the webbing around Yukari, the young witch looking at her boyfriend with a bright smile.

Tsukune breathed out and shook his head with an annoyed expression, the boy then clinking back on his rosary seal over his wrist. His eyes shifted back to brown as the gray streak through his hair vanished. His vampire aura was greatly suppressed, however his fangs remained as now he was a full blooded vampire like his girlfriend. Rason landed down near the group and shook his head at the smoking crater where he blasted the bully into the ground at high speed. The angel retracted his wings as much as he could and slipped on his shirts casually. Dark reappeared again, the boy still listening to his music as he walked back towards the group with normal eyes and a blank expression. Ahakon ripped off the webbing around his girlfriend and looked back to the smoking and twitching spider monster.

"Tsukune!" Moka said happily as she raced over to him and hugged him close. The boy smirked and held her closely as the vampire nuzzled against his chest.

"Rason!" Kurumu cried out with a cheer as she dashed over and embraced her boyfriend with a loving hug. She squealed with delight while the boy once again thrashed about as his world had gone dark, muffled, and oxygen free from his Destined One's loving embrace. Mizore ran up to Dark and hugged him closely, the girl burying her face into his chest as she sighed happily. Yukari waited until the webbing was completely removed then instantly tackled her boyfriend to the ground with a giddy laugh.

"So. Help me? Help me?" Tsukune said with a cocky smile. Moka blinked then timidly looked up at him. She giggled with an innocent smile and glanced away.

"Um…thank you for saving me?" she said bashfully. Tsukune rolled his eyes and glanced to his friends.

"Oh my sweet Rason, you were just amazing as always! Thank you for protecting me from that vile fiend, I knew I could count on you to save me! I'll thank you properly tonight my perfect angel, I promise! Oh Rason, you're the best, the absolute best!" Kurumu cheered out as she hugged the boy tighter and tighter. After a pause she looked down to see he was limp in her grasp. She screamed and started shaking him worriedly as the boy had lost consciousness again.

Mizore looked up to Dark as the boy gently removed her lollipop while holding her close.

"Such a cruel world?" he asked with an amused smirk. Mizore blinked and looked at him bashfully with a shrug. Rason woke up with a jump and looked around in surprise, the angel then being tackled to the ground by a relieved succubus.

Ahakon blinked and looked at the girl sitting on top of him, the witch having a bright smile on her face. The boy smiled amusingly and tilted his head.

"Help us help us huh?" The boy said with a laugh. Yukari blinked then glanced to the other girls. Rason was looking up at Kurumu with an amused smile as the succubus looked at him with a shy expression. Mizore just looked at her demon with loving eyes.

"Not like you to be caught so easily my little snow bunny." Dark said holding her closely. The snow maiden blushed and just nodded slowly in a trance.

"Yeah…" she said quietly.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you all allowed yourselves to be taken just to get us provoked." Rason said as he and Kurumu stood up, the succubus looking at him with a timid smile.

"Well…" she said softly.

"Moka? A proud noble vampire calling out for help like that? And from a mere ogre? Say it ain't so." Tsukune said with a knowing smile. Moka laughed nervously and looked to the other girls.

"Well…it was good you all showed up when you did." She said weakly. Tsukune chuckled then pulled her closer to him.

"I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you, aren't I?" he said before pulling her into a kiss. The girl closed her eyes and held him close, the vampire cherishing the feeling from her mate.

_I wouldn't mind that at all actually._

**_Try to have some pride, we're not helpless kittens here._**

"And just so you know, it's not rape if it's willing." Rason said as he pulled Kurumu closer, the girl looking with gentle eyes as he kissed her as well. She closed her eyes and relished the feeling of the bond flowing through them, the girl feeling her body light up inside at the mere touch.

_I'm more than willing with you angel boy._

"What can I say, I love it when you're rough." Mizore said softly. The demon smiled a bit then pulled her into a kiss, the girl allowing the demon to hold her as tightly as he wanted. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

_My Dark…my demon. Please don't be gentle._

"Well…thank you for helping us boyfriend." Yukari said with a giggle, then pounced the boy back down onto the ground with an affectionate kiss. The mage flailed about a bit as the witch continued to maul him with love, the girl still ecstatic to have a boyfriend of her own.

_So brave…and talented…and smart…and mine!_

From around the giant dead lizard Razico and Ruby walked out and looked at the downed beast.

"See, told you I could fix this." Razico said proudly. Ruby glanced to him and shook her head.

"You realize that the others took it down for you right?" she said flatly. The man blinked and shook his head.

"C'mon, I did my share too." He said.

"Yeah, like bringing that thing out in the first place." Gin said as he walked behind them, the boy holding the sleeping Kokoa in his arms. The girl was once again only wearing his green jacket as her clothing was seared off by her overcharge. The wolf glanced to her and smiled softly.

"Besides, she put in a lot of effort, more so than you." He said proudly.

"Oh c'mon, she ran around naked and on fire. I was the one that was taming this beast." Razico said.

"No, the only ones taming this thing were them." Ruby said looking to the four boys who were busy with their girlfriends. Razico looked at them and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? They're going to make out now? And here?" he said simply. Ruby glanced to him, the witch licking her lips slightly. Before she could make a move however Tsukune broke from his kiss and glanced to the warlock.

"Ruby, do you think you could keep an eye on him? I don't want to have to be cleaning up his messes all day." He said simply. Moka giggled and held onto his arm with a loving smile at the boy.

"Hey I didn't want this, don't peg me to be the bad guy." Razico defended. Rason broke from his kiss and looked to the warlock with a dull glance.

"Thieves usually are the bad guys." He said flatly. Kurumu held onto her boyfriend's arm and sighed happily as the boy glanced to her with a smile.

"Treasure hunter!" Razico barked back.

"You stole that enchanted dagger, you're a thief." Gin said simply as he held the sleeping vampire.

"For the last time, I'm a treasure hunter, stop calling me a thief." Razico said annoyed. Yukari and Ahakon stood back up on their feet, the young witch holding onto his arm while the mage just shook his head at the warlock.

"Then stop being one." He said simply.

Dark broke from the kiss with his snow maiden then gently put her lollipop back into her mouth. He looked to Razico with a blank expression.

"Are you going to summon anything else today?" he asked flatly. The warlock twitched then growled with frustration.

"Would you all back off already? I didn't mean to cause trouble here. I thought it was an old forgotten dagger. Seriously." He said tiredly. Ruby sighed and shook her head then looked back to the fallen lizard.

"Anyway, it's dealt with. I'm going to go inform the headmaster you all took care of the matter perfectly." She said with a smile. The four boys smiled and nodded while their girls held onto them with loving eyes.

"By the way, did Apoch, Astreal, and Falla leave already?" the witch asked looking to her friends.

"Yep, they're off to the human world. They seemed happy about their decision." Moka said with a nod.

"Still wild to think they're going to be the first monsters to publicly attend a human school." Kurumu said.

"Kyouko will keep an eye on them I'm sure." Mizore said softly.

"Here's hoping Falla's headband stays on." Yukari said with a nervous laugh.

"They're representing monsters by attending the human school, I'm sure they'll be on their best behavior." Tsukune said assuredly.

"Would have been nice if we could have had the free time to see them off." Rason said dryly looking at Razico. The warlock looked away at that remark. Gin glanced to Kokoa and started walking down the path towards the dorm buildings.

"Going to take this one to her room to get changed. We'll see you guys later." He said calmly. Moka looked at the boy with a gentle glance then to her sister.

_He really has changed, he's a gentleman now like Tsukune._

**_I don't know if I would put him in the same class as our mate, but he has indeed shown true character for our sister._**

"Thank you Gin." Moka said politely.

"Yeah, you've got more class than the thief here." Kurumu said with an impressed nod.

"Treasure hunter!" Razico and Ruby said together. The man blinked and looked to Ruby as she looked away quickly.

"Right. Whatever you say." Ahakon said rolling his eyes.

"Let's get going, class is about to start." Dark said as he started walking with his snow maiden. The girl looked downward with a gentle smile as she rolled her lollipop around in her mouth.

"C'mon boyfriend, we don't want to be late." Moka said with a cheery tone. Tsukune nodded and started walking with her. Yukari giggled as she started walking with her boyfriend, the casters following after the group.

"A normal day of school, that would be nice actually." The mage said hopefully.

"Try to keep your boyfriend under control Ruby." Kurumu said with a slight wave as she and Rason walked after them. Ruby sighed and glanced to Razico with a timid expression as the man looked at the fallen lizard, the warlock scratching his head in wonder.

"Seriously, all from a dusty dagger. Who would have guessed?" he said simply.

"Razico…" Ruby said softly. The warlock looked to her curiously as she walked up to him.

"Ruby?" he asked.

"Please don't take anything else from the school." She said softly. The man looked at her then smiled gently. She looked down and closed her eyes.

"You don't need to resort to stealing in this world, I'm sure you could do other things with your life." She said softly. She looked up to see he was holding her closely, the man smiling at her as she blushed a bit.

"Well everybody has their talents my dear Ruby." He said calmly. She glanced to his lips then back to his eyes.

"What else…are you talented at?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I've been told I'm skillful with my magic." The man said as he slowly formed a black chain behind her waist, the man forming link by link as his hands ran along her back toward her front. She looked down and started breathing heavily as he formed the chain around her waist.

"What else…" she said softly.

"And staying in control even under pressure." He continued as he formed the chain up around her shoulders then down along her arms. The witch looked at him with wide eyes as he slowly bound her hands behind her.

"Razico…" she said under her breath with a deep blush.

"And I am true to my word, a rather trustworthy hunter to work with." He said as he again wrapped the chain around her bound hands towards her front. He held the end piece with one hand as the witch looked at him with a loving look in her eye, the witch completely tied up by the man's magical chain.

"Razico…" she said as she felt her heart race. The man leaned in and caressed her cheek with one hand, the warlock looking deep into her eyes.

"And there are other things I'm talented at as well my dear Ruby." He said softly as he leaned in close to her. She closed her eyes as she felt her heart flutter at the man's touch.

"Razico…" she said softly. She gasped when she was suddenly pulled back onto the ground, the chain being pulled into a small black rift on the ground. She laid on the ground with wide eyes as her chains were held taught while the man smiled at her, the warlock then kneeling down next to her.

"Oh Razico…" the witch said with a deep blush. He chuckled softly then leaned in closely.

"However, we all do have our talents that we are good at." He said calmly as he held the dagger gently to her chest. The woman looked at it with wonder then to the man.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked bashfully. The man tilted his head at her and smiled gently.

"Nothing." He said simply. She blinked then looked at him curiously.

"N…nothing?" she said softly. The man nodded as he leaned in closer to her.

"I need to exchange this troublesome trinket for something of real value that _won't_ cause hell to break loose here." He said as he kissed the witch, the woman slowly closing her eyes as she was bound to the ground. After the kiss the man stood up and winked at her.

"I'll see you later my dear Ruby." He said before he walked off. The witch just looked up at the sky with a deep gaze as her heart raced from his kiss. She slightly shifted around in the chains, the witch trying to control her emotions.

"So forceful, and commanding, and handsome, and…wait. What?" she said snapping to reality. She looked around to see the warlock was gone then started thrashing around in her chains.

"What do you mean exchange it? Razico! You can't take the headmaster's artifacts! Razico!" she called out as the witch was bound to the ground with the warlock's enchanted chains.

* * *

Inside the classroom of Ms. Nekonome students were walking in and taking their seats. The group walked in and took their usual spots as the teacher walked in with a cheery smile as always. The students smiled and waved to the group, the class all too familiar with the heroes that fought against Alucard. The group merely waved back with quick smiles. They were happy that the school, at least most of the school, was friendly towards them now, but still wanted to be treated as equals without all of the celebrity looks they were getting. Even after repeated speeches and comments about how they wanted to just have peaceful and quiet lives the student body continued to be overly friendly with them. Ms. Nekonome set some papers down on her desk then turned to the class.

"Good morning class." She called out in her happy tone.

"Good morning." A few students called out dully.

"Now then, before we begin I have a few announcements to make. First off I'm pleased to announce that talks with the human world have so far been proceeding well. However, we are to continue learning to conceal our monster forms for the time being or else we may frighten or harm our efforts to be seen by the humans as trustworthy." The teacher said holding a finger up.

"So we have to hide who we are still?" a boy said worriedly.

"Well, for now yes. But once the humans fully accept us that may not be the case. Most forms of monsters would be acceptable while others could be harmful even unintentionally. We'll be going over that in greater detail soon. For now, you all need to remain in human form as you have before." The teacher said.

"Can't say I blame them, some monsters are rather large and can be intimidating at first glance." Ahakon said casually.

"That's correct. However in time even they too will be able to reveal what they truly are to the world without fear of being attacked. We can't rush this however, so as I said, please remain in human form just as we've been learning to do." The teacher said with a nod. The group glanced to each other and merely shrugged. They didn't expect monsters to be fully accepted in the human world so soon anyway. At least this was a bit of progress for them.

"Secondly I'm happy to announce that three of our students have been transferred to a human school as part of our efforts to win the trust of the human race. Apoch and Astreal Ezrana along with Falla Cii have left to represent monsters coexisting with human students, so let's all wish them the best of luck." The teacher continued.

"Wait, isn't that Falla girl out of her mind?" a girl asked worriedly.

"No, that's her sister I thought." another girl said thoughtfully.

"I thought they were both crazy." A boy said with a shrug.

"Why would we send a nutcase to represent us to the humans?" another boy said in disbelief.

"That 'nutcase' helped us fight against Alucard and is a dear friend. Show some respect." Moka said sternly. The class looked to her and slowly nodded.

"And third, we have some new students joining us today, so please make them feel welcome." The teacher said in a cheerful tone.

"Question." Rason said raising his hand. The teacher looked to him and nodded.

"Again, why is it that _this_ class is the only one that receives new students?" the angel asked puzzled. The teacher blinked then smiled at the class.

"Anyway, please make them feel welcome. You can come in now." The teacher called to the door as she walked over to her desk.

"Seriously, it's like a freakin' plot device or something." Rason said shaking his head as he saw nobody reacted to his question.

The door opened and three female students walked in. They walked to the front of the class and looked around with soft smiles.

"Please introduce yourself to your class." Ms. Nekonome said politely.

One of the new girls stepped forward. She had long blonde hair that went past her shoulders, the hair having an orange tint towards the bottom, and wore large headphones over her ears. She had a hair clip to one side of her bangs in the form of a silver treble clef. She had blue eyes and was bobbing her head a bit to her music.

"Hello. My name is Rin Otonashi." She said happily.

"Oh c'mon, now she's going to be listening to music too?" a girl said shaking her head. Rin looked at her curiously then glanced away.

"Well…I kinda need them." She said softly.

"Need them?" Ms. Nekonome asked curiously. Rin glanced to her and nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I keep the music turned down…but…I just can't take them off." She said. The teacher looked at her puzzled then nodded slowly.

"Well at least she can hear us, unlike somebody." Kurumu said glancing to Dark. The boy didn't even move at that comment.

"Um, alright then. Well, next?" the teacher asked the other two. Rin stepped back and another girl stepped forward. The girl had short blue hair that shifted to a teal color at the bottom. She had one strand of hair curled up at the side while she wore a Greek ivy headpiece, the girl looking around with green eyes behind her glasses. She had a few books held against her chest as she spoke in a shy voice.

"Hello, my name is Ran Otonashi." She said softly. She then stepped back and just looked down with a soft smile.

"Oh, are you sisters?" Ms. Nekonome said.

"Yeah, we all are." Rin said with a smile as she looked to the teacher.

"I guess she really can hear with those things on." Yukari said. The group merely glanced to Dark, the demon still remaining quiet.

"Well she said she keeps the volume turned down." Tsukune said with a shrug.

"Probably because she can't lip-read like my Dark can." Mizore said with a smug expression.

"Well how nice then. Thank you, and next?" Ms. Nekonome said with a smile. Ran stepped back and the third girl stepped forward. She had long hair that shifted from pink at the top towards a dull yellow at the bottom, the girl's pink eyes looking around with a dull expression as she wore a white hat that had cat ears and blue bows on each side.

"My name is Ren Otonashi." She said simply, the girl's voice sounding uninterested.

"Are you ok dear?" Ms. Nekonome asked gently. Ren glanced to her and shrugged.

"As ok as I'll ever be in a new school surrounded by strange people I don't know." She said simply as she looked away. The teacher looked at her with a bit of surprise while the class looked at her curiously.

"She's a positive thinker." Yukari commented. Ren stepped back as the class just looked at them curiously.

"Ran, Rin, and Ren. Interesting names for sisters." Moka said thoughtfully.

"Well I assure you that you're all welcome here girls. Now, please feel free to sit anywhere you like." Ms. Nekonome said motioning towards the desks. The three sisters glanced to each other then walked forward. Rin walked up and sat down next to Dark, the girl sitting in Felucia's old spot. She blinked and glanced down to see the name Dark Kuyumaya written, or rather carved, into the desk.

"Huh, does this spot belong to somebody named Dark?" she asked curiously.

"Given the fact that the name is carved over and over again, I'm going to assume it's somebody infatuated with this Dark guy." Ren said simply.

"Is this class really safe? I mean…don't people that carve words on their desks usually cause trouble?" Ran asked worriedly.

"Oh, that belonged to Felucia Sonsta. Unfortunately she passed away recently. We'll be replacing that desk with a new one shortly." Ms. Nekonome said softly.

"Ohhhh…then who's Dark?" Rin asked scratching her head. She blinked then looked over to see Dark just looking over to her.

"That would be him." Yukari said with a smirk. Rin looked at the boy curiously then smiled.

"Wow, you listen to music too? That's so cool, I listen to music also." She said with curious smile.

"Really, didn't notice." Dark said simply. Rin giggled and nodded.

"Haha, of course I do. I always listen to my music, see?" Rin said as she pulled off her headphones and waved them in front of her.

"No!" Ran cried out. Ren just face palmed as the class looked over to them. Rin blinked and looked around in wonder.

"Um…where am I?" she said curiously.

"Put back on your headphones Rin." Ren said tiredly as she just looked down shaking her head. Rin looked over to her puzzled.

"Rin? Why are you calling me Rin? Is that my name?" she said as she looked down in thought.

"What's up with her?" Rason asked.

"Rin put them back on now." Ran said as she tried to reach for the headphones. She dropped her books down as Rin pushed her away.

"Hey, get away, these are mine. I think…are they? Whose are these anyway?" Rin asked as she pushed the sister away then looked at the headphones curiously. Ran gasped and started to pick up her books before Ahakon leaned down and grabbed two of them for her.

"Is she ok?" Ms. Nekonome asked curiously. Ahakon blinked and slowly looked up to Ran, the girl then looking down at him with an embarrassed expression.

"Um…these are…yours." The boy said shakily as he handed the books back to her. She quickly grabbed them and looked away nervously.

"Thank you." She said quickly. Ahakon nodded slowly then glanced to Yukari. The witch looked at him curiously while Ran backed up a bit.

"For the love of…just put them back on sister." Ren said as she grabbed the headphones and put them back on Rin's head. The blonde haired girl blinked and then looked over to her.

"Thanks." She said softly. Ren just nodded then glanced over to Ran, the girl looking down with a blush. Ren blinked then rolled her eyes.

"Why did I have a feeling when you told me those were your studies you were lying?" she said flatly. Ran jumped a bit then looked at her with a nervous smile.

"Well…" she said shakily.

"You're the oldest sister, I'm the youngest. Yet I'm more mature than you are." Ren said as she walked past her sister and sat in the back seat next to Rason. The class looked to Ran as she looked down timidly.

"What is going on here?" Ms. Nekonome said puzzled. Rin jumped a bit then smiled weakly at her.

"Sorry…I have a bit of a bad memory…I need these to…think." She said with a shrug. She sighed and looked down.

"You need your headphones to think?" Kurumu asked. Rin nodded and glanced to her.

"Yeah…I do. They were magically enhanced by my father so I could remember things. Without them I've always had…well, horrible memory." She said sadly.

"Why headphones?" Rason asked. Rin smiled and shrugged.

"Why not? I love music." She said with a nod. She then looked down at her desk and closed her eyes.

"It's always been there to comfort me when I get sad. Music has always been a big part in our lives." She said softly.

"Hey, it's alright sister. Really." Ran said softly as she rested her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"It's not your fault you have a condition. Your father must have loved you to give you such a unique gift." Tsukune said with a smile.

"He's right, we're not judging you because of those, really." Moka said assuredly.

"Ahakon? You ok?" Yukari asked as the boy sat back in his seat and looked at Ran with wide eyes. He merely nodded then looked down at his desk.

"Um…yeah." He said shakily.

"Way to go sister." Ren said flatly.

"I didn't mean for him to see!" Ran cried out and looked at the young boy with a blush. Yukari looked at her puzzled then to Ahakon.

"What's wrong?" she asked. The boy just glanced to the new girl then back down. Rin looked at him curiously then giggled while looking to Ran.

"Looks like you scared him." She laughed.

"I'm sorry. Really." Ran said looking down embarrassed.

"Scared him? With what?" Kurumu asked. Yukari looked at the new girl then to her books.

"Um…just what was in those anyway?" she asked curiously. Ran jumped a bit and held the books close to her chest.

"Nothing…just…a hobby of mine." She said nervously. She glanced to Ahakon and gulped then looked down again.

"Collecting and reading manga isn't something to be embarrassed about sister." Rin said waving her hand nonchalantly.

"Manga? That's all?" Tsukune asked with a curious smile.

"That's not so bad." Rason said with a smile.

"Yes. Manga. Specifically boy on boy love stories." Ren said dryly.

Silence.

"Sister!" Ran cried out with a red face. She looked back to see Ren just staring at her with no expression.

"You promised you wouldn't bring that to class with you, I'm not at fault here." She said shaking her head. Ran stammered a bit then looked around to see the whole class was looking at her.

"Wow." Kurumu said surprised.

"Um…well everybody has their preferences." Moka said with a weak smile and shrug. Ran sighed and glanced to Ahakon.

"I…I'm sorry." She said softly.

"It's ok. Just wasn't prepared to see that _particular_ page in the story like that." The young mage said as he smiled weakly. He had caught the image of two boys engaging in a heavy make out session, both boys being his age. Ran nodded slowly then hurried back and sat next to Ren, the two sisters sitting in the seats where the chronofly sisters used to sit.

"What kind of sister are you anyway?" Ran said as she buried her head in her arms on her desk and shook a bit.

"One that puts up with an otaku who likes shōjo manga such as yourself on a daily basis." Ren said simply as she kept looking ahead.

"There's nothing wrong with appreciating art and good stories." Ran said while keeping her head buried, her muffled voice seeming shaky.

"Of course not. By the way, unrelated question. How old _were_ the boys in that book that he saw?" Ren said glancing to the girl with a raised eyebrow. After a long pause Ran trembled.

"Just stop picking on me!" she cried out. The group looked at them with weak expressions then glanced to each other with soft smirks.

"You guys, stop fighting. You're making us out to be weirdo's here." Rin said shaking her head. She glanced over to Dark and smiled.

"Wow, you listen to music too?" she said with a bright smile. Dark just blinked and glanced to Mizore, the snow girl merely looking at the strange new girl with a blank expression.

"Well…they seem…friendly." Moka said with a weak smile. Tsukune chuckled and looked up with a calm gaze.

"I wonder how Luna is doing." He said softly. The group glanced to him then upwards.

"I don't know, I wonder what she was wanted by the Almighty for." Moka said in wonder.

"I'm sure she's doing alright. She has that bracelet now, she's got complete control over her time powers." Kurumu said confidently. Rason nodded and looked up with a calm smile.

_I know you'll do great Luna, the Almighty was right to trust you, I'm sure of it._

"Alright class, it's time to get started with today's lesson." Ms. Nekonome called out as she walked up to the board. The class looked over and the day got underway as usual. During the class period each group member was thinking about different things as usual.

Moka was still focused on her mate, the boy having not only destroyed Alucard with his new vampire self but had started the motion of monsters and humans truly coexisting. She was so impressed and proud of her boyfriend, and the girl couldn't stop thinking about him. Even her inner self was eagerly waiting for her turn with her mate. Tsukune was thinking about all that had changed since he arrived here at this strange school. He was now a full blooded vampire, had the most beautiful girl on campus as his girlfriend, and he was with his friends that stood beside him through all the nightmares that had arisen in the past.

Kurumu was daydreaming about her Destined One, the girl loving the feeling of the bond that flowed between them. She sighed happily and glanced over to him, the girl waiting for class to end so she could once again enjoy his kisses. She giggled and wondered about what she had learned from Astreal before, the succubus eager to try lovemaking with her boyfriend high in the sky. Rason was daydreaming as always, the boy wondering how Luna was doing up in heaven with her special assignment from the Almighty. He was also relaxing as it appeared that the constant fighting for their lives was finally over, and the angel was looking forward to time with his Destined One and unique friends that he had made here at the school.

Mizore was looking ahead with a blank expression, the girl trying to perfect her ability to feel out her boyfriend's essence as he sat next to her. It was still a tricky process, but she had made some progress in learning to find her elusive boyfriend. She still couldn't surprise or sneak up on him, but was determined to master the technique of finding her shadow demon. She glanced over to the new girl Rin, the snow girl a bit cautious as the new girl seemed to be a big music fan, and didn't want her getting to close to Dark because of it. Next to her Dark was looking ahead with a blank expression as always while he listened to his music. However he was, as always, thinking about something. He was glad to hear that, although Felucia had died, she was someplace that she could be content. After all, torturing those damned souls down in hell would be something the doll demon would likely enjoy. Now that the never ending conflict seemed to be over he was ready to remain by his girlfriend's side, the snow girl he wanted to make his wife one day.

Yukari was looking ahead with a calm expression, the girl taking notes as always while daydreaming about her boyfriend. Her notepad, as always, contained notes about the lesson plan and notes about what she wanted her boyfriend to do to her. There was a major difference between the two sections as the young girl apparently still had a very perverted mindset. Behind her Ahakon was trying to get the image of Ran's manga out of his mind while focusing on the lecture. As he was writing down his notes he reminded himself that the fighting was finally over, and he could finally enjoy his education with his girlfriend. He leaned forward to ask his girlfriend what she noted about the lecture, then jumped back as he caught a view of the list of things Yukari wanted him to do to her. As he tried to block the images out of his mind Yukari giggled softly to herself, the witch in a blissful state and not noticing that her boyfriend had turned pale seeing her inner desires.

While the teacher went on about her lesson plan and while the students somewhat paid attention the three new girls were looking down at their desks, none of them writing anything. Slowly Rin glanced behind her towards her two sisters, the two slowly looking up to her. They all smiled softly then looked back forward, the three sisters sharing a confident expression as they quickly glanced to all the boys in the room. Most of them were just ordinary students, with either below average grades or monster strength. But there was a group of boys in that classroom that were far stronger. A group of boys that stood up against a legendary destroyer and survived. A group of boys that had shown great strength and power in that fateful battle.

A group of boys the three sisters glanced to with sly smiles.


	2. Into The Darkness

High above the human world angels were flying about inside the realm of heaven, either those that lived peacefully in the heavenly city provided by the Almighty, or those that were stationed in the grand palace that floated higher up still. Those in the heavenly city were blessed with peace and tranquility, the souls of humans that were deemed worthy of an eternal paradise. The angels higher up in the palace watched over both the city below and the human world further down, the watchful guardians keeping order for the Almighty.

Flying up from the clouds below two figures were seen, the two flyers soaring up towards the palace in the sky. They flew up and landed down on the edge of the outer courtyard together. One was an angel, his feathered wings retracting slightly behind him. He had the usual attire for angels, with a simple white toga outfit and red belt. He had sandals on as he glanced back down from where they came. His short red hair was a bit messy as his brown eyes looked over to his travel companion. She was dressed in the Yokai Academy uniform for girls, her skirt and green jacket being worn along with black shoes and a white undershirt. Her wings however were those of a butterfly that were brightly colored with blue trimmings, white wings, and yellow spots. She had short black hair and green eyes, the chronofly looking around with wonder as this was her second time up in heaven.

"That was incredible, so very odd yet fascinating the way you can do that." Gabriel said as he looked back down from where they came. He had used his angelic power to bring the living girl up to the grand palace, with the girl using her unique ability to control time at his personal request. During half the trip they had flown up in a single moment in time, the angel simply amazed at the concept of moving through time.

"Thank you Gabriel, but we only shifted through time a bit to fly upwards. Nothing really special." Luna said with a soft smile. She glanced to the angel and looked at him with a curious smile. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at her with an impressed grin.

"Don't sell yourself short Luna, that is truly a gift you have." he said kindly. The girl nodded and glanced away. She wasn't sure why, but during the time they held hands on the way up a strange feeling seemed to light up briefly inside of her. She looked around then back down towards the heavenly city. The physical dimensions of the floating city were an impossibility, with the city appearing to be endless at one angle and then only being a small dimension of land at another. The girl looked at it puzzled as her mind couldn't understand the way the city appeared then looked away shaking her head.

"Wow…that'll give me a headache." she said holding her head.

"Yeah, you need angelic sight to understand the ways of the Almighty." Gabriel said with a chuckle. He looked at Luna curiously as the girl held her head and was trying to calm her breathing.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah…just…headaches don't agree with chronoflies." Luna said with a weak smile. She blinked a few times then looked at the angel.

"A headache for us could be…problematic." she said with a shrug. He nodded and looked at her curiously. She smiled softly and glanced away.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh…it's just…it's just hard to believe that you're the same girl Rason saved that night." Gabriel said with a smile. She blushed a bit and nodded.

"Yeah. He really is my angel." she said softly. Gabriel looked at the chronofly standing before him, the girl a picture of beauty from her figure to her wings.

"Ah, so I see she decided to help us." the elder said as he walked up next to them. They looked to see the long blonde haired angel looking at Luna with a calm smile.

"Yes elder." Gabriel said with a nod.

"I'm honored actually…I mean…being asked by _him_ for something. I don't know what to say." Luna said looking down bashfully.

"That's quite alright. We are grateful that you would be willing to help us with this task." the elder said calmly. She looked at him then around curiously.

"Um…so, what is it that you need me for?" she asked. The elder looked at her curiously.

"Before we get into that, I do have a bit of a surprise for you." he said glancing to Gabriel. The angel smirked and nodded. Luna looked at him with a curious smile.

"A surprise?" she asked. He nodded and motioned towards Gabriel. Luna looked over to see the angel looking up. He waved at something then glanced to Luna. She blinked then slowly looked up. Her eyes widened as her mouth opened in surprise.

"She wanted to say hi to you before you left again." the elder said as a girl flew down towards them gently. She was about Yukari's height and slightly younger in age.

"Oh my…" Luna said under her breath.

She had green eyes and short blue hair.

"Is it…really…" Luna said with tears forming.

Her butterfly wings were brightly colored with green trimmings, soft pink wings, and light blue spots.

"Yes Luna." Gabriel said kindly.

She wore an elegant white dress lined with green trimmings.

"You can thank Rason my dear, him and your friends. For showing us that monsters can indeed be worthy of heaven." the elder said as the girl landed down next to Luna, the young chronofly looking up with a bright smile.

"Sister!" Complica said with a bright smile. Luna trembled then knelt down, the girl hugging her sister while crying softly with a smile.

"Complica! Complica you're here!" Luna said as the young sister held her closely.

"They said you would be coming up here today, I was so happy to see you again!" Complica said happily as the elder sister held her close. After a bit she leaned back and looked with amazement at her deceased sister.

"Complica…you're…I've almost forgotten how beautiful your wings were." she said gently as she looked over her sister. The younger girl giggled and smiled at her sister.

"I've missed you sister. How have you been? What have you been doing? I heard you were fighting some large monster that was destroying everything with a bunch of other monsters! What was it like? What were they like? What did you do to stop that thing? Is it true you're a hero of the earth now? Wow so cool, does that mean I'm part hero too? Hey do you still draw like you did before? I've been practicing, I'm getting pretty good-" Complica started before Luna laughed a bit and shook her head. She rested her hand on Complica's head and smiled at her.

"You haven't changed a bit Complica. It's…it's so good to see you again." she said as she wiped a tear away. She looked around then back to her sister with a curious smile.

"Are mother and father…are they…" she asked. Complica nodded quickly.

"Yep yep. They're down in a new city being made for us monsters. It's so cool, there's so many different ones there." she said with a smile.

"A new city?" Luna said in wonder.

"Times are changing Luna. And with our own guardian of the monster realm comes our own city of the monster realm as well." the elder said with a smile. Luna looked at him with wonder then back to Complica.

"It's still too soon to have all monsters and humans share the same city, but in time we might be able to slowly merge the two. But rest assured, their heaven up here is just the same as the humans. Those that are approved by Rason and the Almighty are granted true peace up here." Gabriel said calmly. Luna looked back to him with a bright smile.

"My family…they're up here too?" she said with a smile. Gabriel nodded and glanced up. The boy chuckled and shook his head.

"Again? How many times am I going to catch you up here?" he asked playfully. The group looked up as Complica giggled.

Floating down to them a young girl was seen. She had brightly colored wings, the feathers appearing to be made of frost and ice.

"She followed me when I said my sister was coming up." Complica said while waving to her friend.

She was about Yukari's age and height as well, the girl having long purple hair that went past her shoulders.

"Who…is that?" Luna asked curiously.

She wore a white and purple kimono, the girl's wings appearing to trail a shimmering frost in the air.

"Somebody who has been repeatedly told to stay in the city down below." Gabriel said shaking his head.

She had clear blue eyes, the girl also wearing earbuds and had an mp3 player clipped to her hip.

"You know you're responsible for this one as well Gabriel." the elder said with a slight smirk.

She didn't have a lollipop in her mouth seeing as how her body temperature was always comfortably cold in heaven.

"Believe me I know elder." Gabriel said tiredly.

The girl landed down next to the group, her white shoes touching down as her wings slightly retracted back. She looked around curiously as the group looked at her.

"Hee hee, looks like you're in trouble again Arial." Complica giggled. Arial glanced to her then around again.

"Arial? Wait…Arial Kuyumaya?" Luna said in surprise. The snow girl looked to her with a blank expression.

"Where's Dark?" she asked softly, her voice seeming shy and timid.

"Dark's not here, he's not dead yet. I told you only Luna was coming up, and I've told you dozens of times to stay in the city below." Gabriel said tiredly. The snow girl glanced to him then around again.

"Dark?" she called out.

"She didn't hear you." Complica giggled.

"She never hears me, even when I take those earbuds away. Where does she keep getting them from anyway?" Gabriel said.

"It's heaven down there, I'm sure she has an unlimited supply. Frankly I'd be surprised if her batteries could ever die." the elder said with a smirk.

"Dark?" the snow girl called out again. Luna looked at her with awe.

"She's the one that freed Dark isn't she?" she asked in wonder.

"That's right. Her family was brought up as well. We figured your friend Dark would appreciate that. However this one doesn't seem to want to stay down in the city, she keeps flying around looking for the demon she remembers." the elder said calmly. Luna looked at the girl with amazement.

_What Mizore wouldn't give to meet her._

"Wow…" she said looking between the two deceased monster children.

"She really is a good soul. Even though she was killed by Dark's blade, she bears no grudge in the least. If anything she's his biggest fan. From the time of her death she kept talking about how the shadow demon broke free from his shackles for her, how he put an end to the killing of her village for her. She keeps asking the elders to tell tales of you and your friends, or rather only of Dark." the elder said looking at the snow girl who kept looking around the area curiously. Her music was playing as her eyes gazed around, the snow girl looking for any sign of the demon that she last met on earth.

"Yeah, and she keeps sneaking up here to ask where he is now. She doesn't seem to get the picture that she's supposed to stay down below in the city with her family." Gabriel said with an amused smile. The snow girl looked to Luna and tilted her head.

"Is Dark coming?" she asked. Luna shook her head.

"No, he's not dead. He's still alive with Mi-" she started before Gabriel waved his hands in front of him franticly, the angel out of Arial's eye line. Luna glanced to him then back to Arial.

"With…who?" Arial asked as the temperature dropped around the area. Luna looked at the girl worriedly as Complica hid behind her. Arial's hair frosted over as the ground below her turned to ice, the girl's expression still remaining blank yet cold at the same time. The young chronofly peeked out from behind her sister and shook her head.

"With his friends, just his friends Arial." she said worriedly. Arial looked at her for a moment and nodded, the girl's hair returning to normal as did the surrounding temperature. Luna looked at the girl worriedly then over to Gabriel.

"Two things you need to know Luna. One, she can read lips like Dark can. No surprise there as she listens to music literally 24/7 up here. And two, don't _ever_ mention Mizore to her." Gabriel said worriedly. Arial started looking around curiously again as Luna eyed her carefully.

"Why not?" Luna asked cautiously.

"Because Arial doesn't know Dark has a new girlfriend." Complica said nervously.

"New girlfriend? She's the only one he's ever had, isn't she?" Luna asked.

"Yes, but…" Gabriel said looking at the young snow girl as she looked around in the sky with a calm gaze.

"When an elder started talking about Dark having a girlfriend, Arial…didn't take it too well." he said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked worriedly.

"She froze over a great amount of the city in her rage." the elder said simply. Luna looked at him with shock then back to Arial.

"She did?" she said in disbelief.

"It took quite a bit of effort to thaw out the city and free the surprised monster souls there." the elder said.

"We had to modify the story so that the girlfriend, who's name we never got to say before, died during the Fairy Tale battle. Everybody up here knows about Arial and her…obsession with Dark." Gabriel said gently.

"Obsession?" Luna asked cautiously.

"She wants to marry Dark when he comes up here." Complica said simply.

"Marry him?" Luna said in surprise. Arial glanced to her, the chronofly looking at her nervously. Luna looked at the snow girl carefully, the little angel staring at her for a moment before looking back around.

"She thinks they're meant to be together since he broke free from his master's command because of her." Complica said with a shrug.

"We're still working on how to break it to her, she can be…rather difficult and touchy when it comes to _her_ shadow demon." Gabriel said worriedly.

"She's a good soul, she really is. She's my friend up here. We talk about everything together. She's the only friend I've made up here so far too. Lloyd hasn't been transferred to the heavenly city yet, and she's the only one here who we can relate to you all down below." Complica said softly.

"She is a good soul Complica, that's why she was allowed up here. It's just she has some…attachment issues with the shadow demon." the elder said glancing to the snow girl.

"Well…didn't expect that." Luna said scratching her head. She looked to her sister and smiled.

"Still, it's great to see you again Complica. I'm glad you're doing ok." she said. She smiled sadly then glanced away.

"I'm sorry…about how…" she said. Complica looked at her with a saddened smile.

"I heard that Falla is with you still." she said softly. Luna looked to her and nodded slowly. Complica smiled gently and looked down.

"I heard she's changed now. I'm glad she learned to be good." she said softly. Luna smiled gently at her sister and rested her hand on her shoulder.

"She was the one that helped Tsukune defeat Alucard. She's a real hero. She…she does feel great pain for what her darker self did in the past. But she's trying to atone for it. She's even one of the first monsters to attend a human school publicly, to show the humans that monsters can be trusted." Luna said kindly. Complica smiled at her sister and nodded.

"I'm glad." she said softly.

"Where is Dark?" Arial said impatiently while shaking her head, the snow girl obviously not getting the fact that the demon wasn't coming.

"Anyway, Gabriel will handle those two while I inform you of your assignment. We shouldn't waste much more time." the elder said with a calm tone. Gabriel nodded and looked to Luna.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure they get back to their families. And this time they're going to stay there." he said, the angel looking towards Arial and calling out the last part. The snow girl kept looking around, the girl either not having heard him over her music or not caring. Complica giggled and smiled at her sister.

"It was great seeing you again sister, and don't worry. We'll be here for whenever you come back." she said happily. Luna nodded and smiled at her sister.

"Take care sister." she said softly. Gabriel smiled at the girl then looked to the young chronofly.

"Ok, let's get going." he said. He looked over and then walked towards Arial with a dull stare. The snow girl glanced to him as he crossed his arms.

"Let's go Arial." he said with a slightly stern tone. The snow girl rolled her eyes and fluttered her wings, the frost shimmering behind her. The three took off into the sky then flew towards the monster city near the human city, with Gabriel and Complica waving towards Luna while Arial had her arms crossed before her with a dull expression. Luna waved them off then looked to the elder.

"Thank you elder, for taking them in." she said graciously.

"It's the least we can do. We have seen firsthand that monsters can be just as every bit as good as humans. We are slowly starting to get the rules of heaven changed around, and in the meantime the monsters approved for here will be in their own city in their own paradise. The Almighty has seen the good in you monsters, we only hope you can forgive us for how blind we were to your hearts before." the elder said with a bow. Luna smiled and nodded.

"It's all behind us now. I'm just glad my family and friends will have a peaceful afterlife." she said softly. She blinked then looked to the elder, the man looking at her with a solemn expression.

"Tell me…if the Almighty needed me to help with something…" she said carefully.

"That's right, a chronofly is needed for this particular problem. I'm afraid that we have an issue that is causing some concern with the Almighty." he said. Luna looked at him with a bit of surprise.

"Um…just what kind of problem are you talking about?" she said worriedly. The elder shook his head and extended out his wings.

"Come, I'll show you. Hopefully a chronofly as gifted as you can take care of this…problem." he said as he took off. Luna nodded and followed after, the girl worried about her assignment now.

* * *

Inside the classroom of Ms. Nekonome the teacher was finishing up her lesson plan as very few students were paying attention. As she started wrapping up her lecture she turned to the class.

"Oh and one final announcement class. Tomorrow we will be holding our annual school festival!" she said with a cheer. The class smiled at her with excitement as the continued.

"We are looking for volunteers to help run the event, so anybody interested in participating please sign up today." she said with a happy tone.

"Wow is it that time already? Yippie!" Yukari cheered out. Rin raised her hand with a curious expression. The teacher looked to her and nodded.

"Um…what's a 'festival'?" she asked.

The class just looked to her in response.

"I thought when she wore her headphones she wasn't an idiot." a boy said with a snicker.

"I guess they're out of batteries." another boy chuckled. The girl twitched and looked down worriedly while her two sisters glared at the boy.

"Oh, it's a celebration we hold here. We will have games and shows being performed for the students of the school. Also past graduates of the academy will be coming to see the classes, so you can also learn more about how they live among the humans and what they do for a living." the teacher said happily. Rin nodded slowly then raised her hand again.

"Ok. And…what does 'celebration' mean?" she asked.

Again the class just looked at her.

"She's joking right?" Yukari said flatly.

"I don't think so." Kurumu said.

"It's like a party." Tsukune said gently. Rin smiled brightly at him.

"A party? Really? Can we go too?" she asked eagerly. Tsukune smiled and nodded.

"Sure, everybody in school will be there." he said. She looked at him curiously.

"Everybody?" she asked.

"Yeah, the whole school goes to the event. It's held right here on campus." Moka said. Rin smiled and looked to her sisters, the two girls glancing to each other with smiles as well. The bell rang and students started to get up and leave.

"Oh, and also for you new girls. Just so you know it's a requirement for all students here to join an after school club. So feel free to sign up for any one you wish." Ms. Nekonome called out. The teacher walked out as the group looked to each other.

"Wow the festival is back. I can't wait, I can't wait!" Yukari cheered out.

"I haven't been to such an event myself, this sounds like fun." Ahakon said with a smile.

"Yahoo, you know it will be kid." Kurumu said with a bright smile and cheer. She sighed and looked up with a loving gaze.

"Last year's festival was great, and this time I have a boyfriend to share it with." the succubus said as she looked to her angel with loving eyes.

"Me as well." Mizore said softly looking at Dark, the demon looking at her with a blank glance. He smiled softly for a moment, the girl knowing that was enough to show how he felt.

"Yeah, we all have somebody to share it with. It won't be like last year." Moka said with a giggle.

"Last year? What happened last year?" Rason asked.

"Well…" Moka said glancing to Tsukune.

"I ended up in the infirmary from a little mishap." Tsukune said nervously. The angel nodded and smirked at him.

"Let me guess, girl trouble." he said looking around at the girls. Kurumu looked down with a nervous smile, Yukari giggled, and Mizore glanced away. Moka nodded then looked to Tsukune.

"Sorry again about all that…we were…well you know." she said softly. She remembered how the boy was confined to the bed, the poor human caught in the crossfire between a shy vampire, and overzealous witchling, a persistent succubus, and a clingy snow maiden. The girls stayed in the infirmary with great worry as he was out cold that night with injuries he sustained trying to get them to stop fighting over him. He chuckled and looked at her with a smile.

"Don't worry about it. And this time we'll all be around for the fireworks at the end." he said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, that's right. We missed those." Yukari said looking up thoughtfully.

"Fireworks?" Rin said with wide eyes and a bright smile. The group looked to her as Tsukune nodded.

"Yeah, at the end of the festival there's a big fireworks presentation." he said with a smile. Rin blinked and tilted her head at him.

"Presentation means show." Kurumu said flatly. Rin jumped with a big smile and looked back to her sisters.

"A fireworks show, oh can we go too?" she asked eagerly. Ran and Ren looked to each other then back to their sister.

"You already know we're going, the entire school is going to be there, remember?" Ren said, the girl having an inquisitive tone at the end. Ran merely nodded in agreement. Rin bounced around with joy.

"Yay!" she cheered. Ran and Ren stood up and walked over to their excited sister.

"Ok, c'mon let's get going." Ren said dully. Rin bounced to her feet and nodded then waved to the group.

"See you all there!" she called out with a wink. The group smiled weakly and waved as the three sisters walked out. Ran and Ren glanced back to them quickly then walked out with their sister.

"Well…they're friendly." Tsukune said with a shrug.

"That poor girl, having to deal with that memory problem." Moka said softly.

"She seems happy enough." Mizore said simply.

"Happy? Puppies are happy. That girl is thrilled." Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow. She smiled at her angel as she stood up.

"Let's get going too angel boy." she said with a wink. The boy nodded and stood up, the girl instantly grabbing onto his arm.

"Here's hoping our day finally calms down for once." the angel said with a nervous laugh.

"I think the worst is behind us at this point." Tsukune said as he and Moka stood up. The girl held onto his arm and smiled at him.

"Still nice to know you're here to save me." she said with a giggle. The boy smiled amusingly at her and kissed her forehead, the girl blushing a bit. Dark stood up as did Mizore, the silent couple walking towards the door together. Yukari hopped up and pulled Ahakon up, the boy again being pulled towards the door by his loving and overzealous girlfriend.

"Hey slow down, what's the rush?" the boy said with a small laugh.

"C'mon, we don't want to be late." the witch giggled.

"We have plenty of time, calm down Yukari." Moka said as she and Tsukune started walking after them. Rason and Kurumu followed, the two enjoying the feel of each other's touch as they walked behind the vampire couple.

"Yeah, not like we're going to miss anything." Rason said with a smirk. The four couples walked out into the hall, then looked over to the side.

"And once again, I spoke too soon." Rason said flatly as they watched something along with other students that had gathered around the hallway.

"Give those back!" Ran shouted out as she tried to reach for her sister's headphones, the device being held back by a taller male student as he used his other arm to hold the girl back. Near them Ren was holding Rin, the blonde haired girl looking around with a confused look. Ren was looking at her sister with worry then glaring over at the bully.

"Haha, why? Not like it helps her. She's dumb as a brick either way." the bully said with a laugh. A few other boys around them laughed a bit while girls pointed and snickered. Ran jumped up and down trying to grab the device while she held her books to her side tightly with her other arm. The group just looked at them with blank expressions.

"Really? More of this?" Kurumu said shaking her head.

"There's always going to be bullies in school." Tsukune said shaking his head.

"That's so cruel, she needs those." Moka said worriedly.

"Yeah, they keep whatever mind she has in there from going out completely." Rason said.

Ran hopped around trying to get the headphones, the bully then pushing her away with a shove. She stumbled back as her books dropped to the ground, the girl looking down with surprise as the students around laughed a bit. The girl scrambled to pick them up while Rin looked around worriedly, the girl confused as to why everybody was laughing at her, and puzzled as to where she was.

"Haha, oh I'm sorry." the bully snickered as Ran trembled with an embarrassed expression as she picked up her books, the girl holding them close to her chest as she looked down while she was kneeled down on the floor. Rin started to cry as everybody was laughing at her, the girl becoming scared as to what was happening. Ren looked around with discontent then towards the bully with a glare.

"Those jerks, they need to be taught a lesson." Ahakon growled with anger. Yukari nodded and brought out her wand.

"Hey! What's going on over here?" Ruby called out, the witch walking over towards the commotion. Students started chuckling and walking away as the bully laughed, the kid dropping the headphones down and running off. Ruby walked over and looked around then at the three sisters. She looked to the headphones, the witch picking them up and looking over to Ren.

"I'm sorry about that, are these-" she started before Ren snatched them out from the witch's grip. The girl glared at Ruby then put them on Rin's head, the blonde haired girl blinking then looking around while wiping her tears away. Ran shakily got up and looked to her sisters with a nervous expression. Ruby looked at them and bowed politely.

"I'm sorry they were being so mean. I'll speak to the headmaster-"

"Don't bother. Like that would do any good." Ren snapped. The witch looked at her as the three sisters looked away with discontent.

"Hey, it'll be ok. We'll deal with those troublemakers." Ruby said gently.

"No, you won't. What can you do? Give them a stern talking to? Like that will do anything." Ren said shaking her head.

"We can be very persuasive. Please, don't let them-" Ruby started before Ren glared at her.

"We'll deal with our own problems. Go mind your own business." she said sternly as the three sisters walked off. Ruby looked at them with worry then over to the group. They looked to each other then towards the three girls that were walking away, the three that had dull glares in their eyes.

* * *

Inside the girls restroom in the academy three students were seen. Rin was standing before the sink and mirror, the girl holding her hands to her sides and looking down while trembling. On either side Ren and Ran were looking at her with sympathetic eyes and holding one hand on her shoulders. The blonde haired girl choked back a sob and then slowly looked into the mirror.

"Sister it's ok, really." Ran said softly.

"It's not like we're here to make friends with those guys." Ren said gently. Rin nodded and looked down with a sigh.

"I know. Still…I was scared. I couldn't remember anything, and everybody was laughing at me. I always feel all alone and lost when that happens." she said softly. She held a hand to her headphones, the device once again over her ears and allowing her to think properly. The music was turned down so she could hear around her better, the girl merely having to wear the device for it to take effect.

"I'm sorry Rin, I know it's hard on you." Ran said looking down.

"You were young back then, father said you didn't know any better. It's not like you did that to yourself on purpose." Ren said gently.

"I know. Still…" Rin said as she looked into the mirror.

From behind them two girls had quietly walked into the restroom, both of them seeing the three students and looking at them with sympathetic looks. They backed out slightly and peeked through the open door.

"I couldn't help it. I love music." Rin said softly.

"We all do, comes with being one of us." Ran said with a soft smile. Rin nodded and closed her eyes, the girl breathing out. Ren looked at her sister then up. After a moment she started to sing a song, a gentle melody of unknown tongues. The two girls peeking through the door couldn't understand a word of it, but the sound of it…

"Wow…" Yukari said with awe.

"Her voice. It's…amazing." Kurumu said with wonder.

Ran smiled and joined in, the two singing in perfect harmony. Their voices sang the melody, the song seeming gentle, sad, and uplifting at the same time. Rin smiled and looked to her sisters, then joined in. All three sang the melody in unison, all of them obviously knowing the song very well. Slowly all three girls smiled and sang together, their voices filling the restroom.

"I've never heard such singing before." Yukari said with amazement. The song they heard seemed to make all their worries vanish, they both felt so relaxed and comfortable just hearing the melody. The world around them seemed to just melt away.

"Yeah, they're really good. They should join the music club or something with that talent." Kurumu said. She felt so happy inside just hearing the song, the girl unsure as to why but loved it just the same. The two nodded then walked in to the room.

"Hey, you guys are-" Kurumu started before the three girls looked to them quickly, the girls stopping their song and just staring at them with caution. After a pause they started to walk out while avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yukari asked. They didn't reply, but merely walked out with dull expressions.

"What was that about? We were only going to compliment them." Kurumu said scratching her head.

"Maybe they don't trust anybody here yet. Seems like they've been getting picked on since they arrived." Yukari reasoned.

"C'mon, let's go try to talk to them. Tsukune was right, they are friendly, they just need a friend or two." Kurumu said, the two then walking out after the girls. They looked around the hall then noticed something.

"Again? Seriously?" Kurumu said with annoyance.

Down the hall a familiar scene was taking place, with a bully holding Rin's headphones back behind him while holding Ran back with the other hand. Rin was looking around with a confused expression while Ren was being held from behind by another bully.

"Give those back, she needs those!" Ran cried out.

"Haha, oh really? And why's that, some good tunes on here or something?" the bully said with a laugh.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Rin asked a boy that was grinning at her.

"Your boyfriend, c'mon cutie, let's go." the boy said grabbing her hand. She looked at it puzzled.

"I have a boyfriend? Really?" she asked.

"Rin get away from him! He's not your boyfriend!" Ren shouted out. Another boy walked up and slapped her across the face, then grabbed her white hat and looked at it curiously.

"Wearing hats and headphones in school. That doesn't seem proper for students of this academy." the boy said with a snicker. Ren growled then looked at the boy with a deep glare.

"Those jerks, what the hell is wrong with them?" Kurumu said with anger.

"C'mon, they're not going to get away with this." Yukari said as she brought out her wand.

"Stop it, she needs those to think properly!" Ran cried out before she was pushed around and shoved against the wall, the girl dropping her books as the bully held the headphones behind him still.

"Oh please, that girl is as stupid as they get either way. Besides, we'll take good care of her, I promise." the boy said with a sly grin. Ran thrashed about as the boy had her pinned back against the wall then glared at the bully. The boy leaned in closer and eyed her carefully.

"You're not too bad looking yourself, how about you and I get to know each other better?" he said playfully. Ran narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth slightly, the same as Ren started to do. They each took a deep breath then…

"Hey!" Kurumu shouted out. The group looked over to see Kurumu and Yukari walking up to them.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kurumu said sternly.

"I'm going someplace with my boyfriend. I think…" Rin said looking back to the boy.

"He's not your boyfriend Rin." Yukari said holding her wand at the ready. Rin blinked and looked at her curiously.

"He's not? Then who is? Are you and I dating?" she asked. Yukari blinked and glanced to the girl.

"Um…no." she said slowly. Rin nodded then looked around.

"Then who am I dating?" she asked.

"You're not dating anyone." Kurumu said shaking her head. Rin looked down with a disappointed look.

"Why not? What's wrong with me?" she asked softly.

"A lot." the boy holding her said dryly.

"Enough of this, let them go now." Kurumu said extending her nails. The boys glanced to each other then to the succubus, the bullies knowing full well that the two girls were indeed capable fighters. Most of the school even knew Yukari alone would be strong enough to strike down any bully that messed with her.

"Hmph, fine." the bully said as he let go of Ran. The kid dropped the headphones down and walked off as the one holding Ren let go. He tossed the girl her hat with a careless fling while the bully holding onto Rin let go and growled as he walked away, all the boys avoiding a fight with the two girls who could likely wipe the floor with them. Yukari walked over and picked up the headphones and looked to Rin.

"Hey, these are-" she started before Ren snatched them away and glared at the two girls.

"Mind your own business!" she shouted before walking over to a confused Rin.

"What? What's wrong? We just saved you." Yukari said as Ren put the headphones back onto her sister's head. Rin blinked a few times then looked around.

"Not again…" she said softly before looking to her sister. Ren nodded then looked back to Kurumu and Yukari. Ran picked up her books with an annoyed expression then looked to the two girls.

"We can handle ourselves just fine." Ran said sternly before walking over to her sisters.

"What the hell, we're just trying to help." Kurumu said annoyed.

"We didn't ask for your help." Ren said with a bite. Rin looked around then to where the boys walked off. She glanced to her sister curiously. Ren merely nodded then looked to the two other girls.

"Just leave us alone. All of you." she said before the three started walking off.

"Hey, hold it. We're just trying to be friendly you jerks." Kurumu said sternly. Yukari looked at the three girls with a puzzled expression as they walked off.

"What was that about? Seriously we only tried to help." Kurumu said shaking her head. Yukari shrugged, the two girls then walking off to regroup with their friends.

"I have no idea." she said softly as they walked down the hall together.

* * *

Luna and the elder angel flew through the clouds up in the heavenly realm. The chronofly was looking around in awe, as after they had left the palace and floating heavenly cities there were endless clouds all around.

"So…where is this…problem?" she asked.

"It's down below." the elder said as he looked around carefully.

"In the human world?" Luna asked curiously.

"But…why bring me up to heaven if it's down there?" she asked puzzled.

"The problem isn't in the human world. It's between there and here." the elder said as he came to a stop. The two floated in the sky and looked down. There were white clouds flowing gently by below them, as well as something else.

"What…is that?" Luna asked. In the clouds there seemed to be a rift torn open, a bright darkness that seemed to pulsate and ripple out erratically. All around the disturbance clouds floated by gently, however inside the rift only a dark void was seen.

"We were hoping you could tell us, since it's nothing in the Almighty's design." the elder said glancing to the girl. She looked at it carefully.

"Wait…that void…that's…" she said.

She remembered the void that was carved into the sky above her kingdom. The void that Falla was cast into and trapped in a strange plane of existence. The void that seemed to be beyond time and space completely.

"You know of it?" the elder asked curiously.

"I think so…but…I'm not sure what it is exactly." Luna said as she floated down slowly. She stopped a good distance away from the rift and looked at it carefully.

"Whenever our chrono magic pushed too far into the time stream…we would break through into a strange plane of existence…it looks, and feels, just like that." Luna said carefully.

"Whatever it is, the Almighty did not create it, and is concerned about it being here. It seems the strange anomaly is beyond his sight, and he is unsure of where it came from or why. However he did think that you might have a guess." the elder said inquisitively. Luna nodded and looked up. The Almighty was right to pick her, seeing as how she's come across the strange rift before in her past.

"It's a tear in time…but where it goes I'm not certain. My sister was trapped before on the other side, we just barely managed to get her out." Luna said carefully. She looked back to the rift and shook her head.

"How long…has it been here?" she asked.

"A few days now." the elder said.

"A few days? But…whenever these appeared before they sealed up right away. How…how can it still be open?" she asked. She held her hand out to it and focused her magic, the girl's eyes glowing green as a few green symbols appeared around her hand. The elder watched as the chronofly let out a pulse of magic around her, the air rippling around as it distorted briefly. After a moment the symbols faded as did her glow.

"That…can't be…" she said softly. She focused again, this time with larger green symbols appearing around her. The air around her bent and cracked apart as a tear seemed to form around her hand. After a moment her power subsided and the air returned to normal. She shook her head and looked to the elder.

"I can't close it." she said worriedly.

"That's not good to hear. Any idea why it's here in the first place?" the elder asked.

"I'm not sure…" Luna said cautiously. She looked to the elder worriedly.

"That too is something that we didn't want to hear. The Almighty has tried to erase this strange rift from the skies, but has had no luck in doing so. It's placed between the heavenly realm and the human world, the rift somehow forming between the gateway into the two realms. It's unseen to the humans below, but quite an eyesore to us up here." the elder said gravely. Luna nodded and looked to the rift with cautious eyes.

"I don't know why it's here, I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." she said as she tried again to focus her power around the rift. Her eyes glowed green as did her bracelet, the girl focusing all her magic to try to seal the tear in time. The edges of the rift crackled and pulsated but did not recede.

"I can't close it…my magic has no effect on it." she said worriedly.

"A tear in time that the Almighty cannot see into or beyond. Wherever that rift leads it's not of our plane of existence." the elder said holding his hand to his chin. Luna looked at it carefully then glanced to elder.

"Tell me…has the rift…been stable the past few days?" she asked.

"I don't know if you would call that tear in space stable, but it hasn't grown or receded at all since it was discovered. Why?" the elder asked. Luna looked at the tear carefully as they flew above it.

"If it's not going to close…maybe I can take a look inside." she said carefully.

"Inside?" the elder asked with concern.

"I have no idea what that dark void is or where it is in time for that matter. But if the tear isn't going to close, might as well check out where it leads to. Um…nothing has come out of it since it's been here, right?" she asked with worry.

"I don't believe so. We have had guardians watching the tear closely, and nothing has been reported." the elder said looking back to the rift.

"Well…wherever this thing came from…it's being held open somehow." Luna said with concern. She glanced to her bracelet then back to the elder.

"I'll take a quick look inside, just a single moment in time is all I need. Even if there was anything hostile in there I would be in and out before they ever knew it. I'll take a look and see where it goes to, then I'll let you know what I've found." she said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? We could have our guardians check out the anomaly instead." the elder reasoned.

"No need to risk their lives. Besides, one second, not even, and I'll have a better idea what's inside." Luna said confidently. The elder looked at her with an impressed glance, the angel amazed that she would be willing to risk her life to prevent other angels from risking theirs.

"Very well, is there anything I can do to help?" the elder asked. Luna shook her head and smiled at him.

"No, thank you. I'll shift into time and look inside quickly. If…if I don't come back within five seconds here, then you'll know something went wrong. I just hope…nothing goes wrong." she said solemnly. She looked up then over to the elder.

"I hope to see you in five seconds then." he said carefully.

"Me too." Luna said softly. She looked down to the rift, the tear opening up into a dark void that seemed endless.

"Well, here goes." she said as she focused on the rift.

"Wow, are you going inside of that sister?" Complica said with amazement from behind them. They turned to see the butterfly girl floating there looking at the rift with wide eyes.

"It looks scary in there sister, are you sure you have to go?" she asked worriedly.

"Complica? What are you doing here?" Luna said in surprise.

"You're supposed to be back in the city with Gabriel. Why did you follow us child?" the elder asked.

"I wanted to see what you were doing up here. What is that thing anyway? Is it some sort of wormhole that leads to another world were giant spiders and eels roam the world while the sky is dark and black and lighting is everywhere while people are screaming and yelling out in horror- oh don't go in sister please don't go you'll die for sure, those things will eat you!" Complica said franticly.

"Complica you shouldn't be here, please go back-" Luna started before the young chronofly raced to her and hugged her tightly.

"Don't go in there, please don't go!" she cried out. Luna sighed and glanced to the elder.

"I'll escort this wild thinker back to your family. Please use caution while inside there Luna." the elder said flying over to the young chronofly angel. Luna nodded and looked to her sister.

"I'll be fine sister, I promise. Please, go back and be with mother and father. I'll tell you all about what I find in there later, ok?" she said worriedly.

"But sister…it's dark in there." Complica said worriedly looking down to the dark rift.

"I know, but I'll be fine. Please go Complica." Luna urged. The young chronofly nodded and looked to the elder.

"She'll come back, right?" she said worriedly.

"Of course my dear. The Almighty chose her for her impressive magic for these situations. I have faith she'll be just fine." the elder said looking Luna with a calm smile. Complica nodded and looked to her sister.

"Ok…but be careful." she said worriedly.

"I'll be alright sister, go on back. I'll see you again soon." Luna said with a smile. Complica nodded then the elder and she flew off back towards the heavenly city. Luna watched them go then looked down to the rift.

"Yeah…I'll be just dandy." she said softly to herself. Luna looked around at the rift carefully, the dark void she remembered seeing high in the sky during her kingdom's last moments.

"What the hell is this thing for anyway?" she asked cautiously. She slowly floated down towards the gateway and looked at it carefully. She stuck her foot inside of it slowly, the shoe and foot seeming to vanish in the dark void like stepping into murky water. She waited then pulled the foot back out.

"Well…foot's still there. That's a good sign, right?" she said worriedly. She breathed out, then slowly lowered down into the rift, the girl flying into the dark void with a cautious expression. She floated into the darkness, the girl only seeing pitch black around her. She looked up, the girl seeing the faint opening that went back into heaven slowly vanishing from sight. She looked around then down, the girl barely seeing a faint light below. All around there was no sound, no light, no movement. Just dead quiet space.

"Falla was trapped in this place? How did she manage to stay sane?" Luna said in wonder. She blinked then rolled her eyes.

"Stupid question." she said flatly. The girl floated down towards the rift below her, the girl looking around carefully then back down. She flew down through the rift, the girl ending up outside the dark void and somewhere else. She instantly landed down on ground, the girl looking around carefully. There were dark swirling clouds all around in the air, the girl appearing to be on a stone courtyard. She looked behind to see the courtyard overlooking swirling dark clouds below, the clouds revealing glimpse of land underneath. The dark rift she floated through seemed to be gone entirely as she surveyed the area. She looked down and around to see the courtyard was built into a black mountain, and against it a palace was seen. There were stone pillars seen at the front and inside was pitch black. Nothing but the swirling winds and lightning from the storms below and above were heard.

"Where…is this?" Luna asked puzzled. She walked around towards the palace as she glanced around carefully.

"Well…I've come this far. Guess I'll see if anybody is home." she said softly. She blinked then focused her eyes again. She waved her hand around in front of her and looked around quickly.

"What…but…" she said worriedly.

_I can't shift into time…what the…_

She focused her mind, yet nothing happened. She wasn't able to shift into the moment of time at all.

"What…how can that be?" she said confused. She blinked then slowly looked behind her, the girl feeling a dark presence nearby.

From down below the dark clouds swirled around the black mountain, lightning and thunder echoing out as the storm seemed to rage on endlessly. Above the mountain the dark clouds flowed by, the sky seeming to be cast in a dark shadow as the area was cloudy and stormy as far as the eye could see. Nothing but thunder and wind howling was heard around the palace that was built into the mountain side.

Except for a girl's scream that echoed out from the dark and shadowy palace.

* * *

Inside Apsara's cooking class students were listening to the teacher once again go on and on and on…and on about the joys of cooking with spices. As she continued her speech, complete with erratic and sudden hand movements, the girls in the class were going about their usual day. Moka was thinking about what she could cook for Tsukune to have during lunchtime, the vampire having a lengthy discussion with her inner self on what would be best for their mate. Mizore was thinking about making another frozen meal for her demon, the snow girl knowing that anything cold would be delight for him. Kurumu was contemplating between cookies or brownies, the girl unsure of what sweets to make for her angel. Yukari was looking at a cookbook intently, the girl starting to get the hint that her boyfriend didn't quite appreciate her cooking. It was only after she had caught him, repeatedly, throwing up after eating her meals that she started to think it may be her cooking and not just a strange coincidence. The four girls were debating what meals to make for their boyfriends as the teacher started to wrap up her opening speech.

"Ok class, now let's get cooking. And remember, think spicy!" she cheered out.

"Yahoo, time to bake some sweets for my sweet." Kurumu said with a big smile as she started prepping her station. Mizore glanced over and saw Moka looking down at her station with discontent.

"Moka? You ok?" she asked. The girls looked to her as she seemed to be frustrated about something.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kurumu asked. Moka's eyebrow twitched, her eyes rolled around annoyed, and she shook her head.

"Um…what's she doing?" Yukari asked. The vampire growled and slammed her hand down on her station, the other girls looking at her with surprise. Kurumu walked up to her and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. Moka glanced to her then down again.

"My inner self says I have no creativity with cooking for Tsukune." she said sternly.

"No creativity? But, you've cooked for him dozens of times before. What's wrong with that?" Yukari asked.

"Well she does make the same thing over and over again." Mizore commented. The girls looked to her as Mizore started to prepare a chilled steak for her demon, and by chilled I mean it had frost on it still.

"What was that?" Moka asked sternly.

"Just what I said Moka. You made him fish, chicken, and rice over and over again. It's the same meal every time. I've at least been changing meals for my Dark. Even Kurumu has baked _different_ sweets for Rason." she said softly while working on her dish.

"Yeah, I've made different things for Ahakon as well." Yukari commented.

"Everything you've made nearly killed the boy, and sometimes even us." Kurumu said flatly, the young witch twitching at that. Moka sighed and looked down.

"I wanted to make a more elaborate spread for him, but I've never really practiced with other foods before." she said softly. She growled then looked down to her rosary.

"Hey, chill out Moka, just try to cook something else. That's what this class is for anyway, to learn how to cook, right?" Kurumu said with a nervous smile. Moka looked at her rosary which was glowing softly.

_I can cook something else for him just fine._

**_Hardly, you've been feeding our mate the same thing over and over all week. He's going to get sick of our cooking and we haven't even married him yet._**

_I'm doing the best I can, I've never really cooked anything else before._

**_Then let me cook something for our mate, a change of pace would be good for him._**

_You? You're kidding. You can't cook, you've never cooked before._

**_I know how to eat properly, I did have this body before you existed remember? I can cook him a healthy and new meal without any trouble._**

_Really now? And what makes you think you're capable of cooking for our mate when you haven't cooked him one thing yet? Actually, have you _ever_ cooked before?_

**_I can handle myself in the kitchen, hardly anything like a battlefield. Besides, better than him eating chicken and rice again…_**

_He says he likes it!_

**_You think our mate wouldn't say that to be nice? Of course he likes it, but he needs some variety._**

Moka growled and looked at her station with a glare.

_I can cook for Tsukune just fine thank you._

**_Really, then tell me. What are you going to make him this time?_**

_I could make him some rice balls._

**_Rice? That's it?_**

_Well…I could also serve him some fresh sushi._

**_You've been serving him fried fish before, how is that different?_**

_It's raw._

**_It's boring._**

_I could make him some takoyaki balls then._

**_We don't have octopus here in the class to cook, and I doubt you're able to properly prepare such a meal for our mate._**

_Then…how about some yakisoba? He would love that I'm sure._

**_Fried noodles with vegetables. Nothing elaborate but at least it's a step in the right direction, though I still question if you're capable of preparing it correctly._**

_You just love to knit pick what I make for him don't you? And just what would you cook for him that would be so much better?_

**_I would serve him a proper meal, with fried pork cutlets, freshly chopped vegetables, tofu, and some dipping sauces._**

_How is that better than what I would be cooking? Mine's just as different compared to the previous meals as yours is. And what makes you think you could even cook that the right way?_

**_I told you I can handle myself in the kitchen just fine. As if I would have any problem cooking for my mate, if anything I would far excel the low bar you've set with your lack of creativity._**

_Stop saying that!_

**_It's true, even in bed I'm more creative with our mate._**

The other girls were looking at Moka as her face turned red and she growled with anger.

"Um…Moka?" Kurumu said as she backed up.

"I think those two…are fighting." Mizore said as she watched the rosary on the vampire glow red.

_You…that isn't true at all!_

**_Really? The maid outfit and cat ears were fun and all, but they were Kurumu's idea, not yours. And whose idea was it to try the handcuffs and rope? Mine of course. And I dare say he enjoys my mouth at work far more than yours. Not to mention-_**

"SHUT UP!" Moka cried out, the entire class looking to her with surprise.

"Um…what was that?" Apsara said confused. Moka growled loudly as she clenched her fists.

_Get something straight here, you are NOT more creative than me, you are NOT more exciting in bed than me, and like hell could you EVER cook something better than me!_

**_You want to bet on that? Let me cook the meal for Tsukune and see for yourself that I can surprise and amaze him far better than you. I'm tired of always having to watch from here as you have time with our mate anyway. I deserve my time with him as well, and I'll show you how a true mate cooks a meal for her man._**

Moka growled then glanced to the door.

"Moka? You…ok?" Kurumu asked nervously.

"Excuse me teacher." Moka said as she ran out the door. The class looked toward the door then to each other.

"What's gotten into her?" Yukari asked puzzled. Mizore shrugged then went back to fixing up her demon a frozen meal.

Inside the shop class the boys were busy working with a table saw to cut some wood. They all had safety goggles as the four boys were around their work bench. Tsukune was holding the wood firmly with two hands while he pushed it through the spinning blade. Rason was sanding off a piece that was cut off while Dark was measuring the ones that were needed to be cut still. Ahakon was looking at the board carefully as he studied how they were supposed to assemble the small shelf unit they were making. As Tsukune pushed the piece of wood through and cut it into two even pieces he chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Rason asked as he glanced to him.

"How long has it been since we've been accident free here in this class?" Tsukune laughed.

"Ah, that would be since Dark was asked to kindly stop maiming students with the school equipment." Rason said with a laugh. Dark continued to work on measuring, the boy either engrossed with his music or not caring that he was being mentioned.

"Still, don't jinx it. I actually like this class when blood isn't flying everywhere." Ahakon said with a smirk.

"Oh c'mon, it wasn't that bad before." Tsukune said with a weak smile.

Suddenly the door opened and Moka ran in, the girl racing up towards the boys as everybody looked to her in surprise. As she ran by a boy backed up in in surprise and pushed his friend who was pushing a block of wood through a table saw. As the kid flew forward towards the blade the vampire rushed up to the boys.

"Sorry to burst in but I need to settle something quickly." Moka said as she grabbed Tsukune's hand and plinked off her rosary with it. A blast of vampiric energy swept through the room as everybody stared with wide eyes, including the boy who was an inch away from the moving blade. He was stopped before going headfirst into it by his other friend, the boys looking with stunned expressions at the girl that nearly killed one of them. Moka's hair shifted to silver as her eyes turned blood red, her bust size increasing as Tsukune held the rosary with a puzzled expression.

"Uh…Moka? What…what's going on?" he asked curiously.

**"You'll see soon enough Tsukune, I promise not to disappoint you."** Inner Moka said with a wink before she ran back out. The class just watched with puzzled expressions as everybody stood still.

"Um…what was that about?" Rason asked.

The kid holding his friend away from the blade twitched his nose, then sneezed, the kid covering his mouth with both hands in doing so. A scream was heard as blood flew out from behind him, the kid looking back and jumping with surprise as he had let his friend drop onto the moving blade. Ahakon watched with wide eyes as he turned pale, the rest of the class watching as the kid screamed while he lost a good amount of blood.

"Ok…I see what you were talking about Ahakon." Tsukune said as the wounded boy fell back off the table screaming in pain while the class just watched with wide eyes. Ahakon twitched a bit then looked to Dark, the demon merely watching with a blank expression as the boy cried out on the ground with a giant gash on his upper chest.

"Well…that had to hurt." he said simply before returning to measuring their work, the boy not seeming to care at all about what just happened.

Inside the cooking class the girls were looking to each other curiously.

"Should we go after her?" Yukari asked.

"I'm not sure." Kurumu said.

"I wouldn't. Seems like it's something between those two. I would just stay out of it." Mizore said calmly as she continued to prepare frozen vegetables with the frozen steak for her boyfriend.

"She seemed really upset though." Yukari said worriedly.

"Mizore's probably right. We should let those two work it out. I mean, they do share the same body, so they must have to deal with each other's personalities with everything they do. We don't see it often, but they have to have arguments from time to time. This is probably just another harmless tiff between them." Kurumu reasoned.

From the door Inner Moka walked in, the vampire flicking her silver hair behind her as she smiled arrogantly.

**"Alright, time to show you all how cooking is done."** she said proudly. Kurumu and Yukari blinked then glanced to Mizore, the snow maiden who stopped working to glance over to the vampire. After a pause she resumed working on her dish as Inner Moka walked over to her station with a confident smile.

"Harmless huh?" she said simply.


	3. Cooking With Moka

In the human world a bus was traveling through a town's streets, the vehicle having only four passengers. One was a girl who was wearing white sneakers, a black and red stripped miniskirt, a white t-shirt with a short sleeve red shirt over it that was unzipped down the middle. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders and an eye patch over her left eye, the girl also wearing a silver band around her head. Her one red eye was looking out the window with wonder as the vehicle traveled through the town. Behind her another girl was looking out the window with curiosity, this one was wearing a black miniskirt, tennis shoes, and a small unbuttoned black shirt over a blue t-shirt. She had short black hair and yellow eyes, the girl watching the houses and streets pass by with a gentle smile. Next to her was her sister, the girl wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a white t-shirt under an unbuttoned yellow shirt. She had long blonde hair and black eyes, the girl looking up with a calm expression. Across the aisle from them was a man wearing a casual suit with black tie, the human having sunglasses on as he kept his gaze ahead of him. He was holding several papers regarding the special transfer students as the bus rolled to a stop. The man stood up and walked to the front of the bus, then looked around as the girls continued to look around outside.

"Ok, please follow me girls." the man said as he motioned them towards him. They nodded and stood up, the three girls then following him out of the bus. They walked out of the bus then up to a building that resembled a two story apartment building. There were two large windows facing the street on the second story, a third window seen on the ground level on the left side, and a door on the right. They walked up towards the front entrance as the girls looked around curiously.

"So is this where we're staying?" Falla asked.

"Correct. This place has been fixed up for you to stay during your time here." the man said as he unlocked the door and walked in. The three girls looked around in wonder. The street was hardly busy, with only a few people walking around. There were a few other small apartment buildings nearby as well as a grocery store across the street. The girls walked in and looked around at their new home in the human world. From the doorway there was a large foyer with a staircase that led up to the upper levels, with a living room to the left and a kitchen straight ahead past the stairs. The girls smiled brightly and walked around as the man walked up to the phone next to the stairs. As he made a call the girls walked around in wonder. Aside from the front foyer, living room, and kitchen, the other quarter of the house was a bathroom with shower, tub, and sink complete with a large mirror. The living room had a couch, table, and a few chairs as well as a bookshelf that was empty. A large T.V. was mounted on the wall near some abstract paintings. There was a laundry room behind the stairs, and a backdoor to the small yard behind the building. Astreal walked around the hallway that circled the lower floor with a bright smile.

"Wow, it's so big." Falla said with a smile.

"At least we'll have room to move around." Apoch said with a laugh. Astreal walked up the stairs and looked around. At the top of the stairs there was a small hallway that went to the left and right. To the left there were two doors on opposite sides of the hall, each leading into a bedroom. On the right there were two doors as well, with one being another bedroom while the other was an open door den that had a couch and window looking out to the town.

"This is way more than what Yokai Academy had in the dorm rooms." Astreal said with amazement. She ran back down as Apoch and Falla continued to look around. Falla checked out the kitchen which had a counter table in the middle, fridge, oven, microwave, table, and chairs set up for them. She looked inside the fridge to see there were already fruits, vegetables, and frozen meat products along with juice and milk. The chronofly shrugged, since anything would be just as delicious to her anyway.

The man got off of the phone and called the girls over, all three promptly running over to him.

"Alright, I've just spoken to the school district nearby and my superiors. Now, in case you haven't been informed by now, you are all guests here in this world. This place is provided by the local government, along with your allowances to purchase food and necessary items during your stay. There is a grocery right across the street with anything you might want. I shouldn't have to mention that we would appreciate you not causing any trouble while staying here." the man said in a professional tone. The girls nodded in agreement.

"The bus for school will be by tomorrow morning to pick you up. Uniforms for your new school are in the rooms upstairs. All your paperwork has been transferred from your previous school, and your school courses and class schedules will be explained when you arrive there. You will all be in the same classes together of course." the man continued, the girls smiling at that thought.

"One more thing. We all know you are considered 'monsters', no offense of course. However we must insist for now that you remain in your human form and refrain from using any sort of magic or otherworldly abilities while here. The students and staff, along with your neighbors, are already aware that you aren't human, so no need to feel like you need to hide that fact. Just for now try to keep things quiet during your stay. Are we clear?" the man asked.

"Yes sir." the girls said with a nod.

"Good. The phone here is linked to an operator, just tell her whoever you want to call and she'll connect you at any time. You are allowed to walk around the town here, everybody is aware of what you are and won't cause any problems. There is a movie theater down the street, and a small shopping center down the road to your right. A park is located nearby as well as a few restaurants. In each of your rooms there will be a credit card you can use. It's not a license to shop, however don't be afraid to go out once and a while. On behalf of our country and the human race, I hope you feel welcome here in this home." the man said with a bow. The girls nodded and bowed to him.

"Thank you sir." they said together. The man smiled then walked to the door. He stopped and glanced back to them.

"Just remember girls, you're free to walk around the town limits in your human form, however you will need to arrange a transport for any trips elsewhere, and will need to have that trip approved of as well. There is a map on the table in the living room that outlines the boundaries, so please study that carefully. We'll be around to make sure you're comfortable during your stay, good day." he said before he walked out. The girls looked around and smiled with wonder.

"Wow…" Falla said with a smirk.

"I know. It's so weird to have our own place like this." Apoch said with amazement.

"We don't have classes until tomorrow. What should we do first?" Astreal asked.

"Well I guess we get settled in. The kitchen's already got food for us, so no need to shop right now. Uniforms for school already provided, along with our own credit cards." Fall said looking up with a curious smile.

"Ms. Kyouko will be in classes today, but perhaps we'll see her later when she's done." Apoch said.

"The school is in our limits, we could go meet her after she gets out." Astreal suggested.

"That's true. I guess for now…we can just relax." Falla said walking towards the living room. She plopped down on the couch with a sigh as the two sisters walked in. Apoch sat on the armrest of the couch while Astreal looked out the window at the sky.

"I wonder how sister is doing up in heaven." Falla asked curiously while looking up at the ceiling, the girl watching the slow spinning fan as it circled around.

"Knowing Ms. Luna I'm sure she can handle the request by the Almighty without worry." Astreal said calmly. Falla giggled and glanced to her.

"You know, you're going to have to start calling people by their real names here, no more of that Mr. and Ms. stuff." she said. Astreal looked to her curiously.

"What do you mean? We're only being polite." she said.

"Yeah, but you don't have to act that way all the time. Just call those by their normal names. You called Rason and Dark by their names didn't you?" Falla said with a curious smile.

"Of course, at their insistence." Astreal reasoned.

"Their repeated insistence." Apoch added.

"Well, as representatives of the monster world, we should act 'normal' during our time here. And one thing that is normal is _not_ calling everybody Mr. and Ms., got it?" Falla said. Astreal looked to Apoch, the black haired witch merely shrugging.

"I guess we can do that." Astreal said.

"That doesn't sound too hard." Apoch reasoned. She glanced to Falla curiously.

"How's that headband holding up for you Ms. Falla?" she asked. Falla glanced to her and raised an eyebrow. Apoch blinked and smiled nervously.

"I mean…F…F…Falla." she choked out.

"Is it _really_ that hard for you?" Falla asked amusingly. Apoch cleared her throat and shook her head.

"No, of course not Ms…I mean…Fa…Falla." she stuttered. She blinked then glanced to her sister.

"Not too hard huh?" Astreal said looking at her worriedly. Apoch shrugged then looked to Falla again. The chronofly smiled with a laugh then felt up to her headband, the trinket all that was keeping her chrono dementia in check. She had escalated her condition during her fight with Alucard, the girl's mind now torn more behind the special magical seal she had constructed. Like her sister's band before, it suppressed her magical power, allowing the chronofly to think properly without going off the deep end. It also kept her from using her magic, however would not provide the same shock that Luna's did.

"I'm alright as long as I wear it. And it's pretty durable, so I doubt it will break during my stay." she said softly.

"Is there any way that condition can be cured?" Apoch asked.

"There may have been a way with our healers in our past, but…now I'm not sure. The headmaster and Ruby couldn't do anything except provide this stabilizer for me." Falla said.

"Maybe human technology and medicine can cure it. They certainly have come further along with such things." Astreal said hopefully.

"Perhaps, until then I just need to keep this on at all times. Um…can you two…kinda keep an eye on me with that? I don't want a mishap to happen and blow this for us." Falla said worriedly.

"Don't worry Ms…I mean…Fa…F…Falla. We're with you in all your classes, we'll help keep an eye on it." Apoch said, the witch straining herself during the first part. She shook her head and looked down.

"Why _is_ that so hard for us?" she asked plainly. Falla giggled and looked up with a calm gaze.

"I wonder…how everybody is doing now." she said softly. The witch sisters looked up with gentle smiles.

"I'm sure they're doing ok. After all we've been through nothing could be a problem for them in school." Apoch said.

"Ms. Ririko's math class is close though. I was never a real fan of her...obsession with her lessons." Astreal said with a weak laugh. The girls laughed and looked down with soft smiles, all wondering how their friends were doing back in the monster world. They had opted to start a new life in the human world to try to find their place in their new timeline, and hopefully find new boyfriends in the process. Of course they still missed the friends they had made at Yokai Academy, and the three boys that once stole their hearts.

"I'm sure Dark is doing great with Ms…I mean…MIZore." Apoch said with a strained expression. She blinked then looked to Falla worriedly.

"We may need help with this after all." she said softly. Falla smiled and nodded at her friend.

"Rason and Ms…I mean...his girlfriend will be happy now that the fighting is over. He'll be alive and well once again, even with Ms...I mean...KURUmu's unique way of..._hugging_ him." Astreal said with a forced smile. She sighed and looked to her sister in defeat with a slow nod.

"This is going to be difficult sister." she said softly. Falla giggled a bit at the sisters unique problem then looked up with a calm gaze.

"Tsukune…Moka better be taking good care of you, otherwise she's going to have to answer to me." she said with a smirk.

"Hee hee, I'm sure she's taking good care of him." Apoch said assuredly.

"Yes, I don't think she's even capable of hurting that boy, they really are in love." Astreal said in agreement. Falla nodded and closed her eye as she breathed out.

"Yeah…they do work well in this timeline, not going to lie. It's at least comforting to know that if he had to be with anybody in this world other than me, he's with somebody that will truly take care of him no matter what. Moka really is protective of him, I'm sure he's in good hands now." she said softly.

* * *

**"Alright, let's get to it."** Inner Moka said as she cracked her knuckles, the silver haired vampire stretching her hands as she prepared to cook her mate a meal. Inside Apsara's cooking class the other girls were looking at their friend with worry as the inner self of the vampire had appeared to cook Tsukune a meal for once.

"Poor Tsukune." Yukari said shaking her head. The vampire twitched at that then glared at her.

**"What was that? You're one to talk witch, everything you've fed Ahakon nearly killed him so far."** She said sternly. Yukari looked down worriedly at that as Kurumu and Mizore glanced to each other.

"Um…have you ever cooked before Moka?" Kurumu asked nervously. The vampire smiled at her arrogantly.

**"I know what it takes to make a proper meal for my mate. A healthy diet is part of any training when it comes to fighting."** She said proudly.

"Yeah…but have you ever _cooked_ before?" Kurumu asked again.

**"I can handle a kitchen just fine Kurumu. Tsukune's in for a true surprise when I serve him a real meal for a vampire."** Inner Moka said confidently as she started getting pans and pots out.

"He sure is." Mizore said softly as she resumed making a meal for her shadow demon, the snow girl pretty confident on how this was going to end. Kurumu nodded slowly then resumed working on her sweets for her Destined One while Yukari franticly looked through a cookbook for any idea what she was doing wrong with all her previous meals.

Inner Moka brought out the cookbook for the meal she wanted to make and eyed it casually.

**"Let's see…this seems rather simple to make actually. I should have opted for a more elaborate dish, but I suppose this will do nicely just the same."** She said as she tossed the book to the side.

Mizore continued to prepare her meal for her demon, the snow maiden making a thawed, yet still chilled steak, along with vegetables and rice that were nearly frozen. She smiled at her work, the girl proud of her cooking, if it could be called that, and couldn't wait to present it to her future husband. Her shadow demon loved her style of cooking not for taste but for the cold feeling of the food, the demon from hell loving the refreshing chill that the food provided. She giggled softly to herself and imagined feeding him the meal during lunch, the girl smiling softly with a slight blush. She blinked then slowly glanced to her side, the girl staring at something with a blank expression.

"Yahoo, Rason's going to love these, I just know it. I don't even need to add any love potions to these brownies, nothing could make them better for him." Kurumu said proudly as she put her sweets into the oven. She blinked then glanced down to her breasts. After a minute she smiled brightly.

_Hmm, maybe if he ate them off of…hee hee, that's idea #25 I'm going to have to remember for later. I'm on fire today!_

She giggled to herself as she thought of yet another way to satisfy her inner desires while giving her boyfriend a sweet desert, the girl letting her normal lustful mind wander around in a blissful state. She brought out a small notepad and jotted down her next idea to try with her Destined One, then slipped the pad back away with a proud smile. Then she glanced to her side and jumped with a bit of surprise.

"Ok…I think this will be a winner." Yukari said as she stirred a mix of vegetables and green liquid in a big pot. She had followed the recipe for a snake stew with peppers and bits of vegetables, the young witch hoping her next attempt at a meal for her boyfriend would work out properly without the boy throwing up minutes later. She looked at the bubbling water and smelled the concoction, then showed a deathly expression as she staggered back.

"Ok, maybe not. Dammit, what am I doing wrong? I was sure I followed the recipe exactly." she said with defeat as she looked to the cookbook. She read a few lines then blinked.

"Oh…_don't_ use the entire snake raw. I could have sworn that said _do_. Whoopsie." she said with a nervous giggle. The young witch sighed and looked down.

"I suck at cooking. This is horrible, how can I be a perfect girlfriend for Ahakon if I can't cook one lousy meal?" she said worriedly. She then looked ahead of her and stared with surprise at something.

All three girls were looking at Inner Moka as she was preparing pork for her meal. However she wasn't doing it in a normal way.

"Um…Moka?" Kurumu asked nervously.

"That's not right." Mizore said shaking her head. The vampire glanced to them with a blank expression.

**"And why is that?"** she asked flatly.

"Because…that pig is still alive." Yukari said with fright. The vampire looked to the live pig she had on her station, the girl holding a large butcher knife as it trembled before her. The small animal had tears of fright while the class looked back to her bewildered.

**"What do you mean? The recipe calls for strips of pork, where else would I get them from?"** she said glancing to the other girls.

"A better question is where did you get the live pig from?" Kurumu said looking around puzzled.

"There are all the ingredients we need in the fridge behind us." Mizore said pointing towards the freezers in the class. The vampire looked back to them, shrugged, whipped the blade down in front of the pig causing it to pass out, then walked back towards the fridge. The girls looked at her curiously as she got out the ingredients for the meal and brought them back to her station. She glanced to the pig then to the witch behind her. She grabbed the pig and tossed it back towards Yukari, the young witch being knocked to the ground by the squealing animal.

**"Here, just throw that in your stew or something."** Inner Moka said casually as she started to sort out the ingredients. Yukari scrambled back to her feet while the pig cowered in fear below her station. The vampire placed chunks of pork in a pan and put it on a stove. She stood there looking at it inquisitively as the girls glanced to each other.

"Um…Moka?" Kurumu asked worriedly.

**"What is it now?"** Inner Moka asked flatly.

"That's not going to work." Mizore said softly.

**"And why is that?"** the vampire said simply. The girls glanced to each other then back to the vampire.

"You didn't turn the stove on." Yukari said shaking her head. The vampire blinked and glanced to the dial. She glanced to the girls quickly then flicked the dial to the on setting.

**"Ah. Simple mistake."** the vampire said nonchalantly. The girls watched the pan, the vampire looking at the strips of pork curiously.

"Might want to turn up the heat though, it's set to low." Kurumu added. Inner Moka blinked and looked at the dial, then over to the cooking book. After a moment she slowly turned the dial to the right setting. She smiled and held her hands to her hips proudly.

**"This will be a piece of cake."** she said arrogantly. She watched the pieces sizzle then looked to see the girls looking at her curiously.

"Moka…have you ever cooked before?" Mizore asked.

**"I told you I know what it takes to prepare a meal for my mate. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"** Inner Moka said annoyed.

"But have you ever actually _cooked_ something?" Yukari asked looking to the pan.

**"Why do you ask that? What's so hard about putting some meat onto a stove?"** Inner Moka said raising an eyebrow. She brought out a knife and started chopping vegetables, the vampire slicing through the green plants with powerful swipes. As she cut the pieces into clearly uneven sections the girls watched her worriedly. The vampire then looked to the pan with a quick glance.

**_I feel like I'm forgetting something…_**

She thought for a moment then glanced over to the book again. After a pause she glanced to the pan again.

**_Hmm. Sliced the pork into strips, laid them out on the pan…oh right, I need to add some appropriate seasonings._**

The vampire smirked and grabbed a small bottle of ground up spice pepper, then proceeded to shake the entire bottle onto the pork strips.

"What are you doing?" Kurumu asked.

"That's way too much spicy seasonings." Mizore said shaking her head.

**"The teacher keeps saying to think spicy, what's wrong with using this?"** Inner Moka said as she continued to pour the bottle of red spices onto the meat.

"First off, Ms. Apsara's obsession with spicy is borderline insane." Kurumu said glancing to the teacher who was waving her arms around with joy as she rambled on about the goodness of spicy cooking to a few students that just wanted her to shut the hell up.

"Second, that's going to taste horrible." Mizore said softly.

**"What would you know about taste? You're serving Dark a frozen steak. Literally."** Inner Moka said glancing to the snow girl's dish. Mizore nodded and glanced to the sizzling pork.

"Yes, because he likes it this way. I know what my boyfriend likes to eat Moka. Not to mention me cooking it this way won't make him deathly ill, unlike your…cooking." she said with a raised eyebrow.

**"My cooking will not make him deathly ill."** Inner Moka said with annoyance.

"Yeah…he'll probably just keel over like Ahakon always does." Kurumu said simply. Inner Moka growled at the girls as she continued to pour more of the spices onto the meat, the strips of pork starting to turn bright red from the seasonings.

**"My Tsukune needs something that is both healthy and has a good kick to it. What would you know about that if all you make are sweets for Rason? At least my meal won't make my mate fat." **Inner Moka said with discontent. Kurumu glared at the vampire who was _still_ pouring more of the spices onto the pan.

"Hey, my angel gets a good workout with me every night, and he's athletic enough not to fall out of shape anyway. And at least I know _how_ to cook something properly for my boyfriend." Kurumu said with anger.

**"I'm doing just fine, would you all just get it through your heads already? There is no challenge I can't handle. If my outer self could prepare a few lousy meals for Tsukune then of course I can too."** Inner Moka said as she finished pouring the bottle of spices onto the pan, the pieces of pork now covered in the red powder. The girls looked to it and shook their heads.

"Poor Tsukune." they said in unison.

**"Knock it off already!"** Inner Moka roared out, the entire class looking to her with surprise. She picked up the knife and prepared to cut more vegetables while glaring at the girls.

**"I know how to take care of my mate." **she said sternly as she whacked the knife down, bits of celery and carrots jumping up slightly.

**"I know how to make a simple healthy meal."** she said as she whacked the knife down again, bits of celery and carrots again jumping up from the cutting board. She whacked the knife down again and blinked, the girl just staring at the other girls as they looked to the board with wide eyes.

"And you know how to nearly cut off your own hand." Mizore said simply.

From out in the halls a girl's scream echoed out, the cry not being heard by anybody except those in the classroom who were looking with wide eyes. Inner Moka held her hand and cringed in pain, the girl having nearly sliced off her own thumb with the knife. She raced over to the sink and washed the wound as she growled with frustration. The girls looked to their friend then back over to her station.

"So let's see…overcooked pork with too much spicy seasoning, and a side dish of celery, carrots, and blood. Tsukune will love it for sure." Kurumu said flatly.

"I get the blood bit, but the pork is going to make him ill." Mizore said softly while shaking her head.

"And I thought I was bad at cooking." Yukari said raising an eyebrow. They looked back to their friend as she looked at her hand, the wound slowly closing up from her vampire blood. She growled then glanced back to her station, the girl then walking back over.

**"Just a little mishap. Nothing more."** she said sternly. The girls just looked at her then to her station.

"You nearly hacking off your own hand is 'a little mishap'?" Kurumu said simply. The vampire growled then glared at her.

**"Don't test me succubus."** she hissed. The blue haired girl just looked at her then glanced to the pan.

"Um…Moka?" she said pointing at it. Inner Moka looked to see the strips of pork she had light on fire, the girl just looking at it curiously.

**"Is it supposed to do that?"** she asked.

"What does the cookbook say?" Mizore asked innocently. Inner Moka calmly walked over to the book and picked it up as the class just stared in surprise at the fire burning on her pan. The vampire read through the recipe and tilted her head.

**"It doesn't specify. Well that's of no help, what kind of idiots made this cookbook anyway?"** she scoffed.

"The same idiots that knew if your meal bursts into flame, that's a bad sign." Yukari said flatly. Inner Moka jumped and looked at the flaming pan with surprise. She looked around franticly then grabbed the pan, the girl immediately screaming as it burned her hands and then dropping it down onto the floor. The class watched with fright as her station started to catch fire while the three girls around the surprised vampire just stared with dull expressions. Mizore sighed then raised her hand to it, the girl casting out a small snowstorm and extinguishing the fires. Inner Moka looked at her burnt station as the three girls casually resumed working on their own dishes for their boyfriends.

"You can handle a kitchen just fine huh?" Mizore said simply.

"Well she can set it on fire just fine." Kurumu said with a shrug.

"Poor Tsukune." Yukari said shaking her head. Inner Moka looked at the burnt pan of charred pork with a frustrated expression. She clenched her fists and growled, the vampire furious that she turned her cooking station into a disaster when the outer personality never once had such problems. She trembled then sighed, the girl looking at the ruined station with a soft gaze. She slowly started picking up the charred pork bits and tossing them into the trash, then carrying her dishes over to the sink. The other three girls looked to see her walking over towards the sink in back with sympathetic looks. The vampire put the dishes in the sink then walked back to her station, the girl then bringing out another pan and pot. She glanced to the other three as they just looked at her.

**"What?"** she said annoyed. The girls looked to each other then back to Moka.

"Maybe you should put the rosary back on for this class Moka." Mizore said softly. Inner Moka looked at her then down.

"If not for Tsukune, then for the school. I'd rather the building didn't burn down because of your pride." Kurumu said. The vampire looked away with her hair covering her eyes.

"Nobody's perfect at everything. It's no big deal cooking isn't your thing." Yukari said with a hopeful smile. Inner Moka looked to her then back to the pan. She stared at it for a while as the girls just watched her curiously. She closed her eyes, then looked at her station with determination, the girl filling the pot with water.

"Moka?" Kurumu asked worriedly.

**"Mind your own business Kurumu."** Inner Moka said while looking at her station.

"You don't have to do this you know, the other you can cook for Tsukune just fine." Mizore said softly.

**"That's not acceptable for me."** Inner Moka said closing her eyes.

"The other you said you claimed she lacked creativity. Are you really just trying to show her up for Tsukune?" Yukari asked. Inner Moka slowly shook her head.

"She may have lacked creativity Moka, but she at least knew how to cook for him safely." Mizore said. Inner Moka looked down, her silver hair covering her eyes. Kurumu looked at her with worry then at her station.

"Do you want some help? We could show you how to-"

**"Just stop."** Inner Moka snapped. The girls looked at her as she trembled a bit.

**"I need to cook for my mate. I need to be able to take care of him properly. This has nothing to do with my other self being able to cook for him. I just…I need to be able to provide for him as well."** she said with frustration. The girls looked at her with concern as she eyed the pan intently.

**"She may lack creativity, but everyday Tsukune eats her cooking and praises her. Every day she makes a meal for him and he loves it. She takes care of him…every day, while I just sit inside her mind. I can't just be shown up by her and do nothing. I have to be able to do this, I have to for my mate."** she said firmly. She looked to the cookbook and narrowed her eyes.

**"There must be one recipe in this infernal book that I can make for him. Just one thing."** she said as she picked it up and looked through it.

"Moka, Tsukune doesn't expect you to cook for him, I doubt he even expects the other you to do so." Kurumu said gently.

**"I don't care!"** Inner Moka snapped, the girls jumping back with surprise. The vampire glanced to them with her crimson eyes with a frustrated expression.

**"You all make meals for the boys you love, why can't I do the same?"** she said sternly. She looked down at the cookbook with anger as the girls looked at her with worry.

"Moka…" Yukari said softly.

**"I won't be a useless mate to him…there's no way I'll let that thought even cross his mind. I can do this…I can do this…"** she said shakily. She growled then looked to the pot of boiling water, then to the empty pan, then to the clock that showed class was over halfway done.

**"Dammit…"** she said looking down to the book with a strained expression.

"Wow…she's really taking this seriously." Kurumu said softly. Mizore looked at the vampire then walked over to her, the girl taking the book from her.

**"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"** Inner Moka snapped as Mizore thumbed through the pages. She stopped and held the book to the vampire's face.

"Make him that one. It's easy enough to start with, and he'll appreciate the meal all the same." she said softly. Inner Moka took the book and looked at it curiously, then over to the snow maiden.

"I can help if you like, my meal for Dark is already done." Mizore said simply.

"I can help out too. My sweets are almost done anyway, nothing more for me to do." Kurumu said softly.

"I can at least tell you what _not_ to do, besides I don't think this stew is going anywhere." Yukari said with a disgusted face at the pot of something that she didn't dare want to feed her boyfriend in fear of killing him. The vampire looked around then down with concern.

**"I need to do this…to prove that-"**

"To prove that you can cook. Well first things first Moka, you need to learn _how_ to cook. And no time like the present." Kurumu said with a smile.

"Just consider this practice for later." Mizore said softly.

"You always helped us before when we were in danger. Let us help you now." Yukari said happily. The vampire looked around then to her station. After a moment she looked to the girls with a calm smile.

**"I suppose it couldn't hurt to practice first. Very well then."** she said with a nod. The girls cheered and raised their hands up together, the group of friends ready to show their vampire friend how to cook a meal safely and properly for the boy she loved.

Five minutes later:

Flames and smoke were billowing out from the cooking room door and windows, the entire room erupting into a hellish inferno. Inside Kurumu was lying on the ground in shock, her mouth bleeding as rubble was around her. Mizore was bent over into a sink, the girl having ice shards sticking out from the edges as she was motionless. Yukari was indented into the wall, the girl's body battered and bruised as the walls were cracking apart around her. Students were lying around in pain and running out of the room screaming. Faculty members were using hoses to try to douse the fires as the room was billowing smoke out into the halls. From the flaming doorway a girl walked out, her silver hair flowing behind her as her clothing was slightly burned. She had her head hung low as she walked, the girl holding a small box in her hand as she slowly walked away from the chaos.

* * *

Yukari's eyes slowly opened, the young witch blinking a few times then looking around. She sat up, the girl looking to see she was in the infirmary room. She was bandaged up a bit as she slowly sat up.

"What…what just happened?" she asked wearily.

"Yukari you're alright!" Ahakon said. Yukari looked over to see the boy standing next to her bed with a bright smile. Yukari smiled softly and nodded, the girl then being hugged by the mage.

"I was so worried, they managed to get you three out of there last before the whole room collapsed." he said gratefully. Yukari looked around to see Kurumu and Mizore sitting up, both girls looking to see Rason and Dark sitting on their bedsides with smiles. Mizore smiled and hugged Dark gently as Kurumu jumped from the bed and tackled Rason to the ground with a kiss. Yukari turned back to see Ahakon looking at her with relief.

"We rushed over here as soon as we heard all the alarms." the mage said as he looked at his girlfriend.

"We're alive…we're alive." Yukari said thankfully.

"What happened in there? How did the whole class go out in flames?" Ahakon asked. Yukari sighed and looked down. Mizore broke from her hug and smiled at Dark. The demon pulled her lollipop out and kissed her gently, the girl closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. While she enjoyed the affection from her demon Rason was flailing around on the ground as Kurumu kept him pinned down with a kiss. After a while the girl jumped back up and as Rason looked at her with a surprised smile.

"Glad to see you're better too lover." he said with a chuckle as he got up. Dark broke the kiss from his girl and looked at her curiously.

"What happened in there?" he asked. Mizore looked to the others as Kurumu looked around.

"Um…well…" Kurumu said softly.

"Moka was…cooking." Yukari said with a nervous laugh. The boys looked to each other then back to the girls.

"Cooking?" Rason said curiously. The girls just nodded.

"Yeah…she was trying to cook for Tsukune." Mizore said softly.

"Cook what? The classroom?" Rason said puzzled.

"Where is Moka? Is she ok?" Yukari said looking around.

"She wasn't in the room when the faculty put the fires out." Ahakon said with a shrug.

"Tsukune's out looking for her now." Rason said. Mizore stood up and smiled at her boyfriend as he put the lollipop back into her mouth. He smiled softly for a moment then glanced to the others. Kurumu looked around worriedly then down.

"She really took cooking seriously for him. Sucks she's just…god-awful with it." she said gently.

"She destroyed the entire classroom in five minutes with her _cooking_." Mizore said flatly. She sighed and glanced to Dark.

"I'm sorry, I did make you a meal for lunch…but…" she said softly. The boy smiled and tilted his head, the girl looking at him curiously then glancing down to her lollipop.

"Oh…whoops." she said quietly. She glanced back to the boy and blushed a bit, the girl wondering what she just 'asked for' this time. Dark glanced to Rason, the angel repeating what she said. Dark nodded then leaned in to Mizore's ear, the boy saying he'd rather eat something else later on as per her request. The girl blinked then looked at the boy with wide eyes, the girl's legs then giving out and the snow maiden dropping to the ground yet again.

"You're never going to catch her, are you?" Rason said with a raised eyebrow as the demon picked up his snow girl. She looked at him timidly then glanced away with a blush and smile. The angel looked to Kurumu as she was looking at him worriedly.

"I'm sorry Rason, I did make you some delicious sweets for lunch…but…they didn't make it out alive." she said softly. He chuckled then held her close, the girl feeling the bond lighting her up inside.

"It's alright my dear, you're the only treat I need." he said gently. The girl sighed happily and held him tightly around the waist as she let the bond relax her mind.

"Ahakon…about your meal…" Yukari said worriedly at the boy. He looked at her curiously.

"Let me guess, it went up in smoke with everything else." he said simply. She nodded and looked down with sorrow. The boy blinked, then smiled brightly for a moment. He quickly shook his head and looked at his girlfriend with sympathetic eyes.

"It's ok Yukari, really. I'm just glad you're ok." he said gently. The girl looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I promise I'll cook you something great tonight to make up for it. Really." she said urgently. The boy jumped a bit then waved his hands around in front of him with a nervous smile.

"No no! Really, don't worry about it! Seriously!" he said franticly.

"It's ok Ahakon, I don't mind. I'll make you a great dinner tonight for the two of us." Yukari said with a bright smile. The boy twitched and forced a wide smile.

"Oh…great." he said nervously. He gulped and glanced to the others, the four others in the room looking at the witch with concern that she was going to kill her boyfriend soon.

"I wonder how Moka is doing." Kurumu said softly as she looked to the door.

"Tsukune's looking for her now, if anybody can cheer her up it would be him." Rason reasoned.

* * *

Standing on the roof of the academy Inner Moka was looking out at the cloudy skies above, the girl having her silver hair flowing behind her in the breeze. She looked down with a pained expression then to the box she was holding in her hand.

**"I failed…I can't believe it. I failed to be a proper mate for Tsukune."** she said softly. She geared back to throw the box far away with a frustrated expression.

"You're kidding right?" Tsukune's voice said from behind. The vampire spun around to see Tsukune there, the boy smiling gently at her while he had her rosary in his pocket. He walked up to her and looked at her curiously.

"You mean to tell me that you _really_ believe you're not a proper mate for me? You, the proud and noble vampire who I claimed to love _no matter what_?" he said as he smiled at her. Inner Moka looked at the boy with gentle eyes then away.

"I heard about the incident in the class, I'm just glad you're ok Moka. But what's this about you failing me? You know you could never fail me ever." the boy said gently. Inner Moka shook her head and presented the boy the box, the girl still looking away with remorse.

**"I did fail Tsukune. I tried…I really did."** she said softly as the boy took the box and opened it. There was a black charred piece of…something inside. He looked at it curiously then to the girl.

**"I tried to cook for you Tsukune, but I couldn't even get the simplest parts correct. Even with the others helping me…that's all I have to show for it. Pathetic isn't it?"** she said with a tone of self-amusement. She sighed and shook her head.

**"I'm sorry Tsukune. I wanted to be a proper mate for you just like my other self is. I thought I could do this as well, to take care of you like she always does. However…I failed in that crusade."** she said softly. Tsukune looked at the charred…whatever it was with sympathy then glanced to her.

**"I used to be the one protecting you from danger, always saving you and coming to your rescue. Then you became stronger, and able to fight alongside me. Eventually you even surpassed me in strength, both surprising and…astonishing me Tsukune. I'm proud to call you my mate…but…" **she said gently before looking back to him.

**"My other self has become a capable fighter in her own right. She can channel enough of our power to fight alongside you now as well. I used to be the fighter while she was the friend. But now…she can be both…"** she said with remorse.

"Moka…" Tsukune said looking to the girl with worry.

**"I wanted to prove that I can be worthy of you Tsukune."** the vampire said urgently. The boy jumped a bit at those words. It wasn't often the proud and noble self of the girl would use such words, but here she was doing just that. She actually admitted that she wanted to be worthy of him, rather than the other way around as she used to do when they first met.

**"I wanted to be both the fighter and friend too. I know with my rosary removed I can fight better than her…but such times where I'm needed to do so are fewer now. So I thought…if I could learn to provide for you in another way…like she can…"** she said shakily.

Crunch.

The girl looked to see Tsukune taking a bite out of the black charred…thing that was in the box. He munched on it with determination as the girl looked with shock.

**"What are you doing? Spit that out Tsukune, it's just a horrible piece of charcoal now!"** Inner Moka cried out. Tsukune blinked then turned his head as he held his hand over his mouth, the vampire girl looking with worry at him now.

**"Oh Tsukune, I'm so sorry! Spit it out, I'll get something for you to drink. Just hold on."** the girl said with remorse as she turned to run back into the building.

**_What have I done? I couldn't even make one thing for him properly, and he nearly kills himself trying to eat it to be kind to me. What kind of mate am I?_**

She took one step before she heard a voice speak up.

"Delicious!" Tsukune said with a bright smile. Inner Moka blinked and looked back to him with wide eyes.

**"What?"** she said shocked. The boy nodded and held up the food.

"It's great Moka, only the outside was burnt black. But the inside is perfect, it's a perfect pumpkin pie, see?" he said. The vampire looked with wide eyes at it then to the boy as he started munching on it with a bright smile.

**"Tsukune…are you sure? I mean…it looks…I can't possibly taste…"** she said nervously. She watched as the boy ate the entire thing then smiled at her.

"It was delicious Moka, thank you. I haven't had pumpkin pie in forever, that was a real treat." he said graciously. The vampire looked at him with amazement as he smiled at her, the boy having eaten the entire dessert in front of her.

**"You…are you sure Tsukune?"** she said worriedly. The boy nodded and walked up to her.

"Yes, it was really perfect Moka. Thank you for making that for me." he said gently. The vampire looked at him then smiled with a small blush.

**"Tsukune…you're welcome."** she said softly.

"You have nothing to fear Moka, nothing could ever replace either side of you. I love you both, equally, with all my heart." he said as he leaned in closer to her. He held her close and kissed her, the girl holding onto her mate that she loved with all her heart. She had managed to make a meal that the boy truly loved, the girl feeling important and special to the boy once again. She had feared that with the outer self becoming stronger and more independent that Tsukune may like her more than her own self. However that wasn't true. Tsukune loved both sides of the girl just the same.

From the doorway into the academy their friends were looking at the vampire couple as they kissed on the roof.

"Told you he would help her feel better." Rason said with a smirk.

"What? But we helped make that too! We nearly died helping her!" Kurumu cried out.

"Not to mention the entire cooking class was destroyed just making that one piece of pie." Yukari added.

"Just let her have this, she really needed it." Ahakon said simply.

"Yeah, we can rip on her for being a worse cook than Yukari later on." Mizore said softly.

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Yukari said defensively. Ahakon looked away, the boy pretending he didn't hear anything and hoping that Yukari didn't look to him for an answer on that.

The vampire couple finished their kiss then looked at each other with loving eyes.

**"Thank you Tsukune. I love you, just as much as my other self does."** Inner Moka said gently.

"As I love you my mate." Tsukune said with a smile. The girl nodded then looked down.

**"Alright, I've had my fun for the day. I suppose she can come back out now."** she said simply. Tsukune smirked a bit then held out the rosary. The vampire took it and looked at him with a calm smile. She plinked on the seal, the bright flash erupting as the rosary sealed away the vampiric power of the girl. Her hair shifted to pink as her eyes turned to emerald green. She collapsed into his arms as the group walked out to him.

"Your girlfriend torched the cooking class, I hope that meal she gave you was worth it." Rason said with a laugh. Tsukune chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I think it was." he said simply. Moka stirred then looked up at the boy with a soft smile.

"Tsukune…" she said gently.

"Moka…" he said lovingly.

"Tsukune…"

"Moka…"

"Yeah…same old same old." Kurumu said with an amused smile. Moka blinked then looked down to her rosary with a calm smile.

_So…_

**_I made him a meal that he appreciated. Mission accomplished._**

_Yeah, and all it took was burning the classroom down to the ground, nearly hacking off _our_ hand, and sending our friends to the emergency room._

**_…mission accomplished._**

_Are you going to apologize for what you said earlier then?_

**_Apologize for what? Don't start that with me._**

Moka looked at her rosary with discontent, the group looking at her curiously as the trinket glowed a bit.

"Moka?" Tsukune asked worriedly. The girl continued to talk to her other self, her eyebrow twitching a bit.

_You really are unbelievable. Just admit you were wrong about my cooking. Among other things as well._

**_Tsukune appreciated my meal, he ate the whole thing right in front of me._**

_You do realize that I saw everything play out while inside your mind, right?_

**_…_**

_Really? You're going to act all proud and noble after everything you did…and said to Tsukune?_

**_Fine. I may have been a little…harsh earlier with you._**

_A little? You seem to have a poor grasp of the definition 'little'. For instance, nearly slicing off our own hand while being too blinded by foolish pride is more than 'a little mishap'._

**_We're fine aren't we? Let's just focus on the important matter here._**

_And what might that be?_

**_That I made Tsukune a great meal and got a rightfully earned kiss from him._**

Moka looked at her rosary with a dull glare then smiled sheepishly.

"Moka? Is everything ok?" Tsukune asked. Moka looked to him and tilted her head.

_Last chance to say you're sorry._

**_Last chance? What are you talking about?_**

_Fine, have it your way._

Moka giggled then walked up to Tsukune.

"I'm fine Tsukune. We were just talking about what my other self did for you." she said gently. The boy rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well, she did try. And the pie was good. Please don't start up another fight though, you two-" he started before Moka giggled and shook her head.

"Oh Tsukune, we're over that. She wanted to prove to you that she could cook, and that was her choice. Nothing wrong with her wanting to show off for you." she said with a smile. The group looked at her curiously as Tsukune smiled.

"Oh, well…yeah. That's right. So…you're not fighting anymore?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head and smiled playfully at the boy.

"Nope, not at all. But…she did want me to relay a special request to you." she said slyly.

**_What are you talking about? What request?_**

Moka leaned into Tsukune's ear with a sly smile.

"She wants to try the 'other hole' tonight as well Tsukune." she whispered with a purr, the boy jumping a bit at that. The rosary on Moka's chest died out suddenly then glowed a bit.

**_What? I never requested such a thing from our mate!_**

"She said no matter what she says or does she wants you to do her tonight, be forceful if you have to be." Moka said with a purr before licking the boy's ear. He stammered a bit as the group looked at him curiously. Moka giggled and hugged the boy tightly.

**_What the hell are you saying? I never asked for that!_**

_Know your place._

"Everything ok there buddy?" Rason asked. Tsukune glanced to him then held his girl with a curious expression.

"Um…yeah." he said softly. Moka smiled happily and hugged her mate while her rosary glowed as her inner self was yelling inside her mind. The group glanced to each other and shrugged.

"Well if Moka's done destroying the school today, we should get going." Dark said simply. Moka leaned back from her hug and kissed Tsukune quickly, the girl then looking at him with a seductive smile.

"Remember Tsukune, no matter what." she said with a wink. The boy blinked then slowly nodded as the group looked at her curiously. Moka smiled and nodded, then looked to the group.

"Well let's go then." she said before holding onto Tsukune's arm. Dark shrugged then walked back into the building with Mizore holding onto him, the girl smiling softly as she held her demon close again. Kurumu and Rason walked back in with the succubus holding onto her angel's arm tightly, the girl loving the bond that flowed from the touch. Yukari smiled and walked in holding her boyfriend's hand, the mage worried about what she might be serving that night for 'dinner'. Tsukune and Moka walked back inside, the couple glad to be with each other once again.

"So burned a classroom to the ground. So much for a relaxing and uneventful day. No surprise though." Rason laughed.

"Not my fault." Moka said innocently. Tsukune chuckled as the group walked down the stairs into the academy.

"Just a little mishap, doesn't mean the rest of the day is going to be like that." he said with a nervous smile.

"Famous last words." Mizore said simply. Kurumu and Yukari giggled at that as Moka rolled her eyes with a smirk.

As the four couples walked down the halls towards their next class, with each girl holding onto their boyfriend with gentle smiles, three students were on the roof of the academy still. The three new girls were standing on the academy roof entrance and were looking to where the four couples had disappeared back into the building with annoyance, the girls managing to remain unseen while peeking out from above.

"So it was that girl's fault the fire got started." Ran said glancing to her sisters.

"It was her fault the alarms got set off and everybody went running around." Rin added. Ren showed a bit of discontent then looked up to the clouds.

"She couldn't have done it on purpose because of us, sounds like she really was a bad cook." she said with a shrug. The other two slowly nodded then looked up as well.

"Yeah but still, that ruined our chance." Rin said sadly.

"We'll get plenty more, we still have a lot to do here." Ran said.

"A lot to do and little time." Ren said worriedly as she looked around at the clouds above.

"If we don't hurry we'll be in trouble." Rin said worriedly.

"We'll be ok. The festival tomorrow will be a golden opportunity after all." Ran said with a smile.

"Aw, but what about the fireworks? I wanna see them too." Rin said sadly.

"If we don't complete our mission here missing the fireworks will be the last thing you'll cry about." Ren said cautiously.

"We'll be fine girls. Let's get back inside, we can still make some progress before the day ends." Ran said reassuringly. The three nodded then glanced down. Four male students from earlier walked outside and stretched out as they stepped out onto the roof.

"Man, what a mess. That classroom was a fucking inferno." One of them said with a laugh.

"I heard some girl started the fire in her cooking class. What an idiot." Another laughed.

"Hell, we'll be safer skipping our next class anyway, we might have been in that girl's class." Another said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I could use some relaxation anyway, Ms. Ririko's math class never agrees with me." The fourth said shaking his head.

"That teacher doesn't agree with anybody, she may be hot but damn she's off her rocker." Another said dryly. The four boys blinked then turned and looked up at the three girls that were looking down at them.

"Haha, what do we have here?" one of the boys said with a smirk.

"Well well, if it isn't the three little new girls from before. Fancy meeting you up here." Another said with a grin. The three girls kept looking at them with dull expressions.

"What are you girls doing up there? Skipping class also?" another said with a smirk.

"C'mon down and say hello, don't be shy." One of the boys said with a sly smile. Again the girls just stared at them.

"Haha, looks like they're scared." Another said with a snicker.

"Aw, don't be scared. We'll take good care of you. We feel really bad about how we treated you before, let us make it up to you. We insist." One said holding his hand out to them with a sly smile. The girls glanced to each other then back down to the boys. Ren looked down with her hair covering her eyes as the other two just eyed the boys carefully.

"Well, orders are orders." Ran said softly.

"They don't look to be very strong." Rin said shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter." Ran said with a shrug. The boys chuckled as they looked up at the three new female students with lustful grins. Their three skirts flowed in the wind as did their hair while they stood above the boys.

"Yeah, he was very clear." Rin said softly. Ren slowly clenched her fists as Ran glanced to her.

"Shall we get started then?" she asked. Ren nodded slowly.

"Like we have a choice. Just as our master ordered…" she said as she looked back to the boys, the girl's eyes having a dark glare in them.

"Every. Last. One of them."


	4. Bloodlust

Inside the headmaster's office the man himself was seated behind his desk, the founder of the academy looking at some papers in front of him while hundreds more were piled up. Standing before him Ruby and Razico were looking at him with calm expressions, both summoned here as per his request. The man looked at the papers with his glowing eyes then up towards the couple.

"So, before I begin I have a few things to discuss with you Razico." he said looking at the warlock. Razico had his arms crossed before him nonchalantly as he waited for the headmaster to speak.

"While I do appreciate your efforts in helping with our previous crisis, I would like to remind you that the archives are off limits to you and other guests at the academy. I do believe this is the fifth time I've told you this." the headmaster said calmly. Ruby glanced to Razico nervously as the warlock smirked a bit.

"Sorry, bad habit. When there's treasure around my instinct is to claim it. It won't happen again sir." he said with a smile. The headmaster looked at him curiously and chuckled.

"Good to hear Razico. Before I move on, I'm going to have to ask you to put what you have in your shirt back where you found it." the man said with a smirk. Razico blinked then slowly glanced to Ruby, the witch looking at him with defeat.

"Razico…you didn't…not again." She said shaking her head. The warlock looked at the headmaster curiously.

"But…there's nothing in my shirt. See?" he said patting himself down. Ruby looked at the warlock then to the headmaster. The man chuckled and tilted his head.

"Haha, I see your habits die hard indeed. However I must ask you again to put the artifact back." he said with a calm tone. Ruby looked back to Razico, the warlock smiling arrogantly. He reached behind him under his shirt and pulled out a curved dagger, the artifact having a clear see-through purplish handle and a soft purplish glowing blade. Ruby looked at the artifact then face palmed.

"Razico…why-" she started before the headmaster laughed a bit.

"Now now Ruby, no harm done. If anything I'm impressed with his abilities as a thief." he said with a smile. Razico twitched at that and looked at him with a dull glare.

"Treasure hunter." he said flatly.

"I wish." Ruby said with despair. Razico placed the glowing blade on the desk as the headmaster looked at him with an intrigued expression.

"Treasure hunter you keep saying. I was curious just how well you could claim the relics you sought out, it's been rather entertaining to see you at work." he said with a calm gaze at the man. Ruby and Razico looked at him curiously as he looked down to his paperwork.

"I've kept you here on school grounds even after the first citation of stealing from the archives for a reason Razico, and no, it's not because Ms. Tojo has taking a rather fond liking to you." he said calmly. Razico glanced to Ruby who blushed and looked downward. The headmaster glanced to the warlock with a grin.

"I've watched you each and every time you've gotten past my guards and broken into the archives. Much skill in breaking and entering, and a high spirit to seek out such 'treasures' that are near your grasp." he said with a chuckle.

"Sir?" Ruby asked curiously.

"What is this reason you've allowed me to stay then?" Razico asked. The headmaster chuckled and handed him a paper from his desk. The warlock took it and examined it carefully.

"It just so happens, _treasure hunter_, that I'm in need of someone with your…talents, as you put it." the headmaster said with his usual creepy smile. Razico looked at the paper for a bit then glanced to the man.

"What exactly is this?" the warlock asked cautiously.

"Why a job for you of course. And the reward would be fitting for a man who is able to complete the task." the headmaster said simply.

"A job?" Ruby asked looking to Razico. The warlock glanced back to the paper.

"Yes, it seems some less than reputable monsters have stumbled across a great and powerful find. As you can see in my reports, they are searching for something that could be problematic if it were to be in the wrong hands." the headmaster said calmly.

"How exactly did they 'stumble across' this?" Razico asked shaking his head.

"That remains unknown, but is irrelevant nonetheless. It appears that treasure hunters of many kinds have found out about it and are seeking to claim it as their own. I want you to recover it first Razico, and bring it straight back here where it can be hidden away from the world. Mr. Aono and his friends have earned their rest so I don't believe I need to bother them about such a task, but you…well, it would be commendable if you were to work off the damages you've caused by setting a certain summoned beast loose." the headmaster said with a shrug.

"Hey, first off I didn't know that some old dusty dagger would do _that_! Second…what kind of reward are we talking about here?" the warlock asked curiously. The headmaster chuckled and looked at him curiously.

"Well, seeing as how you have a desire for treasure yourself, I'll let you pick anything in the academy to have as your reward." the man said calmly.

"Sir? Anything?" Ruby said with surprise. Razico looked at the man curiously then down in thought.

"But sir, there are some things…that he probably shouldn't have. I mean…there are a lot of dangerous and powerful artifacts down there." Ruby said worriedly.

"Anything?" Razico asked curiously. The headmaster nodded as Ruby looked to him worriedly.

"Yes. Anything. Tell me, what is it you desire Razico?" the headmaster asked curiously. The warlock looked up in thought for a moment then back to the man.

"Ok, I'll get this artifact for you before those amateurs get their hands on it. But in exchange there is one thing I want from you." Razico said firmly. Ruby looked at him curiously as the headmaster tilted his head.

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"Ruby." the warlock said. Ruby looked at him with surprise while the headmaster chuckled a bit.

"Ruby?" he asked.

"Yes." Razico said simply.

"What…what do you mean Razico?" Ruby asked curiously. The warlock glanced to her and smiled.

"He said I can pick any treasure I desire. There is no better treasure to claim than you." he said softly. The witch blushed a bit and glanced to the headmaster. The warlock smirked and looked at the man with an arrogant grin.

"Ruby, if I may speak with the headmaster alone." he said firmly. Ruby looked between the two and then to the headmaster again. He chuckled and waved her off gently, the witch slowly nodding then walking out with a stunned face and a blush. As she closed the door behind her Razico glanced to the paper in his hand.

"You do realize that Ms. Tojo isn't confined to this academy, I don't _own_ her." the headmaster said simply.

"She claims she owes her life to you, that she needs to work off her life debt to you by staying here under your command. In a way you do." Razico said glancing to the man with narrowed eyes. The headmaster smiled calmly and waited for him to continue.

"I want you to grant her freedom from here, only then will she be able to truly leave." the warlock continued.

Out in the hall Ruby was listening with her ear on the door, the witch having a bashful expression.

"I see. So in return for you securing this artifact for me, you wish Ruby to be free from this place. Interesting." the headmaster said calmly. He chuckled and smirked at the warlock.

"My my, you must be rather fond of the witch as well, aren't you?" he asked curiously. Razico just smiled a bit as he stood there. The headmaster looked at him with an intrigued grin.

"If I may take a guess about something, you've been breaking into the archives to satisfy your desire to plunder, then allowing yourself to get caught so as to see her more often." he said amusingly.

Ruby's eyes widened a bit as she heard the accusation.

"And why would you assume that?" Razico asked curiously.

"Because your reputation speaks highly of you Razico, I doubt you would have gotten caught by my guards so easily. Not to mention you were only ever caught _after_ stealing the artifact where you, for some reason, decided not to run away." the headmaster said with a laugh. Razico smirked and chuckled a bit.

"I may have been a bit lax about my surroundings at the time, you never know." he said with an arrogant tone.

"And this too I assume?" the headmaster said looking to the glowing blade on his desk.

"This old thing?" Razico said with an arrogant smile.

"Yes, I could have sworn this was on my table off to the side before you walked in. You wouldn't have been so foolish as to try to take it when clearly I knew it would be gone before you left the room, at least, you wouldn't have expected to get away with it. Almost like you wanted to be caught it seems." the headmaster said with a laugh. Razico glanced to the door and smirked a bit.

"Dedicated to your façade as a bumbling thief aren't you?" the headmaster said with a smile.

"Truth be told I was hoping you would have had Ruby personally watch me while I was here, seeing as how you didn't kick me out right away I could tell you wanted me to stay." the warlock said with a nod.

Ruby looked down with wide eyes as she continued to listen in on the conversation.

_All his attempts to take things from the headmaster…all the times he was caught stealing…was just to get closer to me?_

"Haha, is that what you had in mind? I see the witch is very important to you if you would risk getting on my bad side just to see her more." the headmaster said with a curious smile.

"Well I do love her sir." Razico said simply.

THUD!

The warlock glanced back towards the door where a sudden noise was heard. He chuckled and looked back to the headmaster.

"So, do we have a deal? The artifact, for Ruby." he said in a commanding tone. The headmaster chuckled and nodded.

"Very well treasure hunter. Recover the object for me and the witch shall be free from here to go wherever she pleases. I will grant her full pardon and excuse her from any guilt of staying here, what she does then is up to her of course." the man said with a calm smile. Razico nodded and rolled up the paper, the man slipping it into his shirt with a cool smile.

"Very well. I'll leave right away." he said with a bow.

"The reports don't have an exact location of the artifact, only it's supposed region. How do you intend on finding it first, if I may ask." The headmaster asked curiously.

"I have my ways as well headmaster. I'll find the treasure first, not a doubt in my mind about that." Razico said assuredly. He walked to the door and glanced back to the headmaster.

"You know, if you knew what I was up to all this time, why not tell Ruby? She seemed to be hurt thinking I was a petty thief all this time." he asked simply. The headmaster shrugged.

"You were the one that wanted that image here, even if it was just to get closer to her. If you wanted her to think differently of you, it would have been up to you to show her otherwise." he said calmly. Razico nodded then opened the door, the warlock looking to see a witch scrambling back to her feet with wide eyes of wonder.

"I guess I'll have to show her that I am a real treasure hunter then." he said with a calm smile. He walked out and closed the door behind him, the witch looking at him with an open mouth.

"Razico…is…is all that true?" she asked softly. The man smiled and glanced to her.

"You only stole from the school…just to see me?" she asked with wonder.

"I told you Ruby, the only treasure here, the only thing worth taking at all, is you." he said gently. The witch blushed and looked at him bashfully.

"Razico…" she said softly.

"You wanted to believe I was a real treasure hunter, and not some lousy thief who steals from schools. Well, now that I've got the key to setting you free from this place, I'll gladly show you that I am that man." he said proudly. He pulled her closer and kissed the witch, the woman closing her eyes as he held her. After the kiss broke he smiled at the witch who just looked at him with loving eyes and a blush.

"I'll be back soon Ruby, I promise." the warlock said as he walked off, his cape flowing behind him as Ruby watched him leave with a loving gaze. She slowly held a hand over her heart as she looked down. Witches and warlocks never really got along before, what with warlocks being more destructive and witches being peaceful. But this was love for Ruby, there was no denying it. The man she loved wasn't destructive, he was protective and kind. He wasn't evil even though he used dark magic, he was a real gentleman with a heart.

And he wasn't a careless thief, the man having only played that image to get closer to the witch he desired. The witch that he had waited for the opportunity to set free from her servitude to the headmaster.

The witch that the warlock had fallen in love with.

* * *

Lunchtime had come at Yokai Academy and the group had gathered in the cafeteria. Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, and Kokoa were seated at a table while their boyfriends were in line to get their meals. Moka kept her eyes on Tsukune with a loving gaze as he stood in line looking at the somewhat questionable selection for today's meals. He chuckled nervously and spoke to his friends, the boy having kept his normal happy demeanor even though he had transformed into a full blooded vampire. Kurumu was locked onto her boyfriend as well, the girl feeling the bond pulling from there as Rason was agreeing with Tsukune that certain foods here were just as bad as Yukari's cooking. The succubus giggled and kept her eyes on her Destined One with a dreamy gaze. Next to her Mizore was watching her demon stand in line, the boy who kept his music playing nearly all the time. She had a hunch that, even though he was facing away from her and had his music playing, he knew exactly where she was sitting. The snow girl couldn't wait to master her boyfriend's technique of detecting the lifeforce of others in hopes that she could one day stalk and find her elusive shadow demon. Yukari was sitting next to the snow girl watching her boyfriend with a curious smile. She wanted to cook the mage something fantastic that night after her attempt for a suitable lunch failed horribly. She had the slightest hint that Ahakon didn't like her food, but was determined to cook him at least one decent meal. And next to her Kokoa was watching Gin with a playful smile, the redheaded vampire still amazed that the lecherous wolf that was a peeping tom around school had changed into a gentleman, and all for her as well. She giggled and licked her lips, the vampire trying to decide whether to go for a kiss or his blood when he sat down with her.

"It's still so wild to think we're actually all able to sit at the same table with boyfriends of our own." Moka commented as she took a drink of her tomato juice. The other girls nodded and smiled at that comment.

"Yeah, and to think we usually spent all our time at lunch fighting over Tsukune. Kinda funny now that I think back on it." Kurumu said with a laugh.

"After all we've been through we can all finally relax and enjoy ourselves." Yukari said with relief.

"It really is perfect, almost too good to be true." Mizore said softly.

"Yeah, truth be told I never pictured myself eating here with all of you, and with a boyfriend no less." Kokoa said as she started eating her meal.

"Times really have changed." Moka said with a laugh.

"Not to mention our boyfriends are living legends here. We've got the hottest and strongest guys all to ourselves, yahoo!" Kurumu cheered as she started to eat as well. The other girls giggled a bit at that and looked at their boyfriends with loving eyes. It was certainly true that they had the most desirable guys. Even Ahakon was admired by the older students. Moka sighed happily and looked at her meal.

"So, are you girls going to do anything for the festival?" she asked curiously.

"I was thinking of signing up for the dunking booth, I wouldn't mind Rason seeing me with a wet t-shirt after all." Kurumu said with mischievous smile.

"Not to mention every other guy there." Mizore said simply.

"I don't mind showing the other boys what they can't have, being a tease is part of being a succubus after all." Kurumu said flaunting her chest around.

"I'll have a fortune reading booth set up, my tarot cards and I will be a hit for sure." Yukari said happily.

"But you're usually way off with your readings." Kokoa pointed out. Yukari twitched then smiled weakly.

"Just need a bit of practice for tomorrow, that's all." She said simply.

"I'll be working the gun range booth." Mizore said softly. The other girls looked to her with surprise.

"Guns? There are no guns at the festival." Moka said shaking her head.

"There are now. Relax, they're just cork guns. Nothing lethal." Mizore said waving her hand in front of her.

"Oh, that sounds kinda fun actually." Kurumu said with a smile. Mizore nodded and looked towards her demon.

"I'm sure he'll love it." She said softly. She glanced over to Moka curiously.

"What about you Moka?" she asked. The vampire smiled and nodded.

"I'll be working the goldfish scooping booth. Ms. Nekonome wanted somebody she knew to run it for her. Though I'm partly suspicious that she just wants me to keep some of the fish for her." She said with a laugh. The others laughed a bit at that comment, all thinking that was very likely.

"Well you all can work if you want, but I'll be spending the day with my boyfriend. It'll be like our first date." Kokoa said looking to Gin with a loving gaze.

"We'll be with our boys too, and then for the finale we'll watch the fireworks together. Oh it's going to be so romantic." Kurumu said dreamily. The other girls nodded and looked down with warm smiles, all of them looking forward to the day with their loves.

The boys walked over and sat at the table with their lunches, all of them sitting across from their girlfriends.

"See? Isn't this nice? Just a nice enjoyable meal without having to burn down the school." Rason said in jest looking to Moka. The vampire laughed a bit and shook her head.

"Again, that wasn't me that did that. But I have to agree with you." She said. She glanced to Tsukune then smiled lovingly at him. The boy smiled then opened a can of tomato juice as well. Moka looked at him with a soft smile then down.

"Still different, what with you not drinking his blood anymore." Kurumu commented. Moka nodded slowly and glanced up at Tsukune.

"It's alright, I would gladly trade that for him any day." She said softly. Tsukune smiled softly at his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry your delicious blood isn't there for you anymore." He said gently. His blood was now all vampire, the tasty and desirable human blood Moka once knew now being gone forever. The vampire had tried to drink it once when the great battle was over, but wasn't quite satisfied with the taste of it. Vampires don't drink other vampire's blood after all.

"It's ok Tsukune, really. I can drink tomato juice and blood packets like I used to. I'm just glad you're mine still." Moka said lovingly.

"Oh Moka…" he said gently.

"Oh Tsukune…" she said with loving eyes.

"Oh Moka…"

"Oh Tsukune…"

"And yet some things never change." Rason said with a chuckle. Kokoa glanced to Gin and smiled slyly. The boy looked at her and smiled nervously.

"Um…Kokoa?" he said. The group looked over in time to see her lunge across the table and tackle him to the ground, the girl biting onto his neck and holding him tightly. He blinked and held her with a weak smile as she purred a bit while having his blood.

"Kokoa, at least have some class when doing that." Moka said shaking her head amusingly.

"Yeah, Moka never did _that_ to Tsukune in school." Yukari said with a laugh.

"Moka never did a lot of things to Tsukune in school that Kokoa does to Gin." Kurumu said with a smirk.

The young vampire leaned back and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Thanks Gin, that was delicious as always." She said with a wink. The boy chuckled and looked at her amused.

"No problem…um, you could have just asked you know." He said as he got up while she hopped back over to her seat.

"Yeah, but it's more fun that way." Kokoa said with a shrug and innocent smile. Gin rolled his eyes and sat back down.

"Well since that's what everybody is doing." Kurumu said licking her lips with a playful smile.

"Again dear, boundaries. Blood drinking isn't my thing." Rason said with a laugh. Kurmu giggled then lunged across the table and kissed Rason, the girl taking the angel down to the ground with a thud. Yukari giggled and looked to Ahakon who was showing a nervous expression.

"Yay I want to do that too!" she cheered as she lunged across the table and tackled the poor mage to the ground. Mizore pulled out her lollipop and jumped over as well, the girl hitting Dark and landing on his lap while he didn't budge. She blinked and looked down to see she was on his lap while he was just looking at her.

"How…do you do that anyway?" She asked curiously, the girl amazed that her boyfriend was sturdy as a pillar. She gasped softly as he held her tightly, the snow maiden then holding him close for a kiss. Moka and Tsukune watched Kurumu kiss Rason on the ground passionately, Yukari maul Ahakon with love as he flailed about, and Dark holding Mizore on his lap with a kiss. Moka giggled and looked to Tsukune.

"I could go for a kiss as well." She said playfully. She blinked then looked at Tsukune curiously. He was looking at the others with a cautious expression.

"Tsukune?" she asked. The boy blinked and looked at Kurumu, the succubus who was still holding her lover down with a powerful kiss. The world shifted to black as her veins and heart illuminated, the girl's pulse and blood flow flashing before his eyes. He shook his head and blinked, then looked to Mizore. Again the world shifted to black around him as her blood highlighted throughout her body, the snow maiden still engrossed with her boyfriend's embrace. Tsukune shook his head and glanced to Yukari, the young witch still holding down Ahakon even as he tried to pry the overzealous witch off of him. In a flash her veins and blood flow illuminated briefly, the girl's heart beating away as she held her boyfriend down with passion.

"Tsukune? Are you ok?" Moka asked. The group looked over to him as he glanced around the cafeteria. There were other students spread out among the tables in the large hall, all going about their daily business. Tsukune's world shifted to black as he saw other students blood and hearts beating, the reddish glow emanating against their dully colored bodies. The world shifted back to normal as he held his head.

"Yeah…just…must be thirsty or something." He said as he turned back and drank from his tomato juice. The taste did feel nice to him, better than when he was human. But it didn't completely satisfy his thirst, as Moka had mentioned it wouldn't.

"Probably because you ate that charred pumpkin pie from the other Moka." Kurumu giggled as she got up and walked back to her seat. Rason got back up and sat down in his seat, the boy having a smile on his face from his girlfriend's affection. Mizore slowly got up and put her lollipop back in her mouth, the girl winking to Dark playfully before walking back to her spot. Yukari hopped up and walked over to her seat as Ahakon shakily climbed back up, the boy having a dazed look and a weak smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, but she did try to cook for you, I hope it wasn't too terrible to eat." Moka said worriedly. Tsukune smiled and shook his head.

"No, it was great really. Very delicious. I'm just a bit thirsty that's all." He said assuredly. Moka nodded slowly and looked at her boyfriend curiously. Before she could say something however they heard a commotion nearby.

"Give those back you jerk!" a girl's voice yelled out.

"Well, that voice sounds familiar." Rason said simply. The group looked to see Ran jumping up and trying to grab Rin's headphones from yet another bothersome male student. The boy was laughing as he held them behind his head while holding Ran back with the other arm. Rin was looking around puzzled as Ren was holding her with a glare at the bully. Two other boys were chuckling around the two girls as the group watched with dull expressions.

"You know nobody ever does this with Dark anymore, maybe if Rin just breaks somebody's wrist they'll get the hint." Yukari said with a shrug.

"I can't believe they're still picking on those three." Moka said worriedly.

"You know those girls?" Gin asked.

"Yeah, they're new students in our class. That blonde haired girl needs those headphones otherwise she can't remember anything." Tsukune said.

"She can't remember anything without those headphones? That doesn't make sense." Kokoa said shaking her head.

"Yeah, those three are very unique cases, trust us." Ahakon said simply.

"Give them back! She needs those!" Ran yelled out as she tried to grab the enchanted device. Ren growled then ran up to him while Rin looked around with a puzzled expression.

"Give those back to my sister!" Ren yelled as she tried to grab the device. The bully laughed and pushed her back, the girl stumbling back and being caught by another male student.

"Hey now, no need to get rough." He said with a laugh as he pushed her off to the side. Ren tumbled over and fell onto the edge of a table, the girl's knee banging against it as she fell to the ground. She growled then looked back to the bully as the other grabbed Ran's arm and held her in place.

"Calm down there cutie, no need to get worked up. Not like she was any smarter with these anyway." The boy laughed. Ren got up and flinched, the girl looking down to see her knee was bleeding. She clenched her fists and glared at the bully.

"Ok, I think I've seen just about enough." Rason said annoyed as he got up. Dark and Ahakon stood up while Gin cracked his knuckles. As the four boys walked towards the fight Tsukune's eyes were locked onto Ren, the boy seeing her blood flowing through her veins as it pulsated and glowed a bit. He felt his throat dry up and his hand twitch as the smell of her blood was easily detected from there. The other girls however were watching the event unfold and didn't notice his eye twitch a bit.

"What's going on…who…who are you?" Rin asked nervously as a boy walked up to her with a sly grin.

"Your new boyfriend babe, c'mon let's get going shall we?" he said in a calm voice. Rin blinked and looked at him curiously while Ran struggled to get yank free from the other bully's grip. Another boy walked up and held her back as the first one dangled the headphones in front of her.

"You girls need to learn some manners, that's now how you act with your new boyfriends." He said with a laugh.

Ren growled as Dark, Ahakon, Gin, and Rason walked up behind her. Before the boys could make a move or say anything however she yelled out.

"Enough! Boys!" she called out. The bullies looked over to her puzzled as she glared at them. Before anyone could speak the bully near Rin was grabbed and thrown over into a tumble. The one holding the headphones felt somebody snatch them away, the boy then looking over to see a fist flying towards his face. As he was knocked back the one holding Ran was grabbed from behind, a hand tightening around his neck as the girl got free from his grasp. The choking boy was then thrown over towards his friends, the bullies looking over to see four other male students glaring at them. One of them handed Ran the headphones while Ren glared at the three bullies.

"Show these punks some manners!" she yelled out. The four boys dashed towards the three bullies, the defenders sending punches and kicks towards the three that were knocked back quickly. The group watched with curiosity as the four boys Ren called started to beat down and gang up on the offenders with glares in their eyes. Kurumu blinked then looked at them curiously.

"Hey, aren't those the same bullies from before?" she asked.

"Yeah, those are the four boys that were picking on them out in the hall earlier." Yukari said as she recognized the new students.

Ran glared at the bullies then walked over to Rin who was watching the brawl with wonder.

"Wow, what are they fighting about? Are they fighting about me?" she asked curiously. Ran put the headphones over her sister's ears, the girl blinking then looking around as her world made sense again. Mostly.

"What…oh no, not again." She said worriedly as she looked to her sister. Ran nodded then looked over to see the four boys standing before three bloody and bruised bullies. The three looked to each other then held out their hands defensively.

"Hey, calm down guys. What's the big deal?" one asked.

"Yeah, we didn't know they had boyfriends, honest." Another pleaded.

The four boys walked towards the bullies with dark glares as their fists were clenched, the three students looking at them with fear now. Before they could strike Ren spoke up.

"Hold it." She said sternly, the four boys looking back to her.

"That's enough." She said coldly as her sisters walked over to her. The three girls glared at the bullies as the four boys walked over to them. The group looked at the three sisters curiously as the bullies ran out of the cafeteria at high speed.

"Um…what just happened?" Kurumu asked scratching her head.

"Those four jerks are their friends now?" Yukari asked puzzled. The four boys walked over to the sisters with smiles.

"Are you alright Ren?" one asked with loving eyes.

"Oh dear, you're hurt." Another said with worry.

"Let us escort you to the nurses office." Another said with a smile. Ran and Rin looked at their sister and her bleeding knee.

"Sister, are you ok?" Ran asked. Ren nodded and glanced down to it.

"It's just a scratch. I'm fine." She said before she cringed a bit.

"You're bleeding though. Let's go get you checked out." Rin said worriedly.

"Excuse me, are you ok now?" Rason said curiously. The sisters turned to face them quickly as the four boys behind them tensed up. Dark and Gin glanced to each other then back to the sisters as Ahakon looked to the girl's bleeding knee.

"I'm fine." Ren said sternly.

"You're bleeding though. If you want I can heal that up for you." Ahakon said kindly. Ran looked at him curiously while the other sisters eyed him cautiously.

"I said I'm fine." Ren said as she cringed a bit. Ahakon smiled softly and shook his head.

"Yeah, I can see that's written all over your face. Here, just let me-" he started as he walked towards the girls before the four boys behind the girls jumped forward and glared at the mage.

"Don't you dare get close to them." One said with anger. Ahakon stopped and looked with surprise as one of the boys grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. Dark, Rason, and Gin tensed up while the others watched with surprise.

"Ahakon!" Yukari cried out as she ran over.

"What are they doing?" Kurumu said as she ran over. Mizore and Kokoa ran over while Moka looked back to Tsukune. He was still looking at Ren as if in a trance.

"Tsukune?" she asked worriedly.

"Put him down now." Dark said with a glare. Gin nodded as Rason held his hand up cautiously.

"Hey now, we're not here to cause another fight. He was just trying to help you." He said slowly.

"I don't need help." Ren said as she showed a strained expression.

"I was just going to help her, calm down!" Ahakon cried out as the boy held him in his grip tightly, the student glaring at the mage as the other three boys watched the group carefully.

"Ahakon! Stop, put him down!" Yukari cried out as she ran over to the group.

"What's your problem? Put him down now!" Kurumu said with discontent. Mizore and Kokoa looked at the other boys with narrowed eyes as Ren cringed a bit more. She wavered then dropped to her knee.

"Sister!" Ran cried out.

"Your knee is badly hurt, we need to get you to the nurses office." Rin said worriedly. Ren looked at the bleeding knee then growled.

"Just figures this would happen to me." She muttered.

"Ren, let us escort you to the nurses office." One of their boys said with a smile.

"How dare you approach her you worm." The one holding Ahakon up by the collar said with anger. The mage grabbed the boy's hand and tried to free himself while his legs kicked around in the air.

"I was just trying to help, let go you jerk!" he shouted.

"He was just offering to help you with her injury, put him down now." Rason said sternly. Ran looked to the mage then back to her sister. Dark and Gin tensed up while Kurumu and Mizore had their hands at their sides, both girls ready to fashion their weapons and dive into a fight. Kokoa narrowed her eyes at the other boys with a low hiss while Yukari held her wand out with a frustrated expression. Moka looked over to the fight as Tsukune's hand twitched a bit while he looked at Ren's bleeding knee.

"Sister…let him try to help you." Ran said softly. The group looked to her as eyed the young mage carefully.

"What? I don't need his pity." Ren snapped.

"It's not pity, I was just trying to be nice." Ahakon said worriedly.

"Nice? Nobody is nice for free, you wanted something in return didn't you?" Ren said with anger.

"What are you talking about? I was just going to heal your leg, that was it! I didn't expect anything in return." The mage pleaded. Ran looked at the boy carefully then to his friends. Rin looked around worriedly then to her sister.

"Ren, let him try." Ran said softly. Ren looked to her then back to the mage. The group glanced to each other then to the sisters with caution. Ren cringed then sat back on her rear, the girl holding her leg with a strained expression.

"Fine." She muttered. The boy holding Ahakon slowly lowered him, the four boys watching him carefully as he looked back to his friends. The others slowly let their stances drop as Ran watched the young mage. Ahakon walked over and kneeled beside the girl. She growled then pushed her skirt down between her legs with a look of discontent.

"Don't even think of looking down there, I'm watching you." She said harshly. Ahakon blinked and looked at her confused.

"I wasn't going to…I'm just going to heal your knee." He said gently.

"All you boys try to look down there, you're all the same." Ren said with a bite.

"What's your problem? I'm just trying to help here." Ahakon said defensively. Ren growled then looked away. The mage shook his head then focused his magic on the girl's knee, a bright glow emanating from his hands. Ran and Rin looked at the light curiously while Ren cringed a bit.

As they were watching the mage heal the girl's leg Tsukune's world shifted to black around him, the boy seeing Ren's blood and heart beating with a reddish glow. He envisioned himself biting down on her neck, the girl screaming out as she held onto him while he drank her blood. She would collapse down as he held onto her neck, the girl clawing at his back while she gasped with an open mouth. His throat dried up as his eyes flickered red for a moment. Moka watched her boyfriend worriedly as he had a strange look in his eye.

_What's wrong with him?_

**_I have no idea, he was fine a moment ago._**

"Tsukune?" Moka asked worriedly as she held a hand out towards him.

Slowly the glow faded from the Ren's knee, the pink haired girl looking over to see her wound was gone. She moved her leg a bit then looked at the mage curiously.

"There. All better. Can you stand now?" he asked. The girl just looked at him without saying anything. She blinked then glanced around, the girl slowly standing back onto her feet as all eyes were on her.

"Yes." She said softly.

Tsukune blinked then shook his head, the boy's vision returning to normal. He glanced over to see Moka looking at him worriedly.

"Moka. Um…sorry." He said gently.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just…spaced out there for a moment. Sorry to worry you." Tsukune said with a weak smile. He looked down as he thought about what he had just seen or felt. His whole body seemed to become unresponsive as his mind focused only on blood all around him. Just seeing and smelling Ren's blood seemed to react with him very strongly. All he could think of was that he must not have had enough tomato juice that morning. Moka nodded slowly as she kept her eyes on her boyfriend with concern.

Ren bent her knee a bit and looked at it curiously.

"It's as good as new." She said softly.

"Well it wasn't that serious of a wound, no problem to fix really." Ahakon said rubbing the back of his head. Ren glanced to him then to the others.

"So are you going to apologize to my boyfriend now?" Yukari said with discontent.

"Yeah, he was only trying to help you." Kurumu said crossing her arms before her. Rin and Ran glanced to their sister as the girl looked at the mage again.

"Thank you, for helping me." She said gently. He nodded and smiled at her.

"Just trying to be nice, not everybody is a bully here at this school." He said. He glanced to the other four boys that were watching him carefully. Ren looked to them then over to the cafeteria lunch line.

"Why don't you boys go get something to eat? We're fine now. Go and save us a table." She said simply. The four boys smiled and nodded with loving eyes at the girl, then walked off towards the line.

"I thought they were mean to you before." Mizore said softly.

"Yeah, now you've got them eating out of the palm of your hand." Kurumu said puzzled. Ren glanced to the girls quickly then away again.

"They just needed an attitude adjustment." She said simply.

Rin looked at Gin curiously for a moment, the boy leaning back as she leaned in really close to him.

"What…what is it?" he asked nervously. She blinked and tilted her head.

"Your neck is bleeding." She said curiously. The wolf jumped a bit and felt his neck. He looked to his hand which had some of his blood on it. Kokoa jumped and looked at him worriedly.

"Oh…sorry Gin." She said softly. In her rush to get his blood she tore some of his skin in the process. The boy smiled a bit and shook his head.

"It's ok. I'm a fast healer." He said gently. Kokoa nodded and looked down embarrassed.

_I really need to be more careful when doing that. Big sis never had Tsukune's neck bleed after she fed from him._

"Are you ok?" Rin asked.

"Yeah. It's nothing really. Are you girls ok now though? We saw how those jerks were treating you." he asked the girl. Rin nodded and looked to her sisters.

"Yes. Thank you for helping our sister." Ran said to Ahakon with a soft smile. The boy nodded and watched as the blue haired girl blushed a bit while looking at him.

"Um…yeah, it was nothing really." He said with a weak smile. The girl stared at him a bit longer, the young mage starting to feel a little uneasy as the girl's eyes were locked onto him from behind her glasses.

"What…are you staring at?" he asked nervously. Ran blinked then looked over to see Kurumu and Mizore looking at them curiously while Yukari was raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh…nothing." She said quickly. Yukari looked at the new girl carefully then over to her boyfriend.

"So those headphones let you remember stuff?" Kokoa asked looking at Rin's headphones. The girl nodded and held them with her hand.

"They were enchanted by her father, they allow her mind to work properly with her condition." Rason said gently. Rin looked down and glanced at the angel.

"Wow, never heard of something like that before." Kokoa said in wonder.

"It's not so bad, I like wearing them. I always get to listen to music this way." Rin said happily.

"Just like somebody we know." Rason said glancing to Dark. Rin looked at him and smiled brightly.

"Wow, you like to listen to music too?" she said with amazement. The group blinked and looked to Dark who showed no expression.

"You know it." He said flatly. He glanced back to see Tsukune and Moka talking then back over to his girlfriend. Mizore smiled and held onto his arm. The two walked back towards their table without saying a word as Kurumu held onto Rason's arm.

"Did you want to join us? There's room at our table." Rason asked curiously. The three sisters glanced to each other then shook their heads.

"No thank you." Ran said softly.

"Yeah, we're just going to sit…over there." Rin said slowly while pointing to the table that the four boys had sat down at, all four looking towards the sisters with loving eyes.

"Wow, you really did change those guys." Kurumu said with an impressed smile.

"What did you say to them anyway? They're so…nice now." Yukari said curiously. The sisters looked to each other quickly then back to the witch.

"We just handled it, that's all." Rin said with a smile. Ran glanced back to Ahakon quickly, then to Yukari, then away again.

"Yes…well, thank you again." Ren said with a bow. The three sisters walked towards the other table as Kurumu and Rason went towards the others. Yukari looked at Ahakon then back to Ran.

"What was with that girl? She was just staring at you." she asked puzzled.

"I have no idea. C'mon, let's head back to the others." Ahakon said as he took her hand and led her back towards the table. Yukari smiled softly and followed her boyfriend's lead while Gin and Kokoa looked at the new girls curiously.

"They don't seem that bad. A little defensive, and a few odd quirks, but not mean or anything." Gin commented.

"Yeah. Still strange how she needs headphones to remember stuff. Oh well, c'mon boyfriend." Kokoa said holding Gin's hand, the two walking back towards their table. The vampire noticed the boy's neck and showed a bit of sadness for a moment before looking ahead again. When they got to their table they saw the group seated and looking at Tsukune curiously.

"What's going on?" Gin asked.

"That's what we want to know." Rason said.

"I'm telling you it's nothing, really." Tsukune said waving his hands gently in front of him defensively.

"Are you sure Tsukune? You seemed to be bothered by something." Moka asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I just needed something to drink, that's all." Tsukune said assuredly. He tried to drink from his tomato juice then looked to see that it was empty.

"Heh, thirstier than I thought." He said rubbing the back of his head.

"I still think it was the burned pie the other Moka fed him." Kurumu said simply. Moka blinked then glanced to the rosary with a dull glare.

**_Hey, he said he liked it._**

_You are so going to get it tonight._

**_That's not fair, he liked my dish. Besides I never asked for such a thing._**

_It's what you get for putting him through this, all for your pride._

**_Fine…I'll accept my 'punishment' if I really must, but still he liked my cooking. He even said so._**

Moka rolled her eyes then looked back to Tsukune with worry.

"I'm ok, just got a little thirsty is all." Tsukune said with a calm smile. Moka nodded and looked at him with gentle eyes. The boy chuckled then looked to the others.

"So are those three ok now?" he asked.

"Yeah. The strangest thing though, the four bullies from earlier were standing up for them." Kurumu said looking over to the other table. The three sisters were sitting down eating while the four boys sat with them, all of them staring at the girls with loving eyes while hardly touching their food.

"Yeah, I saw that. I didn't expect them to be so protective like that all of a sudden." Moka commented.

"Protective is putting it lightly. They got pissed when Ahakon merely wanted to help heal her injury." Rason said with a curious expression.

"They really were trying to take care of them, not what we expected." Kurumu said with a shrug.

"Well, glad to see they're at least getting along now. Those three have been getting picked on ever since they got here, I feel kinda bad for them." Moka said softly.

"They'll be fine. Looks like they're making new friends already. The other students will like them, especially when they get to hear them singing." Yukari said with a nod.

"Singing?" Mizore asked.

"Yeah, you'll never believe it, but those three can really sing. We heard them when they were in the restroom, their voices were amazing." Kurumu said with a smile.

"Really? Didn't picture them the type to sing, they're so quiet and shy." Rason said.

"It's true. Their voices were…just incredible. I never heard such music before." Yukari said with a smile. The boys looked over to the other girls curiously at that remark. Mizore looked at Rin worriedly then to Dark.

_Uh oh…bad enough she listens to music all the time, but she has that good of a voice as well? No, what am I thinking. Dark's mine, he would never choose another, even if she had that talent._

She shook her head and looked down at her meal with a soft gaze, the snow maiden slightly more worried about the girl with the musical talent.

Yukari looked at Ran curiously then back to Ahakon, the boy still looking at the new girl curiously.

_What was up with her anyway? Surely she has to see that he's taken by me already. And what was with Ren accusing him of looking down under her skirt? He would never do that…right?_

Yukari blinked then looked down with a nervous smile. She felt silly thinking the new girls would be a threat to her. If anything Ran seemed to creep Ahakon out while Ren just seemed too negative to be around.

Kurumu looked at Ren curiously then over to her angel, the boy still looking at the sisters with wonder.

_I kinda get inviting them over to join us, them being new and all. But still, those three are a bit weird. And so what if they can sing. My voice will always be the best for my perfect angel. Those bitches can't measure up to me…right?_

She looked down with a curious expression, the girl wondering how her voice compared to the new girls and which would sound better to Rason.

Kokoa looked at the new girls curiously then over to Gin's neck, the wolf's skin already starting to heal slightly.

_I need to be more careful. I can't believe I hurt him like that. And he never said anything, he didn't want to make me feel bad about it. Still, if I keep that up he'll dump me for sure._

She looked at her boyfriend worriedly, the vampire concerned that if she wasn't careful with how she displayed her affection she might end up pushing the wolf away.

Moka looked at the three sisters curiously then back over to her mate with loving eyes. After a moment Tsukune shrugged then went back to his meal.

"Well, I guess that's something that might win them some new friends and respect." He said simply. The other boys went back to eating as the girls looked to them. Mizore was worried that her music loving boyfriend might be drawn to the girl with the music obsession and melodious voice. Yukari was worried that the new girls were hitting on her boyfriend, with one of them showing a great interest in the mage. Kurumu looked at her Destined One with curious eyes, the girl wondering if her angel would appreciate her own singing more than the new girls. Kokoa looked at her boyfriend with worry, the girl concerned her overzealous emotions would be a bother to him.

And Moka looked at her mate with loving eyes, the vampire still relishing the fact that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and that he had become a mighty vampire in his own right.

"Well now maybe we can finally enjoy a nice relaxing meal." Rason said with a laugh. He was about to take one bite before a voice spoke up behind him.

"Hey you punks." A boy's voice said with a sharp tone. Rason sighed and glanced behind him. Five boys were standing behind them and glaring at them while cracking their knuckles.

"No way…they can't be serious." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"I heard you guys think you're tough shit." Another boy said with a dark glare in his eyes.

"A relaxing meal huh?" Tsukune said dryly to Rason. The angel looked up curiously and wondered if he would ever indeed have a 'relaxing meal' at this school.

"These guys are fucking heroes? What a joke, this one's a freakin' pipsqueak." Another said with a laugh. Ahakon glanced to his friends with a raised eyebrow then back to the five, obliviously new, loudmouthed kids.

"Ooo, lunch and a show. What a treat." Kurumu giggled as she started eating with an eager smile. The other girls smiled and looked at the bullies with amused expressions while their boyfriends looked back at the new kids with dull expressions. Dark continued to eat however, the boy not having heard those behind him.

"And look at these cute girls they're keeping to themselves. Don't be fooled ladies, these guys are no heroes." Another boy said with a smirk.

"Really?" Moka said with a raised eyebrow.

"Say it ain't so." Kurumu said with an amused smile.

"Haha, of course they aren't. They're not real monsters, like we are." Another boy boasted.

"Well, should we get started?" Gin said simply. Rason looked to Dark and shook his head.

"No, hold on. Dark's still eating." He said casually.

A bully walked up behind the demon and grabbed his shoulder, the shadow demon looking ahead to see Mizore smiling playfully at him.

"Hey dumbass, pay attention to me when I'm talking to you." The bully barked out. Dark's eyes narrowed as he glanced behind him.

"Ok, now we can start." Rason said looking back to the bullies.

As loud crashes, pleas for mercy, and roars of monsters echoed out along with the laughter of five girls, over at another table a group of students stood up. Ran, Rin, and Ren looked over to see the other boys fighting the unlucky bastards that were foolish enough to challenge them in front of their girlfriends. Tsukune sent a powerful punch effortlessly to one, the bully being sent flying back and crashing through another table. Rason grabbed another bully's punch and swung the boy over and onto the ground with a loud crash. Dark grabbed another boy's hand, snapped the arm back, then sent the screaming kid flying back with a punch to the jaw. Ahakon merely fired out a blast of fire and sent a boy flying back trailing smoke while Gin sent a few punches to another boy's face, the bully staggering back before dropping to the ground.

"Wow, they are strong." Rin said with a smile.

"Very, just like what we saw before." Ran said.

"Never doubted that from the start." Ren said simply. She then glanced to the five girls that were watching their boyfriends fight with loving eyes. The sisters looked at the girls for a moment then back to the other boys. After a pause they turned to walk out of the cafeteria along with the four boys that smiled lovingly at them constantly.

* * *

Outside near the academy building three boys were groaning in pain as they held their sides. They were growling with anger from being beaten down by four other boys when they tried to have their way with the new girls. They walked over and sat down on a bench with frustrated expressions.

"Well that didn't work well." One said with a grunt.

"Nobody said anything about those girls having boyfriends already. Seriously, they just got here I thought." Another complained.

"We'll get rested up then take those bastards down for this. They'll regret messing with us." Another said with anger.

"Are those girls even worth the trouble? I mean one of them is as dumb as a brick wall." The first boy said shaking his head.

"They may be stupid but those bodies sure aren't. Besides, no way can we go after the big fish here in the school, they're taken by boys that'll tear us apart for sure." The third boy said with a shudder.

"Not to mention that those bastards that did this to us need to be taught their place, no way am I letting them get away with ganging up on me like that." Another growled.

Before they could sit up they were grabbed from behind, the three boys looking to see four boys behind them. Three of them were holding the injured students from around the neck and were glaring at them while the fourth looked around slowly.

"What the hell? You guys again?" one of the battered students said thrashing around.

"Dammit leave us alone already, what's your problem?" another said as he tried to break free.

"You bastards are going to pay for this, I won't go down easy again!" the third said. The three boys looked ahead and saw Ran, Rin, and Ren looking at them with dull expressions.

"You bitches again, what's this about?" one of the battered students said with anger.

"You're making a big mistake, we'll crush you into the ground for this!" another yelled out. The girls glanced to each other and smiled softly.

"We're not out here to fight you boys." Rin said playfully. The three boys stopped and looked at them cautiously.

"Yeah, we have no desire to fight you at all." Ran said shaking her head.

"What? Then what the hell do you want from us?" a boy yelled out as he thrashed about in the other student's grip.

"You expect us to beg or grovel? You can forget it!" another boy yelled out.

"Do you have any idea who we are? Do you?" the third said with anger. Ren shook her head with an amused smirk.

"Nothing but more pawns for the board." She said simply. The girls smiled softly and looked at the three students before them, the girls walking towards them with sly smiles.

High in the sky the clouds were rolling by gently in the sky, the sunlight shining through certain parts down onto the ground below. The girls' shadows extended out onto the grass behind them, the grass swaying gently in the wind. Everything fell silent outside as the rest of the school was still in the building going about their daily routines. As the clouds rolled by the light started to fade away as the area was known to be cloudy nearly all the time. Before the light faded again the girls shadows were outlined perfectly, all three revealing feathered wings that extended out.

* * *

Near the front entrance Razico walked out of the academy and towards the side of the building. The warlock started walking towards a side path towards where his bike was hidden in the forest, the man having a calm expression as his cape flowed behind him. He took a few more steps then stopped, the warlock then glancing behind him to see Ruby standing near the front entrance looking at him with wonder. He smirked as she slowly walked over to him.

"Razico, I…" Ruby said softly. The man turned to face her as she looked down timidly. After a moment she glanced up to him.

"I won't be gone long Ruby, I promise." Razico said gently. The witch looked at him with wonder as she slid her arms around his neck, the woman holding him closely with a deep gaze.

"I can't believe…you would choose me over everything else the headmaster could offer." she said softly. He chuckled and held the witch closely, the woman looking at him with a blush.

"The only treasure I ever wanted here is you Ruby, and I intend to claim it no matter what." he said before he pulled her into a kiss. The witch closed her eyes and let the man hold her close, the woman simply amazed that her knight in shining armor was a true treasure hunter after all. After the kiss broke she looked at him with a soft smile.

"You don't have to do all this on my account…I would have followed you anywhere if you only asked." she said softly.

"Perhaps, but this way the headmaster will erase all doubt that you would still be in his debt. Besides, a true treasure needs proper motivation to hunt down, and what better motivation than knowing you'll be the reward?" he said with a calm smile. Ruby blushed brightly then looked down bashfully.

_Ok…he's just like you dreamed he would be…suave, daring, and so hot. C'mon Ruby, say something. Say anything! This is your moment, make it count!_

"I'll be here waiting for my punishment master." Ruby said bashfully. She blinked then looked to see Razico smiling awkwardly at her.

"What?" he asked curiously. She jumped a bit and looked at him with a nervous smile.

"I mean…I'll be waiting for you Razico." she said quickly with a forced smile. She looked away with embarrassment.

_Great, way to make the moment complete Ruby._

Razico looked at the witch with a curious smile then shook his head with a chuckle.

"Take care Ruby, I'll be back soon." he said before he kissed her on the forehead. She looked to him with a dreamy sigh as he walked off towards the woods. The witch wavered a bit then held her cheek as she blushed a bit.

"Razico…my treasure hunter." she said with loving eyes. She giggled a bit to herself and looked up at the cloudy sky. The wind was gently blowing through the nearby trees as she stared up at the sky, the witch feeling her heart beating faster for the boyfriend she finally had.

"I'll be here Razico, hurry back to me." Ruby said as she turned to walk back into the academy. As she did she didn't notice Ran, Rin, and Ren walking down a side pathway towards the front entrance as well. They were walking with a calm stride and soft smiles on their faces. Their hair was flowing gently in the wind as they glanced to each other with a sly smirk briefly.

And they were followed by seven boys that smiled at them with loving eyes.


	5. Monsters In The Water

The group was walking down the hallway towards their next class. Boys around the area were watching with awe and envy as the girls of the group were walking with their boyfriends; the guys that most, at least those with common sense, were known to be some of the strongest fighters on campus.

Yukari was holding onto her boyfriend's hand, the girl smiling softly as she walked with her magical partner. She knew some boys were still watching her as the girl had a reputation of not only being the smartest in school but was rather cute as well. However she paid the stalkers of the witchling no mind as she finally had a boyfriend of her own now, the girl set on keeping him all to herself. She managed to win him over from both Apoch and Astreal before, and wasn't about to let anything come between her and the boy, including the new girls that arrived today. Ahakon had a calm smile on his face as the mage was enjoying the peaceful, or as close as it came for him here at this school for monsters, time they had finally received after all the world endangering events were over with. As the boy walked holding his girlfriend's hand he didn't notice the young witch glancing to him with a worried expression briefly.

Ahead of them Kurumu was holding onto her Destined One's arm, the succubus letting the sensation of the bond that flowed between them calm her mind. The girl was thrilled that the battles for the world were over and everything, and was even more ecstatic about Luna being gone for a while so Rason would be all hers, and was even more excited about all the additional lustful things she thought of to write down for her and her boyfriend to try later. However she was worried about the thought of Rason being captivated by the new girls' singing. Their voices were simply amazing to the succubus, and she couldn't help but worry if her voice compared to theirs in her boyfriend's mind. Next to her Rason was walking with a warm smile as always as he had his girlfriend holding onto him. Ever since he arrived at the school he only had eyes for her, and loved each and every day of having her all to himself as his girlfriend. The bond they had was getting stronger with each passing day, the boy now able to feel his lover's exact movements at close range along with her physical condition. Which meant that he could tell that she was 'excited', as her kind usually are, as she walked with him down the hall.

Next to them Mizore was holding onto her shadow demon's arm, the snow girl having a blank expression as she always did. However, even though her eyes and movements seemed normal for her, the girl was indeed deep in thought about her boyfriend and the new girls that arrived. Not only was one of them so inclined to music that she too wore headphones everywhere she went, although partially out of necessity, it was apparent that all three were incredible singers as well. The snow girl was worried that the musical allure of the girls would be attractive to her demon, and didn't like the fact that one of the girls seemed very friendly with him as well. Next to her Dark was walking with a normal expressionless face as he listened to his music, the demon usually as silent as his girlfriend wherever he went. The boy was only really thinking about what he usually did during these times of peace. Music, motorcycles, killing, screams and howls from the dark spirits within himself, and his lovely snow maiden Mizore. Of course, as usual, the snow girl was at the forefront of the shadow demon's mind, the boy having claimed her to be his wife with the intention of ripping out the spines of those that tried to interfere with that.

Ahead of them Moka was holding onto her mate's arm, the girl having a loving smile on her face as she walked with her boyfriend that she dreamed of having for the longest time. She knew very well that other boys all around the school used to, and still did, desire her to be theirs, but they never really had a chance as the vampire only had eyes for the boy that stole her heart. Even though his blood was now pure vampire and no longer appealing for her to drink, the girl felt her love for him only increase more day by day. Even her inner self was grateful that they had finally been chosen to be his mate, the proud and noble vampire having shown her softer side on more than one occasion when it came to her love for the boy that was so kind and caring to her and everybody. The two sides of the vampire were in love with the boy, and fully convinced that nothing could ever tear him away from them. Moka didn't even feel the slightest bit threatened by the new girls' arrival, the vampire knowing that her mate only had eyes for her.

Tsukune's eyes however were glancing around quickly, the boy having a few things distracting him at the moment.

_What…what is this?_

He normally would be thinking about how lucky he was to have Moka all to himself, the girl having been the one thing he desired for so long since coming here.

_Why am I seeing this?_

He would be thinking about how much they've changed in their trials, himself included since he was now a full blooded vampire like his girlfriend.

_Why…why is this happening to me?_

However at the moment something else was poking at his mind, and by poking I mean pretty much driving a nail into it. He glanced to the side to see Moka walking with him, the girl looking ahead with a loving smile, her arms wrapped around his arm tightly, the way her breasts bounced gently as she moved (of course he noticed that about her since he came here, what guy didn't?), the way her hair flowed behind her, and the way her blood was illuminated to him. He saw the outline of her veins, the pulse of her heartbeat, and the red blood within flowing throughout her body. He blinked and the girl seemed normal again as he felt his throat dry up. He slowly glanced behind him to see Rason saying something to Dark, the demon likely not hearing as he was still looking forward with a blank gaze. Kurumu was giggling as Mizore was rolling her eyes, the two girls still walking with their boyfriends as their blood illuminated again. Even Dark and Rason's blood was seen clear as day to the boy, their heartbeats almost being felt as their veins seemed to glow. Tsukune looked ahead and shook his head a bit, the boy glancing back to Moka as he felt his heart rate pick up slightly.

_Why am…I seeing this?_

He felt his body heat up a bit before returning to normal, the boy feeling a hot flash briefly. He wiped his forehead and felt his throat dry up more, the boy feeling increasingly thirsty. Moka glanced to him and looked at him curiously.

"You ok Tsukune?" she asked. The boy blinked and smiled at her.

"Yeah, just fine." he said with a nod. He wasn't sure why he was seeing these images, but didn't want to alarm his friends. Moka smiled and held onto his arm tightly, the girl then looking ahead to see Kokoa standing before the gymnasium door. The group walked up to her as she was reading something on the door with discontent.

"What is this? Some sort of joke? Dammit that's not fair." she hissed.

"Kokoa? What's wrong?" Moka asked curiously. Kokoa snatched the paper off of the door and held up to her sister.

"This is what's wrong." she said with a growl. Tsukune looked at it curiously.

"Hm. Class today will be held at the swimming pool as the gym is being remodeled. Once again girls and boys are mixed for today's lessons." he read out loud.

"We're swimming for gym class today? That sounds kinda fun actually." Rason said with a smile.

"Yahoo! I have just the swimsuit to wear too." Kurumu cheered.

"I wouldn't mind going for a dip actually." Ahakon said with a smile, the boy feeling quite at home around his natural element. Tsukune blinked and glanced to Moka, the girl looking with worried eyes.

"What? Swimming?" Moka said nervously.

"Hey yeah, Moka and Kokoa are vampires. They can't go in water." Yukari said curiously.

"Read the bottom part." Kokoa said with a scowl. Moka and Tsukune looked down at the paper.

"Those with afflictions or complications with water are permitted to stay by the pool without engaging in today's lessons." Tsukune said.

"They're excused from having to swim, nothing wrong with that. Not like they're being forced to go in the water." Rason said with a shrug. Kokoa growled and looked down with a blush.

"But that means I have to sit and watch as Gin is in the water with all those other girls." she said with frustration.

"Gin? He's not in our class." Yukari said puzzled.

"Well…he is today." Kokoa said glancing away.

"He is? How come?" Ahakon asked. Kokoa glanced around then away again.

"Um…" she said nervously. She looked to her sister and smiled weakly.

"I sorta…asked him to join the class for me." she said softly.

"You asked him to join our gym class?" Moka asked. Kokoa nodded and looked down with a worried expression.

"I thought it would be fun to have that class together. We both get to move around and be outside, get a workout together as well. Plus…" she said looking down with a blush and soft smile. The group looked at her curiously as she giggled softly.

"He looks pretty hot in those shorts." she said with a smirk. Moka rolled her eyes and smiled amusingly at her sister.

"How did he get permission to switch over to our class though? Students can't just switch like that, especially in the middle of the school year." Yukari said curiously. Kokoa smiled and laughed nervously.

"Well…" Kokoa said quietly.

"Not to mention he's a grade higher than us even, why did he get bumped _down_ to our grade level gym class?" Mizore asked curiously. Kokoa smiled nervously and glanced to her sister.

"He didn't exactly get…permission." she said softly. The group looked at her curiously.

"Um…what do you mean?" Kurumu asked. Kokoa sighed and looked down.

"His normal class he's in now he typically skips anyway. So…I talked him into joining us." she said.

"What? Kokoa he can't do that. Ms. Nekonome wouldn't allow another student to just join the class without being transferred properly, it's against school rules." Moka said. Kokoa twitched then looked to Dark, the demon just looking at her with no expression. Everybody looked to him as he rolled his eyes.

"I…kinda had Dark help with that." Kokoa said with a slight cringe of fear. Dark sighed then nodded. The boy looked to see everybody eyeing him curiously.

"Dude? You helped her with this wild scheme?" Rason asked. Mizore looked at her boyfriend curiously as he glanced to her.

"Why would he do that though?" Ahakon asked. Mizore took her lollipop out and tilted her head at her boyfriend.

"Dark?" she asked.

"Kokoa, what part of 'keep it a secret' do you not understand?" Dark said simply looking to the vampire. Mizore looked at him puzzled then to Kokoa.

"Secret? What secret?" Yukari asked curiously.

"What's going on Kokoa?" Moka asked. The redhead looked around then downward.

"I said if he could…persuade Ms. Nekonome to allow Gin to join us I would help him with…something." the vampire said nervously.

"Something? What something?" Mizore asked glancing to Dark.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for her Kokoa." Dark said flatly looking at Kokoa, the girl jumping with fear.

"I'm sorry Dark…I can still help you with it if you want though…" Kokoa said softly.

"Help with what? What surprise?" Mizore asked curiously. She looked to Dark as the boy removed his earbuds. Rason blinked and jumped a bit.

"Oh, so that's how you were going to do that…ah…" he said looking to Kokoa.

"You know what she's talking about?" Kurumu asked looking to her boyfriend. The angel looked to her nervously then to Dark.

"Well, yeah…but he made it rather clear, at least to _me_, not to tell." he said with a weak smile.

"Dark what are they talking about?" Mizore asked. Dark narrowed his eyes at Kokoa a bit, the girl looking away nervously. After a moment the boy looked to his girlfriend.

"There's something I wanted to give you, however I needed her assistance with making it." he said simply. Mizore looked at him puzzled then over to Kokoa.

"Her assistance? What is it?" she asked. Dark glanced to Kokoa who smiled nervously.

"I'll show you tonight, after she helps keep her end of the bargain." he said simply. Kokoa nodded eagerly and smiled at Mizore.

"You'll love it. You really will." she said gently. Mizore smiled softly and looked to Dark, the girl curious what her demon had in mind for her.

"What is he going to make that he needs Kokoa for?" Kurumu asked curiously.

"You'll see my dear." Rason said simply. Dark put in his earbuds and glanced to his girlfriend with a soft smile.

"Tonight my little snow bunny." he said gently. The girl nodded eagerly and looked down with a blush as she put back in her lollipop. She couldn't wait to see what her demon had planned for her, the girl's worries about Rin melting away now.

"Well that's nice of you…I think. But still, you can't ask Gin to skip his class like that just to join you." Moka said to her sister.

"Hey, he usually skips it anyway, why not have him join us? Of course I didn't know we would be going to the damned swimming pool today. Now he's going to be in the pool with all those girls and I can't get near him." Kokoa said with frustration.

"We'll be there together Kokoa, it won't be so bad. Besides I don't think Gin would let any other girl near him now. He's made it pretty clear he loves you." Moka said with a soft smile. Kokoa nodded and sighed, the girl then glancing away.

"Yeah…I know." she said softly. Tsukune blinked and looked to Dark.

"Say, how _did_ you persuade Ms. Nekonome to allow Gin to join our class anyway?" he asked. Everybody looked to him as Kokoa giggled. After a pause Rason smiled slyly.

"You scared her again didn't you?" he said with a laugh. Mizore looked at her boyfriend then smiled amusingly.

"Dark…you didn't." she said with smirk. The boy glanced away and shrugged.

"Just a quick conversation really." he said.

_Ms. Nekonome was sitting in the teachers' lounge reading a magazine, the woman alone in the room as she had a free moment before she had to attend her next class. She meowed softly as she took a bite of her fried fish treat, the woman casually looking through the pages of her issue of 'Fresh Fish Weekly'. She purred a bit at the sight of the pictures then glanced over to see Dark standing in the room. She jumped a bit and looked at the boy with earbuds with surprise._

_"Mr. Kuyumaya? What…what are you doing here?" she asked nervously with the treat in her mouth. The boy merely raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. She blinked then glanced to the treat in her mouth._

_"Oh…right." she said as she quickly swallowed the food._

_"Mr. Kuyumaya, what are you doing here?" she asked again as she regained herself._

_"I need you to allow Gin Morioka to join today's gym class with us." the boy said simply. The woman blinked and looked at him confused._

_"Mr. Morioka? I'm sorry but I can't just transfer a student over to the class like that. Besides he's a grade higher, he doesn't need to take that class again." she said shaking her head._

_"It's a request for his girlfriend, she wants him to join her today." Dark said again with no change in his expression._

_"I'm sorry Dark, but I can't do that. Students just can't switch classes like that." The teacher said shaking her head. Dark looked at her for a moment then walked towards her. The room started to darken as the woman trembled a bit, the dark and cold aura of the boy sending chills down her spine._

_"I'm not going to ask you again. Frankly I personally don't care if he is in the class or not, however I need something out of this as well. Allow him to join her today." he said with a slightly colder voice. The teacher trembled as she leaned back in her chair._

_"But…I…I can't do that…" she said softly. The boy walked up and leaned closer, his hands holding onto the chair as the teacher trembled a bit. He glared at her with pitch black eyes as the room darkened to a black shadow. The teacher shook a bit and quivered as his aura made her fur stand up in fright._

_"Mr…Kuyumaya." she breathed out._

_"Well?" the boy said cold tone. After a long pause she nodded quickly._

_"Ok…I'll allow him to join the class…just for today though, ok?" she said. The boy leaned back as the dark shadow receded. He nodded as the cat demon stared at him._

_"Thank you Ms. Nekonome." he said simply as his eyes returned to normal._

_"Shizuka." she said softly. He looked at her with no change in expression._

_"You can call me Shizuka." she said looking down timidly. Dark blinked then glanced away._

_"See you later Ms. Nekonome." he said as he turned around and walked out. The woman watched him leave then looked down with a deep sigh._

_"Oh my…he's your student, he's your student, he's your student." the cat demon said repeatedly as she shook her head, the woman fighting the thoughts trying to pry into her mind. She meowed out and looked up with defeat._

_"Why are you torturing me like this? What did I ever do?" she said shaking her head._

The group was looking at Dark with amused smiles, everybody thinking about how the demon likely scared the teacher once again for Kokoa's request.

"A quick conversation huh?" Tsukune said with a smirk. Moka giggled then looked to Kokoa.

"Well c'mon Kokoa, let's go get changed." she said as she winked at the girl.

"Changed? But we're not swimming with them." Kokoa said confused. Moka smiled and glanced to Tsukune.

"Doesn't mean we can't slip into something more appealing for our mates." she said with a purr. Tsukune blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head as Kokoa giggled a bit.

"I suppose you're right." she said with a nod. Moka nodded and looked to her boyfriend.

"I'll see you at the pool boyfriend." she said before pulling him into a kiss. The boy held her close as she enjoyed the feel of his lips.

Kurumu giggled then looked to Rason with a coy smile.

"I can't wait my angel. This is going to be…wait. Can you swim with your wings?" she asked looking at him curiously. He chuckled and smirked at her.

"I think I'll manage ok." he said as he pulled her closer for a kiss. The girl sighed happily as he held her, the bond shooting through her like lightning from the embrace. All her worries from before vanished as the angel held her close to him.

Mizore smiled at her boyfriend and tilted her head, the girl looking at her boyfriend timidly. He smiled softly at her, then in one smooth motion he gently took the candy out of her mouth and pulled her into a kiss. The girl closed her eyes as she let the demon hold her close, the two not needing words to convey their love for one another.

While the three couples kissed Ahakon glanced to his girlfriend, the girl licking her lips and looking at him with a loving eye. He blinked and smiled nervously, the boy knowing what she was thinking of doing.

"Um…Yuk-" he started before she tackled him to the ground, the girl once again kissing him wildly as he flailed about. Kokoa looked around at the couples then shrugged.

"I guess I'll go get changed into something my wolf would love, no way are any other girls catching his attention out there today." she said with a determined smile.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me." Kurumu said with annoyance.

The girls arrived at the pool all set for their class. Kurumu was wearing her black bikini with her hair still up in her trademark ponytail, the girl's hands at her hips as her eyebrow twitched.

"Not what I wanted to deal with now." Mizore said softly while shaking her head. She was wearing her purple and white striped swimming bra and purple swimming shorts while her lollipop rolled around in her mouth with discontent.

As they arrived they looked around to see a lot of students had gathered for their class at the large outdoor pool for the academy. Boys and girls were splashing around in the pool while others were sitting on the edge talking casually.

"They're here too?" Yukari said worriedly. The young witch was wearing her yellow one-piece swimming suit that was white down the middle with frills at her hips, the girl shaking her head as she was still wearing her witches hat.

Among the usual students in their class at this time they saw three familiar faces as well, three other girls that were standing near the pool looking around casually.

"What's wrong with them being here?" Moka asked as she sat in a chair off to the side, the vampire wearing her white one-piece bathing suit as her rosary glittered over her chest. She sat under a sun umbrella at a table with her sister, the younger vampire wearing a white bikini that had red dots on the two pieces as well as a small amount of frills on the lower piece. The redhead sat next to her sister as the two vampires were excused from going into the water for obvious reasons.

Ran, Rin, and Ren were also in their class, the three new girls wearing bikini's that matched their hair color, with Ran's being blue for the top piece and blue shifting down to green for the lower one. Rin's was a golden top with yellow shifting to orange for the bottom while Ren's was pink at the top and pink shifting to a dull yellow for the bottom piece. Ran wore her glasses still as Rin was wearing her headphones while her player was clipped to her hip and Ren had her unique hat on still.

"Yeah, I thought you liked them or something." Kokoa said simply. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari glanced back to the two vampires then over to the other girls that were getting a lot of looks from boys in the class. Of course the boys were also looking at Moka, Kokoa, Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari as well, since they were still known to be the most desirable of all the girls in the school, much to the annoyance of several girls in the class. However a few boys weren't paying attention to the three new girls as they arrived at the pool, the boys more interested in their girlfriends than anything.

"Moka!" Tsukune called out, the boy wearing blue swimming trunks while he had his rosary still attached to his wrist. He walked over and smiled at his girlfriend, the boy looking with a warm smile as she leaned back in her chair with a coy smile. She perked her breasts up a bit and winked at the boy.

"Hey lover." she said with a purr. She knew he only had eyes for her, and enjoyed feeding his eyes with her body that he loved. The boy looked at her with wonder and nodded slowly.

"You look great Moka." he said with loving eyes. She giggled and blushed a bit. He admired her beauty as she smiled at him with a seductive expression, then saw her blood illuminate briefly. He jumped a bit and rubbed his eyes, then looked again to see her back to normal and looking at him curiously.

"Tsukune?" she asked. He smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's just…you really look amazing Moka." he said with a loving gaze. She smiled softly at the comment.

"So do you." she said eyeing the boy over. There was no mistaking it, he had definitely gotten a bit more muscle with his trials in the past.

"Oh Moka…" he said gently.

"Oh Tsukune…" she said with a timid smile.

"Oh Moka…" he said with loving eyes.

"Oh Tsukune…" she said eyeing her mate.

"RASON!" Kurumu cheered as she hugged her boyfriend closely with a blissful smile. The angel was wearing white shorts, a white shirt as he had to keep his wings hidden while in public as was the school's lesson plan still, and was flailing about as his face was lodged in his girlfriend's bosom yet again.

"Oh my god! You look so dreamy Rason, I mean damn you're so hot! Seriously, you're just teasing me dressing like that in front of me! You're doing this on purpose aren't you? You just love getting my motor running don't you angel boy? Well mission accomplished, my engine's all fired up for you babe!" she cheered out as the boy lost consciousness and fell limp in her grasp. She blinked then looked down, the girl then jumping a bit before shaking the angel with worry.

"Rason? Rason! I'm so sorry, Rason!" she cried out.

"Poor angel." Yukari said shaking her head. She looked over to see Ahakon walking towards the group, the boy dressed in green swim shorts and looking at the water with a smile. He had a pair of large goggles on his head as he showed excitement for having a swimming day. He looked over to see a bright smile racing towards him from the excited witch, the boy then being tackled to the ground by his overzealous girlfriend.

"Poor mage." Kokoa snickered as Ahakon was once again mauled by his loving girlfriend. The vampire blinked then looked over to see Gin walking toward the group, the older student still wearing his wolf necklace as his black hair flowed freely. He was wearing dark green swimming shorts as he spotted Kokoa. The boy whistled and winked at the girl with smile, the vampire blushing brightly as he walked up to their table.

"Hey, thanks for talking me into joining you today, definitely worth it." he said eyeing his bikini clad girlfriend. Kokoa looked at her boyfriend with wonder and a blush as Moka smiled amusingly, the pink haired vampire then glancing to Gin.

_He really has taken her heart._

**_Yes, I hate to admit it, but the lecherous wolf has indeed become a suitable mate for our sister. Who you should probably remind to have _****some****_ vampire pride right now as she looks like she's about to drool all over herself._**

Moka looked down with an arrogant smile while closing her eyes.

"Kokoa, try to control yourself. Remember, vampire pride, right? …Kokoa?" she said simply. She blinked then looked over, the girl then sighing with a weak smile. Kokoa had lunged up and wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, her legs around his waist, and had her lips locked onto his. Everybody watched with blank expressions as the redhead passionately kissed her mate, the girl having gone into a love filled tangent from seeing her mate. After a few lustful kisses the girl leaned back and smiled at the boy with a coy expression.

"You look so great boyfriend, thank you for coming out here today." she said with a purr. Gin blinked and smiled at his girl.

"Yeah, sure thing babe. But, swimming? I thought vampires couldn't swim." he said looking to the water. Kokoa twitched a bit then slumped down in his arms.

"Yeah…I didn't know today we would be swimming. Sorry." she said softly.

"Sorry? I got to see you in a hot bikini, why on earth would you say sorry?" the boy said with an amused smile. The girl looked to him with loving eyes as she held on tightly.

"Gin…" she said softly.

"Kokoa…" he said gently.

"Gin…"

"Kokoa…"

"And now it's official." Tsukune said with a chuckle. Moka giggled a bit and nodded. After two more loops Kokoa quickly latched onto his neck, the boy jumping a bit in surprise then holding her closely.

"Again Kokoa?" Moka asked tiredly.

"It's ok guys, I don't mind." Gin said with a smile. Moka looked at her sister then to the girl's boyfriend. She was still amazed how much he changed, and all for her. After the redhead had her fill she hopped off and smiled at the boy.

"Thank you Gin, very delicious as always." she said licking her fingers in a seductive way. The boy chuckled while rubbing the back of his head and nodded.

Mizore was watching with loving eyes as her boyfriend walked closer, the boy having black swim shorts on while his mp3 player was clipped to his waist. He was still listening to music while he smiled a bit at his snow maiden. The girl ran over and hugged him tightly then looked up with loving eyes at him.

"You look great beloved." she said softly. She blinked then glanced to the lollipop in her mouth. Slowly she looked back up to see him tilting his head at her. She smiled softly and shrugged, the girl not knowing what he heard from her, but willing to accept anything he may have guessed.

As Rason regained consciousness in Kurumu's arms, Ahakon scrambled to his feet with his loving witch holding onto his waist tightly with a giggle, and as Dark pulled his girl into another kiss while holding her candy (the snow maiden once again melting in his arms with a blush) Tsukune walked over to the pool side and stretched out his arms a bit. The boy looked at the water with a calm smile as Moka watched him with loving eyes.

"It's still amazing that he isn't harmed by water. He's got to be the only vampire in history with that ability." Kokoa said sitting next to Moka, the pink haired vampire nodding in agreement.

"I know. I was surprised too. It's incredible, he has all the strength and power of a vampire, but none of the weaknesses." Moka said with awe. Tsukune was indeed able to go into water and not be harmed, the boy having taken a bath with the other boys upon returning from Alucard's destruction. He had grown so used to bathing normally he forgot completely that he was a vampire, and hopped right into the bath with his friends who stared with surprise thinking their friend was about to kill himself. To their amazement Tsukune wasn't harmed by the purifying effects of the water at all, possibly because he was born a human.

"That's my mate." Moka said with dreamy eyes.

"Ok class, let's get ready with today's exercises." Ms. Nekonome said as she walked up towards the pool. The teacher was wearing a white bikini and had slim sunglasses on as she walked up towards the class. She glanced to Dark through her shades, the cat demon trying to fight off her blush and keep her mind focused as the shadow demon was looking at the water while his snow girl was holding onto his arm. She shook her head a bit then smiled at the class, then looked to the three new girls.

"Um, excuse me but you're going to have to take those off while swimming." she called out. The girls looked to her curiously.

"But I can't see without my glasses." Ran said.

"I need my headphones to remember how to swim though." Rin said looking down.

"I like this hat, I'll be fine wearing it in the water." Ren said simply. The teacher shook her head and looked at them with her hands at her hips.

"Now now, you can't wear those in the pool. Come now girls." she said shaking her head. The three sisters looked to each other then back to the teacher.

"But I need these to see, how can I swim if I can't see where I'm going?" Ran asked puzzled.

"What about him? He's wearing his music player." Rin said pointing to Dark.

"And what about her? She's wearing her hat." Ren said looking at Yukari with a raised eyebrow. The witch glanced up to her hat then back to the girl.

"Well I was going to take it off actually." Yukari said slowly removing the hat. Ren just looked at her with a dull stare still.

"Still going to wear mine." she said flatly.

"Besides, nobody's going to tell _him_ to take his headphones off." Rason said glancing to his silent friend that was still looking around at the water. Mizore however was glancing over to Rin curiously. The blonde haired girl looked at Dark curiously then down with worry.

"But I still need my glasses to see. Should I just sit out for the class?" Ran asked. Ahakon smirked and walked over to her.

"Here, use these. I can see just fine without them anyway." he said as he handed her his goggles. The girl looked at him with wonder then at the offer. Yukari looked at her boyfriend curiously as Ran slowly took them.

"Thank you…are you sure that's ok?" she asked softly.

"No problem, just give them back when you're done. Nobody should have to sit out of swimming if they don't have to." Ahakon said with a smile. The girl nodded and put the goggles on, her glasses fitting inside perfectly as she adjusted the device. She smiled and looked at the young mage.

"Thank you." she said with a nod. The boy nodded and walked over towards the edge of the pool while Yukari gave the new girl a dull glare.

"My headphones are waterproof, really." Rin reasoned. Ms. Nekonome glanced to Dark who at this point was looking over to Rin. After a moment he glanced to the teacher.

"She needs those to think properly. It would be your duty as her teacher to allow her to wear them." he said simply. Ms. Nekonome nodded a bit then looked to the girl.

"Well…I suppose that's true. Alright then." she said softly. Rin nodded with a bright smile then looked to Dark.

"Thank you!" she said with a wave. Dark merely nodded a bit then looked back to the water. Mizore narrowed her eyes a bit and held on tightly to Dark's arm.

"However you still need to take your hat off for the class." the teacher said looking back to Ren. She scoffed and looked down.

"I like wearing it though." she said stubbornly.

"It's just for when you're in the water. Nothing wrong with that." Rason said with a kind smile. The girl glanced to him and raised an eyebrow.

"I can swim fine with it on. Mind your own business." the girl said simply.

"You know you don't have to be so negative all the time. I'm just trying to be nice to you, and I'm not expecting anything in return either." Rason said gently. Ren looked at him carefully.

"I'm not negative, it just so happens that the way life works is usually a letdown anyway. Just how it always is really." she said simply.

"It doesn't have to be, not if you have a brighter outlook on life." the angel said with a shrug. The girl looked at him then away.

"What would you know?" she asked simply. The boy looked at her curiously.

"Well I am an angel, so I have a pretty good idea on how to look at the brighter side of life." Rason said with a laugh. Ren glanced to him curiously as he looked to her hat.

"I bet you could still have fun in the water without wearing that hat, even if it does look good on you." he said simply. The girl blinked and glanced up to the hat, then back to the angel. She glanced to her two sisters then down again. After a pause she slowly reached up and took the hat off. She then walked over towards Moka and Kokoa and set the hat on the table.

"Please don't touch it." she said simply. The vampire sisters smiled a bit and nodded. The girl then walked back towards the pool and glanced to the angel.

"Happy?" she asked flatly.

"Depends, are you?" he asked. The girl looked at him curiously as Kurumu eyed the girl.

"Ok then, let's get ready for today's exercise. We'll start with simple laps with partners." the teacher called out. Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari glanced to each other then smiled nervously.

"Let me guess…" Kurumu said softly.

"Yeah, it's silly." Mizore said looking down.

"Were we actually getting _jealous_ of those girls? What's wrong with us?" Yukari asked with a forced laugh. The girls laughed a bit then looked to their boyfriends who were talking casually while looking around.

The teacher split the class up for the exercise, with several boys on one side of the pool and several girls on the other. The task was simple; swim to the other side, the partner takes off towards the other side, swims back and sends their partner back to where they started.

Tsukune was partnered with another girl in the class, the girl having long black hair and black eyes and smiling nervously at the boy that was known to be one of the strongest monsters there. Tsukune was learning back on his side of the pool looking up with a calm gaze, the boy relaxing in the water as they waited for the signal to start. Gin was next to him, the boy looking back at his girlfriend while the girl across the pool was smiling at him with dreamy eyes.

"Kokoa? You ok?" Moka asked calmly as she glanced over to her sister, the redhead having a forced smile as she glanced to Gin's partner for the swimming class.

"Why did I have to invite him for today? This is terrible. Now he's going to be swimming with that…girl!" she shouted out through a forced smile. She growled then glanced to Moka who was looking at Tsukune with loving eyes still.

"How can you be so calm? Your boyfriend is going to be swimming with some other girl." she said puzzled. Moka giggled a bit and shook her head.

"I trust my mate completely Kokoa. There isn't a single girl out there that could take him from me, I just know it." she said softly.

"But how can you be so confident about that? I mean look at the way the other girl is looking at him." Kokoa said looking over to Tsukune's partner, the girl watching the boy in the water with a bit of a blush. Moka smirked and shrugged a bit.

"Let her try if she so wants to, she won't get far. My Tsukune would never betray me Kokoa, I trust him with my life." she said softly. She looked to Kokoa with a warm smile.

"You should trust Gin. I know I'd never thought I would say this, but he really is a gentleman Kokoa, and he's shown he only has eyes for you." she said kindly. Kokoa looked to Gin, the boy winking at her in the water. The redhead smiled a bit and waved to him.

"Yeah…I guess you're right. I can't help it though, just the thought of another girl getting near him like this…" she said.

"It'll be ok. We just need to trust in our boys, that's all." Moka said looking back to her mate. Even her inner self was confident no other girl could take their boyfriend away from them. If any other girl ever did try one of two things would happen. Tsukune would be the gentleman that she knew him to be and gently turn the girl down. Or Moka, either side of her, would beat the girl into the ground with a smile on her face.

As the vampire sisters laughed a bit and watched their boys in the water three other girls were in no laughing mood.

"This…is some sort of joke right?" Kurumu said with anger as she, Mizore, and Yukari were standing on the sidelines watching the first round of swimmers get ready. Kurumu looked at her angel then across from him at his partner for the event, Ren. Mizore growled and looked at her boyfriend who was across from his partner, Rin. And Yukari was struggling not to scream out as she looked from her boyfriend over to his partner, Ran.

"This isn't silly anymore." Mizore said with discontent.

"Why aren't we partnered with them? We're their girlfriends, everybody knows this." Yukari said with disbelief.

Rason was in the water looking around with a calm smile on his face, the angel ready to swim on the nice day. Dark was leaning back on the edge as his music still played for him, the boy having no expression as he just looked ahead at his partner. And Ahakon was smiling brightly and looking around, the young mage excited to be in his natural element once again. Kurumu looked at the boys then sighed a bit.

"What's wrong with us? We shouldn't be acting this way." she said shaking her head. Mizore breathed out and nodded.

"You're right, my Dark would never choose another, even if she did have musical talent." she said softly. Yukari sighed and nodded.

"I guess you're right. And it's not like they're going to be touching each other or anything. What's wrong with us?" she said simply. The three girls looked to each other then back to their boyfriends, all feeling a bit ashamed they even thought about their loves choosing any others.

"Ok, let's get to it, get ready!" the teacher called out. Tsukune and Gin got ready to swim out with determined smiles, the boys knowing their girls were watching them. Rason got ready as Ren merely looked at him with a bit of wonder. Dark made no movement as Rin watched him with a bright smile. And Ahakon got ready to swim out as Ran watched him with a small blush.

"Bet you Tsukune wins." Moka said arrogantly glancing to Kokoa. The younger sister chuckled and smirked at her.

"Ha, werewolves are all about speed big sister. Gin's got this in the bag." she said confidently. The two girls chuckled a bit with cocky smiles then looked back to their mates.

"Get ready! Get set! Go!" the teacher called out. The boys on the side of the pool darted out and started swimming across the pool as the girls on the other side watched with anticipation. Tsukune and Gin shot through the water, both swimming remarkably fast and moving alongside each other. Rason was swimming at high speed behind them, the boy's shirt soaked as his wings were somewhat seen through the wet fabric. Next to him Dark was swimming quickly, the demon slowly passing the angel as he continued to listen to his music.

And Ahakon raced ahead of all of them, the boy seeming to shoot through the water at high speed with no effort.

"Whoa look at him go!" Kurumu said with wide eyes. Moka and Kokoa watched the young mage race through the water with amazement.

"How is he doing that?" Mizore asked. Yukari giggled smiled proudly at her boyfriend.

"His magical affinity is that of water remember? He's using magic to help propel him at high speed." she said confidently. The girls looked to her then out at the mage who, with his control of water, was being carried across the pool by a wave under the water. He hardly had to use any real muscle as his magical current of water carried him across the pool with ease. On the other side of the pool the girls got ready as the boys neared their side, with Ahakon in the lead, Tsukune and Gin following closely after, Dark and Rason after them, and the other boys in the class that were swimming as well.

"Haha this is great!" Ahakon cheered out as he swam through the water at high speed, the boy loving being in the water the most.

The girls got ready as the boys got closer, all of them ready to shoot out as well. Ahakon raced up and grabbed hold of the side as Ran dove out into the water, the girl swimming as fast as she could. The mage breathed out and looked back as other girls were looking at him with wonder.

"Wow you're really good at swimming." Rin said with a bright smile.

"Thanks, just a little talent of mine." Ahakon said with a laugh. Ren and Rin glanced to each other with quick smiles then looked back to the mage. Tsukune raced over alongside Gin, the two boys grabbing the side as their partners took off as well. Right behind them Dark and Rason reached the edge, with Ren and Rin taking off after their sister.

"Wow, how did you swim like that?" Rason said looking at the mage. The boy chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well…you know…just swimming." he said with a smile.

"Just swimming huh? If I didn't know any better you used a bit of magic to help you along." Tsukune said with a sly smile. The mage jumped a bit and laughed nervously as the boys smirked at him.

"Well…maybe a bit." he said weakly.

"I had a hunch as well. Still, I bet your girl is impressed." Gin said with a shrug. Ahakon chuckled and looked to Yukari, the witch smiling at him with loving eyes. The boys all looked to see their girls looking at them with smiles and waving to them.

"They really are incredible." Moka said with a smile.

"Yeah…we're the lucky ones here to have them." Kokoa said with a nod. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari waved at their boyfriends then looked to see the girls approaching the side of the pool near them. They watched as Ran, Rin, and Ren reached the wall and turned around. In doing so they all saw the three sisters glance to them with sly smirks briefly, then take off back towards the boys.

"What…did you see that?" Kurumu asked.

"What was that about?" Mizore asked cautiously. Yukari watched Ran swim back towards her boyfriend with a close eye.

The boys got ready as the girls raced towards them as fast as they could.

"Think you can race us without having to use your magic?" Rason said glancing to Ahakon.

"Ha, no way. I wouldn't stand a chance like that." The mage said shaking his head. The boy smirked and got ready. The girls neared them while the others watched carefully. The three new girls reached their partners and grabbed hold of the wall…then were instantly yanked back with a scream. Ahakon, Rason, and Dark grabbed the girls' hands and the wall, the boys holding tightly as the girls seemed to be pulled back towards the water.

"AHHH!" Rin cried out.

"What the hell is this?" Ren shouted out.

"Something's grabbing my leg!" Ran cried out.

"What's going on?" Kurumu said with surprise.

"I don't know." Mizore said curiously. Yukari blinked then jumped a bit.

"Look, it's happening to all the girls." she said looking around. Moka and Kokoa stood up and walked over to see all the boys were holding onto the edge of the pool with one hand while holding the screaming girls with the other.

"What's going on?" Tsukune's partner cried out as the boy held onto her.

"Don't let me go!" Gin's partner yelled out as the boy tried to pull her back.

"Something's pulling on them." Rason grunted as he tried pulling Ren back.

"Something that's got a bit of strength." Dark said as he tried to pull Rin back towards him.

"I've got you, don't worry." Ahakon said as he held onto Ran's hand tightly.

"What's going on here?" Ms. Nekonome called out as the class watched with caution.

Suddenly black tentacles shot out of the water around the pool, some grabbing other girls by the poolside and trying to pull them in. The girls screamed as boys around them grabbed the girls and tried to pull them back. A few shot out towards Kurumu and Mizore, the two jumping back while Yukari dodged to the side.

"Something's in the pool!" Kokoa shouted out.

"Tsukune!" Moka cried out.

Tsukune and Gin pulled back with their partners, the two slowly coming closer as the boys held on tightly. Gin held out his hand with the girl holding onto it towards Tsukune, the other boy then reaching over and letting his partner grab onto it. As Gin held onto the two girls Tsukune dove into the water with a determined expression.

"Hold on, I got you!" Rason said as he pulled Ren closer to him, the boy holding her to his chest with his arm wrapping around her front. Kurumu's eyebrow twitched as she saw Ren's breasts rest against the angel's arm, with the pink haired girl looking up at the angel behind her with wonder.

"C'mon, you're not drowning today." Dark said as he pulled Rin towards him, the boy holding her close as he tried to pull out of the pool with her held against him. Mizore's eyes narrowed as she saw the girl looking up at the demon with a blush while she was held against him.

"You're going to be ok…I won't let you go!" Ahakon said as he tried to pull Ran towards him, the mage focusing his magic to try to help pull the girl away from whatever was grabbing her. The girl watched with wide eyes as the boy held onto the edge of the pool with all his strength.

"What the hell is going on?" Kokoa yelled out. Suddenly the water started to splash around violently as a large surge of vampiric energy radiated from the pool. The group looked to it as the water turned a crimson shade and splashed around wildly.

"Tsukune removed his rosary." Rason said as he held the blushing Ren close to him.

"Looks like he found the problem." Dark said as he held Rin securely.

"If he could hurry up and take care of it, that would be great." Ahakon muttered as he struggled to keep Ran from being pulled back.

"What do you think is doing this?" Kokoa said looking at the water.

"No idea, but my mate is going to show it its place." Moka said assuredly.

The waves rolled around wildly, with the girls in the pool screaming as the boys tried to hold onto them. Those around the pool were struggling to get away as the black tentacles let go of their prey and whipped around in the air above the water.

"Um...everybody...try to remain calm. Meow?" Ms. Nekonome said with surprise.

Suddenly the water blasted up and a giant dark monster flew into the air. The class looked up to see the giant ball of black scales that had dozens of black tentacles around it whipping around. It crashed down onto the ground away from the pool as Tsukune leapt out of the water, over the pool and surrounding fence, then down towards the strange monster. The boy's eyes were black and crimson, his rosary having been removed, and his aura at full strength as he landed down and punched the monster into the ground violently. The water in the pool splashed around wildly as the two were ejected from the water at high speed thanks to the vampire boy's furious underwater punch. Ren collapsed against Rason, the girl gasping as her leg was freed from the underwater predator. Rin clung to Dark tightly as the girl trembled with fear, the girl's leg also freed from the underwater attack. Ran however was propelled by the young mage's magic towards the boy, the girl crashing into him lips first. He smacked against the edge of the pool as the blue haired girl was pushed against him, the girl's eyes wide as was his. Gin let the two girls he helped back to the edge then looked around at the rolling waves.

"Wow…what was that thing?" he said shaking his head. The two girls instantly jumped to him and clung to his arms, the boy nearly being pulled underwater from their embrace.

"Thank you for saving me, that was so brave of you." the girl he was partnered with said with a blush.

"You were amazing, so strong and courageous." the other said with loving eyes. Gin looked back and forth between the two with a surprised smile.

"Um…just…doing what's right." he said nervously.

Ren blinked and looked back at her savior, the angel looking from the air towards her with a gentle smile.

"You ok?" he asked. The girl slowly nodded as she blushed a bit, the girl still being held close to him. She quickly shook her head and looked away.

"Yeah…thanks for…helping." she said softly. The angel chuckled and nodded with an amused smile.

Rin continued to hold onto Dark's chest tightly, the girl trembling with fear as she kept her eyes closed. After a pause she slowly opened them and looked up at Dark.

"You're safe now." he said. The girl looked at him and smiled brightly.

"Wow, thanks! You're the coolest!" she said with bright eyes. Dark smirked briefly then glanced to his side. Gin looked over as well as Rason, the two jumping a bit as Ren and Rin looked over with raised eyebrows. Moka, Kokoa, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari ran over to their side of the pool and looked with wide eyes at the sight of Ran having Ahakon pushed against the wall of the pool and kissing him. His hands were on her arms as her breasts were pushed against his chest. The girl jumped back and looked with wide eyes and a blush while the mage just looked at her with a stunned expression.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I mean I never tried to…" Ran stammered nervously. Ahakon blinked and shakily nodded.

"It's ok…it wasn't your fault. It's ok. Um…are you alright now?" he asked as he regained himself a bit. Ran slowly nodded and looked at the boy with wonder.

"Yeah…thanks for saving me…" she said softly.

"Wow, looks like Tsukune took care of that guy pretty good." Moka said as she looked over past the fence to see her mate standing over the bruised body of another student. Tsukune snapped on his rosary as the bully was back in his human form with multiple injuries from Tsukune's attack, the perverted student having failed to catch his female prey thanks to the vampire boy's immunity to water and incredible strength. Moka giggled and smiled at her boyfriend.

"Not the smartest pervert in school to strike when my mate is near, right Kokoa? …Kokoa?" she said looking back around.

"Get off of my boyfriend!" Kokoa yelled as she grabbed one of the girls in the water and threw her out forcibly. She looked back to the other girl holding onto Gin's arm with fire in her eyes and a hiss. The girl trembled as Gin did the same.

"Kokoa? Calm down, I was only trying to help-" Gin started before Kokoa grabbed the other girl by the hair and threw her out of the pool onto the other girl. The vampire marched up to them with clenched fists as her aura flared around her.

"He's my boyfriend, how dare you crawl all over him like that!" she yelled out. The two girls trembled in fear as Gin scrambled out of the pool to try to stop his girlfriend from murdering two students. He ran over and pulled the girl back as she hissed at the two other girls.

"Ren…get OFF MY ANGEL!" Kurumu yelled out as she saw Ren leaning against Rason. The girl looked at her with discontent then climbed out of the pool.

"I wasn't on him." she said sternly. Kurumu growled and glared at the girl.

"I saw you holding onto him like that, what were you thinking grabbing onto MY boyfriend?" Kurumu shouted.

"She was probably thinking 'I don't want to die' Kurumu, which is why _I_ was holding onto _her_. Calm down." Rason said as he got out of the pool. His world quickly went to black as Kurumu clung to him with her loving hug.

"Oh my Rason, are you ok? She didn't try anything with you did she? I'm so sorry I wasn't your partner, it's a conspiracy to try to keep us apart! Don't worry Rason, your Kurumu is here and she's going to take good care of you!" she cried out as she held the flailing angel in her loving embrace.

"Does 'taking good care of him' involve killing him?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow. Kurumu glared at the girl then slowly glanced down to see Rason was passed out in her chest. She screamed and started shaking the boy with fright, the girl calling out his name as Ren just watched with a dull expression.

Mizore's hair frosted over as she glared at Rin.

"Get off of my husband. Now!" she shouted out at the girl that was clinging to the boy. Rin looked up at her with surprise then to Dark who glanced up at his snow maiden. Mizore growled as the temperature grew a bit colder around the area.

"Husband?" Rin said looking at Dark. She blinked then looked to Mizore with a smirk.

"Odd, I don't see a ring on his finger." she said with a laugh. Mizore formed her ice katana and held it down to face the girl.

"You won't see anything soon." she hissed. Dark casually reached up and pushed the blade away, the snow girl looking down to him with worried eyes.

"I only tried to keep her from drowning Mizore. Calm yourself." he said simply. Mizore blinked and looked at the blonde haired girl as she retracted her sword. Her hair returned to normal as Dark and Rin climbed out of the pool.

"Chill out girl. Haha, get it? Chill out?" Rin said as she started laughing. Mizore narrowed her eyes before Dark held her from behind.

"We were only trying to help them, that's all." he said gently. Mizore looked at him then back to Rin with worried eyes. Rin laughed a bit then looked over to Ran, the same as Ren was doing. The blue haired girl was still in the water as she stared at Ahakon with wonder. The mage looked around nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"So…um…" he said before his eyes rested on Yukari, the girl glaring at Ran with unbelievable fury. The witch held up her wand as it started to glow.

"Yukari! Don't!" Ahakon said as he lunged out and pushed Ran back, the girl watching as the boy shoved her back before a golden washtub clonked him on the head with great force. The boy splashed down into the water as the group looked over to him. Yukari cried out and gripped her hair with wide eyes as she saw her boyfriend knocked underwater from her magic.

"Ahakon!" she screamed.

"Yukari what the hell?" Kurumu said as she looked over while Rason was looking around, the boy starting to come to again. Ran gasped then dove underwater towards the boy, the mage drifting down out cold. Before she could grab him she was pulled back by Yukari the witch kicking at her then diving down towards the mage. Ran blinked then dove down after.

The group watched as the water calmed down and Ran surfaced carrying the unconscious mage. She swam him to the edge of the pool as Yukari surfaced and screamed at her.

"Don't you dare touch my boyfriend! Hey!" she shouted out. Ran carried the boy out and rested him down, the girl kneeling over him and looking at him with worry.

"Hey, wake up! Wake up!" she cried out. Yukari scrambled back to the edge of the pool and raced towards them.

"Don't hurt him! Get away from my boyfriend!" she screamed as she tried to pull the girl away from him.

"Me hurt him? You hit him with your magic, not me!" Ran said as she pushed her away. Yukari trembled and looked at the unconscious mage with teary eyes.

"I…I didn't mean to…" she said shakily.

"Right, you only meant to hit our sister instead." Ren said with narrowed eyes.

"Yukari why did you do that? He was only trying to help her." Moka said shaking her head. Yukari looked around then down at the boy. Ran shook him with worried eyes as she took off the goggles.

"Hey, c'mon wake up! Wake up please!" she pleaded. She looked at him fearfully then gave him mouth to mouth, the girl breathing into him as Yukari stared with shock. She raised her wand up before Moka grabbed it.

"Stop it Yukari, she's trying to save him!" she shouted out. Yukari looked at her with sorrow then back to the mage as the girl tried breathing into him. She then pushed on his chest with quick jumps, the girl showing concern as the group watched closely.

"Wake up, c'mon wake up!" she said.

"Ahakon…" Yukari said worriedly.

"What's gotten into you girls? We were only trying to help them, that's it." Rason said looking around at the four girls as they tried to calm down. Moka looked around at them then down to Ahakon. Ran breathed into him again, the girl's lips holding tightly against his. Yukari watched the girl bent over her boyfriend giving mouth to mouth with a pained expression.

_What have I done? What's wrong with me? Ahakon would never have done anything with her…oh god, what have I done?_

Mizore, Kurumu, and Kokoa looked to their boyfriends, all of them feeling ashamed of how they acted. Their boyfriends weren't hitting on other girls, they weren't doing anything wrong. They were only trying to help the other girls, trying to be the good guys. The four girls felt their hearts ache at their foolishness as they watched Ran try to wake the young mage back up.

Tsukune ran over and looked with surprise at the sight.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Yukari knocked Ahakon out for trying to help Ran." Moka said shaking her head. The witch jumped a bit and looked around nervously.

"I…I didn't mean to…honest!" she said with tears forming. Mizore, Kurumu, and Kokoa looked at the young witch with worried eyes, the three girls feeling like they were just as foolish as she was. Suddenly Ran jumped back as Ahakon coughed out water, the boy gasping for air and sitting upright.

"You're ok, thank god." Ran said with relief. The boy coughed a bit and looked to her.

"Yeah…I think so. Thank you." he said wearily. Ran nodded and smiled softly at the boy. He looked over to see Yukari looking at him with heartbroken eyes.

"I'm sorry Ahakon…I…I just…" she said looking down. The mage slowly got up and looked at the witch with concern.

"What was that about Yukari? It was an accident, nothing more." he said. The witch nodded and glanced to him.

"I'm sorry." she said softy.

"Why did you try to hurt her like that? She could have drowned from that." the mage said sternly. The witch jumped a bit and nodded slowly. Ran looked at the boy as she was still kneeling down, the girl tilting her head a bit curiously at him.

"What was that thing anyway?" Rason said looking over to where a male student was being lectured by Ms. Nekonome. Tsukune sighed and shook his head.

"Just another bothersome bully. Nothing major." he said simply. Rin smiled at Dark and swayed back and forth on her toes.

"Thanks for saving me, that was so cool." she said with a wink. Dark smiled softy for a moment then just nodded. He glanced to Mizore, the snow girl looking at Rin with remorse.

"I'm…sorry Rin." she said softly. Rin looked at her and glanced to Dark. As the boy looked back to the pool Rin shot Mizore a cold smile, the snow girl jumping bit from that. Rin giggled then walked over towards her sisters. Mizore looked at the girl cautiously as she slowly clung to Dark's arm again.

"Here's your hat Ren." Moka said as she handed the pink haired girl her hat. Ren snatched it and glared at her.

"I said not to touch it didn't I?" she said with discontent. Moka stepped back as the girl put her hat on and looked away with a scoff. She glanced to Rason and looked down a bit.

"But…thank you for helping me. Really." she said softly. Rason nodded with a smile, then looked to the bully that was so stupid to try to molest all the girls at once while Tsukune and his friends were right there at the time. As he did Ren glanced to Kurumu, the pink haired girl shooting her a cold smile briefly. Kurumu looked at her with caution as Ren walked over to Ran. Before the succubus could speak Rason gently took her hand.

"Come on my dear, let's go for a refreshing swim, just me and you." he said. The girl blinked and smiled softly.

"Sure thing angel boy." she said as she let him hold her close. Mizore looked to Dark, the boy smiling at her softly.

"Let's cool off my little snow bunny." he said. She smiled and nodded, the girl still loving it when he called her that.

Gin looked at Kokoa, the vampire looking down with a bit of embarrassment.

"Sorry Gin…I didn't mean to…it's just…" she said worriedly.

"C'mon, I'll go sit with you at the table." Gin said. The vampire looked at him then down with worry.

"No, I don't want to ruin your time here. I'll just watch from over there." she said softly.

"I'd rather sit with my girlfriend, if that's ok with you." he said kindly. The girl looked at him with surprise then smiled softly. She nodded then held onto his arm with a loving smile. Moka giggled then looked to her boyfriend.

"I think I'll sit this out as well. I've already gotten my workout for the day." he said with jest. Moka giggled and looked at him with a coy smile.

"Oh come now, I doubt that bully gave you any challenge." she said with a laugh. The boy chuckled and shrugged, then walked with his girlfriend over to the table. Kurumu, Rason, Dark, and Mizore jumped back into the pool as Kokoa walked with Gin back over to the table with the other vampires. Ahakon looked to the water then back to Yukari.

"I'm sorry Ahakon. Really." she said softly. He nodded then rubbed his head. He glanced over to see the others in the water. Kurumu and Rason were splashing around and laughing while Dark and Mizore rested against the edge of the pool, the snow maiden holding onto his arm and enjoying the relaxing time together. Moka, Tsukune, Kokoa, and Gin were all talking at the table while other students were jumping back into the pool. The three new girls looked around then glanced to each other.

"You want to go swimming with me still?" Yukari asked worriedly. The mage nodded then looked around.

"Hey, where are my goggles?" he asked. Ran jumped and glanced behind her. She reached back and grabbed them, the girl applying a bit of pressure to one side. She smirked then looked to the mage.

"Here, I'm sorry but…they got a bit cracked from when _she_ kicked me underwater." she said glaring over at Yukari. She handed the goggles over to the mage, the right side having a large crack through the corner. The witch jumped a bit and looked at the boy worriedly. Ahakon sighed and nodded.

"I see, that's ok." he said.

"I have another pair in my locker, come on, I'll let you borrow it. You're a much better swimmer than I, you'll enjoy using them more. It's the least I can do for you saving me." Ran said happily. Ahakon nodded and glanced to Yukari.

"If it's all the same, I'd rather she didn't follow us. I don't want another concussion." Ran said with a bite looking to Yukari. The witch nodded and looked to the water.

"Ok, I'll wait here for you." she said softly. After all she did she didn't feel like pestering Ahakon to tag along. The mage looked at her for a moment then nodded.

"Alright, let's go then." he said. Ran stood up and smiled at the boy, then glanced to her sisters. They smiled then walked over to another table to sit down. Yukari sighed and walked over to the pool, the girl sitting down on the edge of it while her legs soaked in the water. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

_I'm sorry Ahakon. I shouldn't have been so obsessive with you. I know you love me and only me, please forgive me._

Ahakon and Ran walked off as the rest of the group went about their class time in the water, all of them laughing and enjoying their time with their significant others. All except Yukari who was looking down at the water with remorse.

"I'll make it up to you Ahakon, I'll show you I trust you completely. No more being jealous like that, I promise." she said assuredly to herself. She sighed and looked up, the girl looking at the clouds above with a gentle gaze. From behind her Ren and Rin smirked at her, the two girls sitting at a table alone under a sun umbrella. They glanced to each other then looked around at the others that were around the pool area with a sly smile.

* * *

Ahakon was walking down the path towards the girls' changing room near the gymnasium alongside Ran, the girl still wearing her bikini and glasses. She glanced to him curiously as he looked ahead with a soft gaze.

"You ok?" she asked. He nodded slowly and glanced away.

"Yeah, just thinking about things." he said simply. She looked to him curiously then smiled softly.

"About the girl that almost caused you to drown?" she said. The boy sighed and nodded.

"She didn't mean to, I know that. She's always been…protective of me." he said with a weak smile.

"I can tell. The way she kicked me away to try to save you herself." Ran said with a smirk. Ahakon chuckled and nodded.

"She can go a bit overboard, I know that. Still, she's one of a kind, I wouldn't dream of trading her for anybody." he said with a warm smile. Ran stopped and gently grabbed his shoulder, the boy turning to see her looking at him with a calm smile.

"Ran?" he asked.

"Such dedication to somebody, and such magical talent. You really are something else Ahakon." she said gently. The boy smiled and looked down a bit bashfully at that.

"Well…I am who I am." he said with a shrug. Ran giggled and smiled at the boy. He looked to see the girl kneeling down and looking at him with a warm smile. The wind flowed gently by, the girl's hair swaying a bit as she wore her Greek ivy headpiece as always. The boy looked at her curiously as she giggled a bit. Then he watched as white feathered wings extended out from behind her, the girl keeping her gentle eyes locked onto the boy behind her glasses. Ahakon looked at the wings with wonder then back to the girl.

"Ran?" he asked again. The girl slowly ran her hand from his shoulder along his neck and up to his cheek, the girl keeping his gaze on her with a gentle touch. She smiled as she opened her mouth a bit.

_Got you._


	6. Darkness Falls

**Author's Note: A special thanks goes out to tsukuneXmoka for his OC's. Congratulations buddy, you've added two welcome additions to the saga. Take a bow :)**

* * *

Students were starting to walk into the next class for the day. Inside Ms. Nekonome's room Tsukune and Moka were seated in their usual spots. Moka was looking ahead at her boyfriend, the girl's eyes fixated on the love of her life. She felt like life was really picking up for her, what with her boyfriend having not only saved the world from annihilation from Alucard's wrath, but also had started the process of true coexistence between the two worlds. He was now a complete vampire like she was yet he remained the same happy and caring boy she first met here. She sighed happily, the girl convinced nothing could possibly come between them. She, as well as her inner self, loved the boy completely and simply couldn't get enough of their time with him.

As she was busy fantasizing about how he had become so powerful during their trials Tsukune was looking down at his desk with a blank gaze. Throughout the day he had been experiencing something strange. He kept seeing everyone's blood seeming to light up to him, the boy seeing and feeling their heartbeats as well as their blood flow. His thirst had increased as well, the boy having drank a full can of tomato juice before class and still was incredibly thirsty. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a bit different today. He glanced to the rosary seal over his wrist, the trinket holding back his true vampire self. His eyes were brown now as well as his hair retraining it's normal color. His strength, although far stronger than normal, was mostly suppressed as well. However he could feel with his tongue that his fangs in his mouth were of a vampire, the physical change permanent from his transformation. He breathed out and tried to calm his mind. After all he's been through and experienced, he just wanted to enjoy his time at the academy with his girlfriend and friends.

In front of him Mizore was looking ahead with a dull expression, the girl's lollipop gently rolling around in her mouth as she had one hand propped up against her jaw. Although she looked like she wasn't paying attention to anything, she was actually focusing on something with all her willpower. She could feel the cold, dark essence of her boyfriend next to her, the snow maiden trying to perfect detecting it so she could find and stalk her elusive shadow demon. She knew how to recognize his lifeforce now, and was determined to perfect the technique. She sighed a bit and glanced to the side, the girl's eyes unable to resist looking at her beloved for long periods of time. She felt rather ashamed that she even considered the possibility that Dark would even look at another girl as he does with her, although the way Rin shot her a cold smile before was still poking at her mind.

Next to her Dark was looking ahead with a blank expression as always, the boy having his music playing for him as he seemed uninterested in the world around him. Of course everybody knew by now that he was indeed paying attention around him, at least to a higher degree than most would give him credit for. He casually reached down and switched the song on his player to a faster beat, the boy's expression remaining the same the entire time. His eyes may have been looking ahead without focusing on anything, but he was paying attention to something indeed. Like Mizore, he was focusing on the lifeforce of those around him, the boy actually keeping an 'eye' on his girlfriend without actually looking at her. After a moment he glanced to her and smiled softly for an instant, the expression vanishing quickly but not going unnoticed by the snow girl. She knew that was more than enough to convey that he was thinking of her, and that alone made the snow girl melt a bit on the inside.

In the back of the class next to Moka a blue haired succubus was looking at her boyfriend with dreamy eyes. Kurumu could feel the bond between them flowing strongly now, the girl feeling his heartbeat and lifeforce clear as day. If he even moved his muscles a bit she could feel the pull as well, the girl in tune to him as he was to her. She sighed a bit and looked at him with a remorseful smile. The love demon felt a bit ashamed that she thought Rason would ever betray her, he was only trying to save Ren from a troublesome student after all. She smiled a bit and shook her head at her silly doubt, the girl knowing full well that they were destined to be together. She loved him completely, just as he loved her with all his heart. Not even Luna could take that away from her.

Next to her Rason was looking up with a calm expression, the angel daydreaming as he always did. Somehow he managed to do just well enough to pass the classes, but it was obvious his mind wasn't really focused on his education here at the school. He was thinking about a lot as usual. One prominent thought in his mind was how Luna was doing with her job for the Almighty. He knew the chronofly had excellent control over time now, the very reason why the Almighty likely requested her help. He smiled a bit and closed his eyes, the angel wondering what stories she'll have to tell the second she gets back. That and if she'll tackle him to the ground in an instant when she gets back, which would be likely from her. He smiled and looked over to his girlfriend, the angel's eyes looking deep into hers as the bond was felt between the two.

In front of him a young girl in a witches outfit was looking at the seat next to her with worry. Yukari wasn't smiling, rather showing great concern as she looked at the empty seat where her boyfriend normally sat at. The witch waited at the pool with her friends for Ahakon to return, however he never did. Tsukune and the other boys didn't see him in the changing room, however his clothes were gone showing that he had changed back into his normal attire and left. The witch was worried he was angry at her or upset about the way she acted. She knew Ahakon never meant to kiss the new girl Ran, that he was only trying to help keep her from drowning and that the kiss was accidental. The girl felt ashamed that she acted in such a way, and was waiting for him to come back so she could apologize. She sighed and looked to the clock, the class was about to start soon and there was still no sign of the boy. Other students were still walking in as the young witch looked down at her desk with worry.

"Ahakon…" she said softly.

"Yukari? Are you ok?" Moka asked gently. The witch looked over to see Moka and Tsukune looking at her with worry.

"Yeah…but where's Ahakon? Why isn't he here?" she asked looking around.

"I'm not sure, he should be here soon though. Class starts any minute." Tsukune said looking towards the door.

Ren and Rin walked in, the two girls walking toward their seats with calm expressions. Mizore and Kurumu looked at them curiously as the two girls took their seats. Rin glanced to Dark, then slowly over to Mizore.

"What?" she asked simply. Mizore just looked at her then down at her desk, the girl wondering what that look she got earlier was for. Ren glanced to Rason and smiled softly, then looked to Kurumu. The succubus was looking at her cautiously, the blue haired girl also curious what was with the new girl. Ren showed a sly smile for a moment then looked ahead. Kurumu jumped a bit and looked at Rason then to her quickly.

_What's up with them?_

"Hey Ren? Where did Ran and Ahakon go off to?" Rason asked the new girl curiously. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"How should I know? I wasn't with them." she said simply.

"Where are they? Class is going to start soon." Moka said looking to the door. After a moment Ahakon walked in, the boy having a calm smile on his face. He casually walked over to his desk and sat down, the boy looking ahead as the others looked at him curiously. Even Dark was glancing to him, the demon wondering where his friend had vanished to.

"Hey Ahakon? Where did you go, we were getting worried." Kurumu said. The mage glanced back and shrugged.

"Just for a walk." he said simply before looking ahead.

"A walk?" Rason asked scratching his head. Yukari looked at the mage worriedly then lowered her head.

"Ahakon I'm really sorry about what I did out there. I just got a little overprotective, I didn't mean to hit you like that. I promise it won't happen again." she said gently. She looked up to see the boy looking to her with a blank expression. She waited a bit then smiled softly.

"I love you Ahakon, I really do. I won't let my silly jealousy get the better of me again. I promise-"

"We're through Yukari." he said with a bite.

Silence.

Yukari looked at the mage with a frozen expression, the girl's soft smile slowly turning to horror.

"Wha…what?" she breathed out. The group, Dark included, was looking at Ahakon like they heard wrong.

"I said you and I are through Yukari." the mage said before looking ahead again. Yukari's mouth quivered as she trembled in her seat, the witch's heart feeling like it was crushed.

"Aha…kon…" she said as she slowly held out a hand towards him. The boy merely swatted it away while looking ahead still, the group looking with shock as Yukari started to tremble more. The witch looked at her hand then to the mage with absolute disbelief.

"Ahakon…what are you saying?" Moka said shaking her head.

Yukari's eyes started to water, the girl sniffling as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Ahakon…you can't mean that…" she said shaking her head. The mage kept looking ahead with a calm smile on his face.

"Dude…what…what the hell are you talking about?" Rason said in disbelief. The mage looked back over to see Yukari on the verge of breaking down.

"If this is about what happened out there, she said she was sorry Ahakon. You don't have to be so extreme about it." Tsukune pleaded. Yukari started to cry softly, the girl keeping her eyes on the mage.

"Ahakon…I…love you…" she said as she wept.

"I don't love you anymore." he said harshly. The witch's eyes widened as she felt her heart stop, the girl's world cracking apart around her. The group looked at the mage with shock as he looked back ahead. After a pause Yukari collapsed back, the girl falling off her chair and crashing to the ground. Tsukune and Moka knelt down and tried to help her up, the young witch's eyes locked onto the mage in complete disbelief.

"Ahakon…how could you say such a thing?" Moka asked with a stunned expression. The mage merely watched the young witch cry while looking at him with heartbroken eyes, then looked over to see another girl walking into the room. The group looked to see Ran walking back through the class toward her seat, the girl's eyes resting on Ahakon as she stopped next to his desk.

"Ran…" Moka said softly. The new girl smiled softly at him as the group looked at her cautiously. Ahakon smiled lovingly at the girl as she looked to Yukari with a cold smile. The same smile Kurumu and Mizore recognized from Ren and Rin.

"Why would you be so cruel to such a wonderful boy?" the girl asked while shaking her head. She giggled then walked back to her seat next to her sister. Ren and Rin smirked at their sister, then glanced to the group who were staring at Ran with stunned expressions. They looked back to see Ahakon looking ahead with a loving smile on his face. Yukari trembled then felt her body shake a bit. Her mind seemed to shut down as her heart felt like it stopped beating.

"Ahakon…" she breathed out, the witch then feeling lightheaded before she passed out.

"Yukari? Yukari!" Moka said shaking the witch. The group looked at the witch then over to Ran, the girl smiling softly as she looked ahead. The girl glanced to them and shrugged.

"What?" she said.

"What did you…did you do this?" Kurumu said with anger.

"Me? What are you talking about?" Ran said innocently. Kurumu and Mizore looked at her then to their sisters, the two new girls smiling at them with a gleam in their eyes.

"I merely offered my goggles to him, but he didn't feel like swimming anymore. That's all." Ran said with a shrug.

"Then why was he looking at you like that? And why did he just break up with the girl he loves?" Kurumu yelled out. Ran giggled and looked to Yukari.

"I just expressed my gratitude for him saving me, nothing wrong with that. I can't be held accountable for her troubles." she said simply.

"Gratitude? He was fawning over you." Kurumu said with a glare.

"I don't know what you mean." Ran said firmly.

Before Kurumu could yell at her again Ms. Nekonome walked in and smiled at the class.

"Ok everybody, settle down. Let's begin with today's lesson. Oh my, Ms. Sendo? Is she alright?" the teacher said looking to the unconscious witch. The group looked to her with disbelief then over to Ahakon, the boy still smiling while looking ahead with a calm expression.

* * *

Yukari's eyes slowly opened, the girl blinking a few times then looking around. She was in the infirmary room, the girl sitting up slowly in the bed. She rubbed her eyes a bit then looked to see the group standing in there with her.

"Yukari…are you ok?" Moka asked. The young witch looked at her for a moment then down as she started to cry again.

"Ahakon…he…he…he broke up with me!" she cried out before she buried her face in her hands. The girls walked over and sat on the bedside near her with sympathetic looks while the boys looked at her with worry.

"Yukari…I…I'm sorry…" Moka said softly. The young witch broke down and leaned over to her, the vampire holding her close as the girl cried in agony.

"I can't believe it…how could he do that?" Rason said shaking his head. Dark just looked at the young witch with gentle eyes, the boy feeling sorry for her and curious as to why the mage suddenly ended his relationship with her.

"This isn't right, that girl said something to him, I'm sure of it. She's the cause of this." Kurumu said with anger.

"It's my fault…I pushed him away with my stupid jealousy." Yukari wept out as she held onto Moka, the vampire gently stroking the witch's hair with a worried expression. The witch sobbed a bit and looked down with devastation.

"I didn't trust him…I was so mean and possessive…how could I have thought he would ever betray me? What have I done? I had a boyfriend who loved me and I threw it all away!" she cried out as she buried her face into her hands again.

"Yukari you didn't…you didn't push him away. You were just a bit jealous, that's understandable." Tsukune said gently. The witch shook her head and looked up.

"I did…I knew I shouldn't have been that way, that I should have known he wouldn't ever hurt me. But I didn't listen and acted like a fool out there. I nearly drowned him for crying out loud! I was a horrible girlfriend…no wonder he left me." she said softly. She trembled a bit then started crying again, the girl feeling broken about her loss.

"Yukari…I'm so sorry." Moka said gently. Mizore and Kurumu looked to their boyfriends, the two girls wondering if they too would have lost their loved ones if they had attacked the new girls in their jealousy. The young witch broke down crying again, the girl burying her face into Moka's chest as the vampire held her with remorse. The group watched as the girl cried her heart out, the young witchling that lost her only love.

The door to the room opened and Ruby walked in, the witch looking around curiously.

"Oh Moka, there you are. Listen I need your help with- Yukari? What's wrong?" she said as she saw the young girl crying in Moka's arms.

"Ruby…Ahakon just broke up with her." Moka said gently. The witch jumped a bit and looked at the young girl as she cried in the vampire's arms.

"What?" Ruby said softly. Yukari choked back her sobs and looked to Ruby.

"It's true…he…he said he doesn't love me anymore!" she cried out before she returned to crying in Moka's chest, the vampire stroking her hair gently.

"I don't believe it." Ruby said shaking her head.

"I know, we're still shocked by it too." Rason said gently.

"Her too?" Ruby said in disbelief. The group looked to her puzzled as Yukari sniffled, the young witch looking to Ruby with teary eyes.

"Me too? What do you mean?" she asked softly. Ruby showed a worried expression then looked to Moka.

* * *

The group was gathered in the newspaper clubroom, the place looking like it was hit by a tornado. Windows were smashed apart. The table and desk were crashed against the wall in pieces. Chairs were broken and lying about. Papers were torn apart and scattered about.

And in the room, swinging a giant hammer with a smiley face on it, a redheaded vampire was yelling out in agony, the girl crying as she smashed the wall on the side of the room with a powerful swing of her hammer.

"Kokoa!" Moka said with surprise as the group watched the redhead cry and swing the giant weapon around in a fit. She smashed the giant hammer into the ground spun the weapon around and tore apart the wall, hurled the hammer out through a window that flew out and struck down some trees, then yelled out while dropping down to the ground shaking. Moka ran over and kneeled beside her, the vampire looking at her sister with worry.

"I was hoping you could calm her down Moka, she's a bit…upset." Ruby said looking around at the damaged room. Kokoa choked back her sobs and looked at her sister with teary eyes.

"Kokoa! What's going on? What happened?" the elder vampire asked worriedly. Kokoa trembled as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. Moka looked at her for a moment then her eyes widened a bit.

"No…don't tell me…" she said softly while shaking her head. Kokoa choked back her cries a bit and looked down with sorrow and frustration.

"He…he…" she said.

"No way." Rason said shaking his head.

"He didn't…" Tsukune said looking to his friends.

"He did." Ruby said softly.

"Gin broke up with me!" Kokoa cried out, the vampire hitting the ground with her fist and punching a hole into the ground. The group looked at her with shock as she cried out and struck the ground again. As she tore up another hole Moka looked at her with disbelief.

"He broke up with you too?" she said softly. Kokoa looked at her puzzled as she was still crying.

"What? With me too?" she said confused. Moka looked back to Yukari, the young witch stepping forward with teary eyes.

"Ahakon…he…he…" she said while trying to keep under control. Kokoa looked at her for a moment then her eyes widened.

"Your boyfriend broke up with you too?" she said in disbelief. Yukari nodded then started crying, the girl sobbing uncontrollably while Kurumu held her close.

"He dumped her right at the start of class, like he just didn't care at all." Kurumu said shaking her head. Moka looked back to her sister, the redhead looking down with teary eyes.

"Kokoa, what happened?" Moka asked. Kokoa wiped her tears away and looked down with sorrow.

"After the class ended he asked me to meet him here. I got dressed and hurried over…and he wasn't here. I waited and waited and he never came. I was about to go looking for him when he dropped by…and told me he didn't love me anymore!" Kokoa cried out. Moka held her as the young girl wept in her arms.

"I don't believe it…he just broke up with you? Just like that?" Tsukune said in disbelief.

"Oh dear…Kokoa…I'm so sorry." Moka said softly. She looked over to the others with worry and wonder as Kokoa continued to cry.

"See? I told you something was wrong here! Ahakon wouldn't just leave Yukari like that, and now Gin's just dumping Kokoa out of the blue!" Kurumu said pointing at the two girls.

"Why would they just do that though? Nothing was wrong with them during swimming class." Tsukune said scratching his head. Yukari trembled and looked down.

"No, something was wrong. I nearly caused Ahakon to drown with my jealousy. He broke up with me because I was so stupid to think he wouldn't be faithful to me. I pushed him away…it's all my fault!" she said with tears leaking out. Kokoa looked at her then to Moka.

"Big sis…was I too rough with him? Was it my fault he left me?" she asked worriedly. Moka looked at her then shook her head.

"No, you…you didn't do anything wrong Kokoa." she said gently.

"But I kept taking his blood without asking, I even hurt him when I did so. And…I got angry with those other two girls when he was only trying to protect them. Did I…did I push him away too?" she said looking down with tears forming again. She trembled and buried her face into her hands.

"I mean…I was trying to be a good girlfriend. Really I was. I thought he was happy with me…" Kokoa said trembling. Moka looked at her sister with concern as the redhead started breaking down.

"But I was rough with him…and possessive. He didn't do anything wrong by helping those girls…and yet I acted like he was going to go after them. I actually thought he would have acted like his old self with them…I didn't trust him!" she said with agony. She trembled and looked down with closed eyes.

"No…no! Oh god what have I done?" she said shaking her head. Moka looked at her with worry then held her close as Mizore walked over to her.

"Kokoa you didn't do anything wrong…I mean…you may have been a bit rough, but still…" Moka said softly.

"You didn't do anything to warrant him just breaking up with you." Mizore said softly as she kneeled next to the girl. Yukari cried as Kurumu held her close, the succubus worried about her friends.

"This is crazy, what's gotten into those two?" Tsukune said shaking his head. Dark looked at the two girls that were crying the glanced to the door.

"I'm going to go find them. Something's not right here." he said simply. Mizore looked to him and took her lollipop out.

"I'll go with you." she said softly.

"No, you stay here, keep an eye on your maid of honor. She could use a bit of support right now. I'll handle the wolf." Dark said looking back to her. Mizore opened her mouth to speak, then slowly nodded while putting her candy back in. She didn't want to argue with him at all right now, especially with all the breakups going around.

"I'll go with him, we'll try to talk some sense into those two." Rason said with a nod. He looked to Kurumu and smiled gently at her.

"Keep an eye on them, we'll get this sorted out." he said. Kurumu nodded and looked to the crying witch who was holding onto her. She didn't want her friend to suffer like this, and it was clear the breakup caused a deep wound in her heart.

"We'll stay here until you return." Moka said as she held her sister.

"Try to keep her calm Moka, one damaged room is enough from her for one day." Ruby said looking around at the ravaged clubroom. She sighed and gently held her hand up to the black rose in her hair.

"Where's Razico?" Tsukune asked looking around.

"He's not stealing from the archives again is he? The last thing we need to deal with right now is another wild summoned beast." Tsukune said dryly. Ruby smiled softly and shook her head.

"No no…nothing like that at all." she said gently. She looked at her two saddened friends with concern.

"But I'll tell you all later. Right now we have more important matters to handle it seems." she said walking over and looking at Yukari with worried eyes.

"We'll talk to those two and get to the bottom of this. Dark's right, something's just not right here." Rason said as the two walked out of the room. The others nodded and looked to the two that were crying with sympathetic eyes.

"Yukari…it'll be ok." Ruby said softly.

"We'll find out what's going on Kokoa, I promise." Moka said gently. She looked to Tsukune with worry, the boy looking at the crying redhead with concern. Mizore and Kurumu glanced to each other, both starting to feel uneasy about the sudden breakups.

"I don't get it…why would they just break up them? It's just…not right." Tsukune said scratching his head.

Dark and Rason were walking down the hallway, both of them wondering what has gotten into their friends.

"I gotta say something feels off here man. I mean, Ahakon and Yukari? No way would those two just split up like that. And even Gin and Kokoa, I know the wolf had a perverted history and all, but it seemed like he really did change for her. The guy had two girls crawling all over him in the pool and he didn't care in the least about them. Why would they just dump those two out of nowhere like that?" Rason said puzzled. He glanced to Dark, the boy still listening to his music as he kept looking ahead.

"Better question, why am I even saying this when clearly you aren't listening to me?" Rason said dryly looking ahead. They both stopped when they saw Ahakon down the hall, the young mage just smiling at them.

"Ahakon? Hey man we need to talk." Rason said with concern. The mage smirked then ran off down a hallway.

"What the heck, why's he running?" Rason said confused.

"C'mon, we're getting to the bottom of this." Dark said as he took off after the boy. Rason followed quickly as they raced after their friend. The two boys ran out of the academy and watched the young mage dash out into the woods.

"Where the hell is he going? Ahakon! Hey!" Rason called out. Dark narrowed his eyes and followed after. No doubt about it now, something was up. The two boys ran into the woods and looked around as they lost sight of the young mage.

"Ok, what is he doing? Ahakon? Ahakon come out, we need to talk." Rason called out. The two boys stopped in a clearing and looked around, nothing but rotting trees and grass seen all around them.

"Alright, now I know something's wrong here." Rason said cautiously. The two gazed around slowly as nothing was heard nearby. A gentle breeze flowed through the area as the grass and their loose fitting shirts fluttered gently.

In a flash Dark jumped back as his earbuds and player were grabbed by a fast moving blur. The demon growled then looked over to see a werewolf landing down near a tree holding the device. Gin shifted back into his human form as the boys looked at him carefully.

"Gin? What's the big idea?" Rason said.

"You're starting to piss me off now." Dark growled. Gin just smiled at them with carefree expression as Ahakon walked up to him.

"Enough of this weird game you guys, what the hell has gotten into you? You crushed Yukari and Kokoa's hearts, you know that?" Rason said shaking his head.

"Not to mention I'm going to crush your wrist if you don't give that back." Dark said coldly as he glared at Gin. The wolf smirked and dropped the device to the ground.

"Such a waste really, hardly what can be considered music." Gin said as he stomped down on the player. Dark growled as Rason glanced to him nervously.

"Wow…you two really have lost it haven't you?" the angel said shaking his head.

"You two better have a damned good excuse for doing all this. I despise those that don't women right. And breaking my player isn't acceptable either." Dark said sternly. The two boys smiled and chuckled a bit at them. Rason blinked and glanced around.

"Um…Dark?" he said slowly. They looked around to see dozens of other boys around the area, all smiling calmly at them. They were all around the small clearing, the male students seeming to just walk out from behind the trees. Dark and Rason glanced around then back to their two friends.

"I don't know what's gotten into you two, but you better rethink this little joke of yours. We're not laughing." Rason warned.

"This is no joke. We wanted to share the joy with you." Ahakon said calmly.

"Joy?" Dark said flatly.

"Yes, you're a fan of music Dark, if anything you would you understand the most." Gin said with a calm smile.

"Ok, just when I thought they weren't making any sense before, now they've gone completely off the rails." Rason said simply. Dark glared at the two boys then glanced to the side. From the trees two girls walked out from the trees towards them. Ren and Rin smiled gently at the two as all the other boys looked to them with loving eyes. Dark glanced around then towards the girls.

"Ren? Rin? What's going on here?" Rason asked cautiously. The two girls smiled at them and giggled as their feathered wings extended out behind them. Dark and Rason looked at them carefully as they eyed the two boys with gentle eyes.

"We've been waiting for you of course." the two girls said together.

* * *

Razico was driving his motorcycle across a worn brick road, the man looking ahead with a focused expression as his cape flowed behind him. All around trees were racing past in a blur as he drove down the road at high speed. He was on a mission for the headmaster himself, a goal that would net the reward of Ruby's freedom from serving the headmaster at Yokai Academy. Of course that alone wasn't the only reason he took the offer from the man himself, although it was a large portion of it.

_How on earth did that thing show up here? It was supposed to be just a legend, not a real treasure._

Word had spread in the monster world that a unique treasure being discovered, the lost artifact attracting dozens of other hunters to claim it.

_That thing's not supposed to exist._

Those that originally discovered the treasure were unsuccessful in claiming it, the original treasure hunters being driven off by some unknown force. Those that told the tale claimed it was too dangerous to get the lost treasure even with their strongest forces. Of course that did little to prevent others from trying.

_How can it just appear out here? Nothing's left in this dead area after the collapse of the former troll kingdom. And I'm damn sure the trolls never possessed it._

Razico had contacted his usual informants for any info they could dig up on it. Word was that the mysterious find was discovered to be hidden in the remains of a castle that once stood as the capital to a troll king. The kingdom was wiped out long ago by ravaging orc raiders, and was razed to the ground. Nothing was supposedly left after the attack, and the warlock figured that certainly by now any remote treasure that remained after the fall of the kingdom would have been looted.

_This isn't right. There's no way it just appeared out here just like that. Still…if it really is what they claim, and some damned fool gets to it first…it could be just as destructive as the Chrono Displacement spell._

The warlock had traveled through the gateway tunnel near Yokai Academy towards the part of the monster world where the old kingdom was located. As he raced towards his goal he kept thinking of those two words that were written on the paper he took, the two words describing the treasure that other hunters in the dark world wished to possess.

The two words that made the man worry about the safety of his beloved witch.

"Like hell I'm letting any other hunter get it before me." he said with determination.

Razico raced through the woods and emerged out on an expansive open field, the worn brick road stretching out ahead of him. The sun was setting as light was starting to fade away, the clouds above still gently rolling by as the wind rolled through the fields. There were mountains off in the distance and the forest expanded out behind him.

And in the center of the vast field the remains of the troll kingdom lay. Well, what could be considered remains as there were no buildings or houses standing still. A few remnants of stone walls were seen around a larger hill's base as the remains of the castle were atop it. Hardly a tower was still standing as the place was leveled to the ground long ago. Razico drove closer then stopped suddenly, the man looking with caution as a few blasts of fire exploded around the base of the hill.

"Damn, others are here already." he said with frustration. He drove towards the area as more blasts and howls echoed out. As he got closer larger booms and crackles echoed out around the base as lights and flashes erupted around.

"Great, looks like it's turned into a free for all. This is just my luck." Razico muttered as he drove towards the area at high speed. Suddenly a blast of fire raced nearby and crashed into the road, the warlock swerving over and crashing down into a pile of hay near the remains of a larger house. And by remains I mean hardly a wall that could conceal the man that stood around a patch of gravel and stone bricks. Razico growled then climbed out of the hay with annoyance, the man then ducking behind the stone wall as roars echoed out nearby. A larger ogre ran over, the gray skinned beast having a belt around his waist and shoulder lined with knives and daggers. The one eyed beast looked around before a blast of lightning zapped it and his head was sliced off from behind. Razico watched the brute fall with a dull gaze then leaned back against the brick wall.

"Ok…they are definitely not playing around here. Don't tell me I'm going to have to fight them all. Dammit, this isn't right, how could that cursed artifact be here anyway?" he said looking around with frustration. He slowly inched towards the edge of the wall and peeked around. He saw a few lizard men and warlocks running nearby, the hunters striking at each other with bows and arrows while magical bursts of fire and ice shot through the air. Over near a few trees a larger snake demon was slithering around as a smaller orc was waving around a large axe. Casters and warriors and thieves were all around as they all sought out the legendary treasure.

"This is just perfect. If that Dark kid was here he could just walk past them all without being seen. I really need to learn an invisibility spell myself." Razico muttered. He looked around then towards the hilltop that had the ruins of the castle above. Only a few walls and shattered statues were visible around the top of the hill as daylight started to dwindle. Razico looked around cautiously as dozens of other hunters were fighting around the area. The monsters and casters were scrambling around the base of the kingdom and on the hillside as they fought each other with ferocity.

"They all seem to be trying to get towards the castle. However, who said the treasure was there? Since it wasn't originally here in the kingdom, it could likely be anywhere around here." Razico said looking around cautiously.

"A likely assumption." a voice said from behind. Razico turned around with narrowed eyes to see another figure leaning against the wall. He was a boy around Tsukune's age who had a focused expression as he stood there. He had pale blue hair that was spiked up and trimmed roughly around to his neck, with the front bangs being slightly longer. He had deep blue eyes that glanced to the warlock carefully. He was around Tsukune's height with a bit less muscle than him, the boy wearing a white t-shirt, a black and red checkered jacket over it, black jeans, and black steel tipped leather boots. The kid looked at the warlock then around again.

"So I take it you're after the treasure too huh? Looks like you're just in time for the madness." the kid said with a shrug. Razico looked at him cautiously as the boy glanced to him again.

"Relax, if I wanted to fight you I would have done so already. Nice crash by the way. I agree with your idea though, I see no sense in risking my neck to go towards that ruin up there without knowing that the treasure is indeed there." he said again.

"You look a bit young to be out here kid." Razico said raising an eyebrow. The boy glanced to him with a dull expression.

"I can handle myself just fine, thanks for your concern." he said mockingly. Razico looked at the boy carefully. If he was out here, and remaining so calm, he had to have something up his sleeve.

"Alright, well be that as it may, the treasure here belongs to me kid. I have a lot riding on this, so do yourself a favor and just get out while you can." Razico said looking back around the corner carefully. The boy chuckled and shook his head.

"A favor? Hardly. I have no intention of leaving this thing out here for those fools to grab ahold of." he said with a smirk. He glanced to the side then ducked down a bit. Razico did the same as a group of sword wielding brutes walked nearby, the large monsters eyeing the battlefield with dull expressions.

"Kill them all and take the treasure." one said flatly. They all groaned in agreement and lumbered off towards the warzone. The kid blinked and looked to Razico.

"You see what I mean? Like hell they deserve to have it, morons like that have no right to claim such a find." he said simply. Razico rolled his eyes and peeked back out around the wall.

"I doubt they'll get far anyway. Now get out of here kid, this isn't a place for an amateur." he said simply.

"Amateur? Who you calling an amateur buddy? Do you have any idea who I am?" the kid said annoyed.

"Another student from Yokai Academy that thinks he's tough shit? You're a dime a dozen these days kid." Razico said shaking his head.

"Yokai Academy? No idea what you're talking about buddy, but I'm not some lowly student. Like hell I'd waste my time in some classroom when real action is waiting out here." the boy said arrogantly.

"Ok, so you're a dropout student. That's even better. Now would you please leave before you get used for a toothpick or something? I'm not up for seeing a kid die tonight." Razico said with annoyance. The kid glared at him then glanced back, the boy leaning against the wall tightly.

"Pipe down idiot, he'll hear us." he said in a hushed tone. Razico glanced back to him as the kid was focused on something behind the wall.

"He?" the man asked.

Suddenly roars and howls were heard before the ripped and bloody remains of the brutes were tossed past them, the warlock looking with caution as the bloodied remains tumbled back and crashed down onto the ground. The man slowly inched towards the other boy and glanced to him. The kid nodded and motioned around the corner. Razico peeked out slowly and looked around.

"That's him. I've been watching him since I've arrived. He's been tearing up these other amateurs something fierce." the boy said with caution.

Standing out in the torn up stone brick streets a boy was looking around. He had short black hair and blue eyes, the boy about Tsukune's height as well. He wore a black shirt, black jeans, black tennis shoes, and had a black cape flowing behind him. His arms were at his side, with his left hand being reptilian with black scales and small claws. The kid growled then glanced back to see a large furry beast along with a large brute with a club racing towards him. He narrowed his eyes and waved his dark reptilian hand, the arm glowing black as dark rifts tore open around the two monsters. Suddenly black tentacles whipped out and wrapped around the two monsters, the long muscular appendages coiling around the arms and waists of the two surprised hunters. In a flash the tentacles snapped around and tore the monsters to pieces with a loud cracking sound, the bloodied pieces flying apart before being grabbed and torn up again by more of the dark limbs. The boy scoffed at the fallen enemies and walked calmly towards the hill.

"That's necro magic…and powerful at that." Razico said cautiously.

"Anyone that's gotten close to him has been killed, another good example of why I'm not going to allow the treasure to fall into some douchebag's hands." the boy scoffed. Razico glanced to him then back around.

"Ok, so it's abundantly clear there are some dangerous hunters out there. That makes my job more difficult." he said annoyed.

"Well then we just gotta find the treasure first then don't we?" the boy said with a smirk.

"We?" Razico said looking at the kid with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah we. You're obviously new to this whole treasure hunter gig, seeing as how you were about to walk out there and be ripped to pieces by Mr. Sunshine over there." the boy said with a smirk.

"I think I can handle him just fine, besides he probably wouldn't have seen me since he was busy playing with the others." Razico said simply.

"Really? Well then, be my guest." the boy said motioning towards the battle with a gentle hand. Razico looked around then back to the boy.

"You don't seem to be in any hurry out there, what's your little plan on finding this thing anyway?" he asked curiously.

"I have my ways as do all real hunters of my quality. My partner is looking for where the treasure actually is." the boy said looking around.

"Your quality?" the warlock asked with a dull tone.

"Yeah, but that's of no concern to you since you don't need anybody's help. Go ahead, your precious find awaits. Though I'd be careful out there, you might get killed without actually finding the thing." the boy said with a snicker. Razico looked at him cautiously.

"And I assume you and your…partner have a better idea where it's at?" he asked.

"So what if we do?" the boy said casually. Razico looked around at the warzone, the howls and roars of monsters echoing out among the ruined landscape. Blasts of magic and sharp weapons were slicing through the air as blood and body parts flew about. The warlock looked around carefully then back to the kid.

"Well, what are _we_ going to do first then?" he asked.

"Oh, so it's 'we' now is it? Odd, I offered that to you before and you claimed you could handle yourself just fine. What changed?" the boy said in an innocent voice.

"I don't have time for games kid. If you know where this thing is show me." Razico said sternly. The boy chuckled and shrugged.

"All you had to do was say please." he said with a smirk. Razico eyed the boy carefully.

"Why do you want my help anyway? Not often treasure hunters ask for others to assist them, let alone work with partners." Razico asked cautiously. The boy chuckled and looked at him amused.

"You really have no idea what is lying in wait here do you? I need your help because of two reasons buddy. One, you don't seem bloodthirsty like all those assholes out there, so it's more likely we can work with you. After all we've been having this delightful conversation without threatening each other, and you even did try to have me scurry away to save my own skin. Not too hostile to me it seems. Secondly, it takes _four_ people to open the seal around the treasure. We need _four_ keys turned at exactly the same time otherwise it's a no go." the boy said with an arrogant smile. Razico looked at him with caution.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew about that little detail, what I am going to ask is…do you have those keys?" he asked slowly. The boy smirked and shrugged.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Besides, didn't you know about that little detail?" the boy said with a laugh. Razico narrowed his eyes at the boy.

_Not good. I was just going to take the artifact back to the headmaster to have it locked away for all time, not open the accursed thing. If he knows about the keys…then that means…_

"You have the keys…don't you?" the man asked carefully. The boy chuckled and reached in under his shirt. He held up a small necklace that had a golden key on it, the head of it having a strange eye emblem on it.

"Why else would I be out here if I couldn't open it?" he said with a laugh. Razico's eyes widened at seeing the key then looked at the boy with surprise.

"How…where did…" he said in disbelief.

"I told you before buddy, I have my ways." he said with a cool smile. Razico looked at the boy then shook his head to regain himself.

"I'm not here to open that thing, I'm merely taking it away to be locked away forever. You can't be serious about trying to unlock it." he said with a bit of frustration.

"Haha, why not? I've heard the legends and rumors around it, however I for one believe that true wealth lies within, and I wouldn't dream of passing up such a rare find." the boy said with a nod.

"Wealth and the end of the world if you ask me. That thing needs to be locked away forever kid." the man said shaking his head.

"Sorry but that's not an option for me. You're welcome to tag along, since this thing has nearly unlimited wealth we're prepared to divide it up four ways. The mere prospect of claiming that _we_ found it alone is rich enough." the boy said with a laugh. Razico looked at him carefully then around the area.

_If these idiots open that thing…no, I won't let that happen. I need to keep them from killing themselves, and the world. I came here to make sure I could have a future with Ruby, no way are these foolish kids going to wreck that._

After a pause the warlock smiled arrogantly at the boy.

"Fine, I'll help you out. However we need three more keys and the whereabouts of where it's hidden. And we might want to hurry before any of these other hunters find it first." Razico said as he leaned against the wall looking upwards.

"Finding it won't be a problem." a voice said from nearby. They looked over to see another figure walking around the wall towards his partner. He was a boy about Tsukune's age and height as well, the kid having light brown hair that was set in large poofy spikes. He had roughly the same physical build of Tsukune as he smiled arrogantly with his brown eyes. He had a Hawaii flower style short sleeve button down shirt that was left undone over a white t-shirt. He wore frayed ended blue jean shorts, worn tennis shoes, and had a small locket around his neck that had a crack on it. The kid looked around then smirked at his friend.

"Found the way in, but we might want to hurry. I had to deal with a few others that found it too." he said with a laugh. The other boy chuckled then looked to Razico, the warlock looking at the new hunter cautiously.

"You were saying?" he said with a smirk.

"Who's this?" the new kid asked looking at Razico with a narrowed glare.

"Relax, he could be our number three. If that's still something that interests him." the other boy said with a curious smile. Razico looked at the two carefully then nodded.

"Sure, I'm in. Beats having to deal with these amateurs anyway. A fourth of the treasure and bragging rights will sit just fine with me." he said in a casual tone.

_Need to play the part if I'm to grab this thing before they doom us all._

"Well fantastic then, let's be off while everybody else is killing each other." the first boy said clapping his hands together.

"Before we go, might I at least know the names of my partners here?" Razico asked. The boy smirked and nodded.

"Name's Render Asaga old buddy." the first boy said with a proud stance.

"Leon Takeda, and just who are you?" the second boy said with a scoff. The warlock smirked and bowed a bit.

"Razico Kalashin, glad to be a part of your team." he said calmly. The two boys glanced to each other then to the warlock.

"Alright, introductions are over. Let's get going." Render said simply.

"I'm going to assume we have more than one key?" Razico asked curiously.

"We've got three." Leon said simply. Razico looked at him puzzled.

"But we need four. Who's got the fourth key?" he asked. Render slowly glanced to the side and smiled weakly.

"Mr. Sunshine out there." he said with a small laugh. Razico blinked then looked over to where the remains of the larger brutes that were torn apart lay. After a pause he looked to the two kids.

"You're joking right?" he asked flatly. The two shook their heads.

"Nope, he killed our friend who was scouting around the other side of the hill. Well, he wasn't really a friend. He was the number three before we found you. Unfortunately I made the mistake of giving him a key right away. Just for the record I'll be hanging onto the other one I've got here just in case you too meet a horrible and unspeakable death early on, no offense of course." Render said with a shrug, the boy having a carefree tone the entire time Razico was looking at him with concern.

"Oh great. So what's the plan on how to get it back then?" Razico asked tiredly.

"We go to the treasure and wait for him to show up. He'll have to end up there eventually. Then we'll take him down." Leon said firmly.

"That way he'll be all alone and others won't join in on the fun. At least, that's the hope here. Hey it might just work too, provided you can actually hold your own. Just out of curiosity…what are you?" Render asked curiously. Razico smirked and held up his hand, the arm glowing a black hue.

"A warlock, and I don't intend to let some kid best me when it comes to my profession." he said confidently. The two boys smirked at that and glanced back.

"Well then Razico old buddy, let's go get situated for the arrival of number four." Render said with a laugh. The three hunters then took off around the battlefield where other monsters and casters were having an all-out brawl to claim the hidden treasure nearby. As the sun set in the distance and the darkness fell over the landscape Razico glanced to his new partners in his quest to recover the artifact before anybody else did, and to prevent it from being opened above all else.

* * *

All was dark and quiet as Luna slowly opened her eyes, the girl groaning in a bit of pain as she slowly came to. She blinked a few times then looked around, the girl seeing nothing but darkness all around her. She tried to move, the girl only hearing the rattling of chains as she was bound down. She was on her knees, with chains around her ankles and thighs, the girl leaning forward as her arms were chained outward around the wrists and shoulders. A strong shackle was around her waist as her wings were limp at her sides, the brightly colored wings seeming heavy and unable to move as they rested on the chains that were around her. She tried to move about but couldn't budge, the girl then trying to focus her magic. Nothing happened as she again tried and tried to shift into time. She gasped and looked around worriedly as not even the glow of her bracelet was seen.

"My magic…arg my head…what the hell…where am I?" she said looking around. Nothing but the rattling of the chains as she moved about was heard while nothing was seen all around her. Her legs felt like they were on a stone floor as the air smelled dusty and foul. She looked around worriedly as she tried to figure out what was going on.

Slowly a creaking sound was heard as a door opened nearby, the sound echoing out around her. She looked around slowly with a bit of fear as the sound of the door slamming shut echoed out.

"Who's there?" Luna called out. Slowly a light seemed to appear around her, the girl only seeing a few inches away from her as her chains were shown.

"So you're finally awake." a man's voice said with a calm tone. Luna looked around franticly.

"What is this? Who are you?" she called out.

"Haha, no need to shout my dear, I can hear you just fine." the man said with a chuckle.

"What's going on here, release me at once!" Luna shouted out.

"No, I don't believe I'll be doing that. Such a rare find indeed, why would I want to forfeit such a remarkable specimen such as yourself just like that?" the man said with a dark tone.

"Who are you? What's going on? Answer me!" Luna shouted out. The voice laughed a bit as Luna looked around fearfully.

"I am the one true master of the world my dear girl. The one ruler of all the worlds and existences that lay throughout time. And I am also your new owner my little butterfly. Or should I say…chronofly." the man said with a dark chuckle. Luna looked around carefully as she couldn't find the source of the voice.

"You know…what I am?" she said cautiously.

"Of course, I've been watching you and your friends down in the human world. Such power, such strength, such courage. Very commendable and interesting indeed." the man said with a calm tone. The girl looked around as hushed growls and snarls were heard around in the darkness.

"You see, I'm a conqueror of sorts. And I'm in need of strong, powerful soldiers to lead my crusade towards a better tomorrow. A tomorrow with a proper king of all existence." the man said with a laugh at the end. Luna growled and looked around with a glare.

"You're out of your mind. When my friends find out about this they'll come for me. I was even working for the Almighty himself when you took me. You have no idea who you're pissing off here do you?" she said with a bite.

"Haha, there is no being, either monster, human, or otherwise, that I will cower or bow to girl. I fear no other." the man said with a proud tone.

"It was you that ripped open that tear in time wasn't it? You idiot, you're going to regret ever having done that. Just you wait until I get out of here." the girl said as she struggled around in her shackles. The voice laughed a bit as she looked around, the girl hearing the snarls and growls close by around the darkness.

"Yes, but that is nothing of your concern now girl. You have a greater purpose now, far greater than your foolish creator tasked you with." the voice said calmly. The girl stopped and looked around cautiously.

"What are you talking about?" she said with anger.

"I know all about your kind girl. Chronoflies, the monster race that can control time itself. Your warriors were nearly undefeatable to all manner of armies that tried to claim your land. I even saw how you used your magic to help stop that supposed legendary destroyer from razing _my_ new world to the ground. Yes, I know all about your power, and how only two of you are left in existence." the voice said. Luna looked around as the growls and snarls seemed to get closer.

"What are you getting at?" she asked slowly.

"I could use those that have such power and magic, such warriors for my army would be most desirable indeed." the man said with an intrigued tone. Luna scoffed and glared around the area.

"You honestly think I'll help you with anything? Think again!" she shouted out. The man laughed as Luna heard the growls and snarls of unseen beings around the area that illuminated her, the girl knowing she was being watched all around.

"I wouldn't dream of sending you out onto a battlefield, that would be such a poor strategy for a true ruler such as myself. No no, that would be a waste of such a find." the man said with a chuckle. Luna struggled in her restraints as she glared around her.

"Dammit what do you want from me? What is this?" she yelled out.

"Such a perfect find indeed. Not only are you one of the last of your kind, but also a _female_." the man said with dark tone. Luna blinked and slowly looked around as red eyes glowed in the darkness, dozens upon dozens of sets of eyes looking at her. She started breathing heavily and looked up with wide eyes.

"What…what are you getting at?" she asked worriedly.

"Simple my dear chronofly. I need those that are capable of controlling time in their battles, such a skill would make my armies indestructible. And you my dear girl…are going to give me that army." he said with a laugh. Luna started to tremble as the light slowly started to fade around her, the girl struggling to pull free from her restraints.

"No…you can't mean…you don't expect me to…no!" she screamed out as the growls and snarls around her started to pick up.

"Haha, feel proud girl. Feel honored…" the voice said as the light vanished, the girl looking around as the glowing red eyes of those in the darkness stared at her intently.

"You're going to give birth to the ultimate soldiers for your new king."


	7. The Four Hunters

"They all thought I was insane…they thought I had gone mad…they thought it couldn't be done! Well, look who's mad now!" a man's voice yelled out before he laughed wildly.

Apoch's eyes widened slightly as she tensed up, the girl trembling slightly.

"Now…it's time to prove to the world how insane _they_ are…yes…yes! YES! HAHAHAHAHA!" the man laughed wildly.

"Really? This is just sad." Falla said dryly.

"What's this? I hear them close by. Quickly my assistant, we must make haste. I'm far too close to be stopped now. No no, nobody shall stop me from achieving the unachievable!" the man said with a devilish chuckle.

"You've got to be kidding me." Falla groaned.

"Shh, we can't hear him." Astreal said urgently.

"Yes my assistant, it's time! The storm above is at it's peak! Everything is perfect! Hahahaha!" the man laughed wildly as the wind howled and lightning crackled.

"Sister…" Apoch breathed out with fear.

"Yes! Now my assistant, let us join the ranks of gods! It's time to cast away these mortal shackles and prove that I am most certainly _not_ insane! Hahahahaha!" the man laughed as the lightning crackled loudly

"I'm sorry, but I have a question here." Falla called out.

"Now, THROW THE SWITCH!" the man yelled out. Sounds of electrical hums and sparks were heard as gears and chains started to move. Lightning crackled along with a roaring thunderclap. Apoch and Astreal watched with fearful eyes as Falla glanced to them.

"How can you possibly be scared of this crap?" Falla said in disbelief, the girl looking over to the witch sisters as they were huddled up on a couch with a bowl of popcorn, the two girls watching the T.V. with wide eyes as they trembled a bit. Falla looked at them with a tired expression then back to the black and white showing of an old human horror movie.

"Yes…it's alive…it's alive! IT'S ALIVE!" the man said as his creation started to move, the large monster being made from body parts that were sewn together. As it started to move and rise the witch sisters started shaking.

"You're kidding me right? We faced Alucard together…Alucard! You know, that giant monster that was not only going to destroy all life, but, oh yeah, was _real_? You can't possibly be scared of something so cheesy and fake." Falla said shaking her head. The monster in the movie groaned and started flailing about, the beast knocking the man aside and tearing up the lab. It grabbed the scientist and ripped his head off, the blood shooting off from the head as the monster groaned out with glowing yellow eyes.

"AHHH!" the witch sisters said as the bowl of popcorn flew up into the air. The pieces of the snack flew about as the sisters held each other in fear.

"I can see the goddamned zipper on that thing!" Falla cried out in disbelief. She looked to see the witch sisters shaking as their eyes were focused on the movie.

"Yep. Just sad." Falla said shaking her head.

The doorbell rang, prompting the sisters to jump again in fright. Falla sighed and stood up, the girl walking over towards the front foyer with a tired expression. She glanced to Apoch and smirked.

"I thought you liked scary things, you dated Dark didn't you?" she said with a giggle before leaving. Apoch looked at her then down in embarrassment.

"Yeah…but he always held me during the scary parts of these movies." she said softly.

Falla walked over towards the front entrance as the doorbell rang again. She opened it see Kyouko standing there. She was wearing her school uniform still, the girl having black shoes, long white socks, a blue skirt (that was just as short as the ones worn at Yokai Academy) and a blue sailor shirt over a white t-shirt. She had her short black hair combed casually with her silver clips to the sides as her teal colored eyes looked at her monster friend along with a bright smile.

"Hey there." she said happily. Falla smiled and motioned her in.

"Kyouko, hey. Please come in." she said. The human girl walked in and looked around in awe.

"Wow, you three really have a cool place here. It's so big." she said with wonder. Falla smiled softly and shrugged.

"Haha, well I guess. It's good to see you again. Sorry, we were planning on coming out to the school to meet you when you were let out but…we got distracted." she said with a weak smile. The witch sisters' screams were heard in the adjacent room along with the T.V., the movie showing the monster going on a killing spree in a nearby village.

"And by distracted I mean the brave two monsters in there are watching a _scary_ black and white movie." Falla said dully. Kyouko giggled and looked at her amused.

"Really? Didn't think after all you've been through an old human movie would be scary." she said with a smirk.

"Ahh! Sister!" Apoch cried out.

"Tell me when it's over!" Astreal said as she was on the verge of crying.

"You and me both." Falla said glancing back towards the room. Kyouko laughed and walked in. She saw Apoch and Astreal holding each other and closing their eyes, both of them trembling while the movie was still going.

"What…oh c'mon you two, really?" Falla said putting her hands at her hips.

"Don't make fun of us! Just…just tell us when the scary part is over!" Astreal said as Apoch buried her face in her sister's chest with a whimper. Falla glanced to the T.V. with a bored expression as Kyouko covered her mouth with an amused giggle.

"Ok…it's over." Falla said simply. Both sisters looked to the T.V. just as a man was ripped apart and devoured by the monster, the sickening crunches of his bones sounding out as the monster groaned in a dull tone.

"AHHHH!" the sisters shrieked as Astreal held her hand toward the set.

"No, don't!" Falla said quickly.

BLAM!

The witch shot a magical burst of energy out and blasted the T.V. to bits, the girls looking with surprise as the set was destroyed by the magical projectile. Kyouko covered her head and looked towards the smoking remains of the device as Falla face palmed. The sisters looked at the smoking set then over to Falla with discontent.

"What did you do that for?" Astreal said sternly.

"What I did? You blasted the T.V.!" Falla cried out.

"You said the scary part was over, you lied to us." Apoch said holding herself.

"Oh you poor things. And, by the way, you're not supposed to use your magic here, remember?" Falla yelled out. Both sisters blinked and looked down worriedly.

"Sorry." they said in unison.

"Geez, how are we going to explain that to our guardians? One day here and already you broke the rules, and the T.V.! Now what am I going to watch?" Falla said with annoyance.

"Well…nobody got hurt." Kyouko said with a nervous smile.

"Any more power to that shot and we might have gone up with the building." Falla said flatly.

"Hey, I used control." Astreal said firmly.

"You shot the T.V. because a movie frightened you. You used absolutely _no_ control." Falla said looking at the witch. Astreal paused then looked down worriedly.

"Anyway, I came by to see how you girls are doing in your new place. Um…besides the T.V. thing, everything ok?" Kyouko said rubbing the back of her head with a weak smile.

"Yeah, pretty quiet and relaxing." Falla said walking back over to the chair and sitting down with a relaxed smile. Kyouko looked at her amused, the chronofly blinking then looking over to her.

"What?" she asked.

"You really have seemed to change since we last met Falla. It's just so different still." Kyouko said with a curious smile. Falla smiled a bit and glanced down.

"You have no idea." she said. The chronofly hadn't gone into detail about how she killed her former dark self, how the original Falla only used the human girl to gain trust with Luna. Kyouko giggled and looked around.

"So now that you're in the human world, what's up next for you girls? You just go to school and learn to live with humans or something?" she asked.

"Well, sort of. We'll be attending normal academics classes with you Ms. Kyo…I mean…K…KYOUko." Astreal said forcibly, the girl blinking then looking to see Kyouko eyeing her with a bewildered look.

"Um…you ok?" she asked. Astreal nodded and glanced down.

"Just working on…our social interaction still." she said simply.

"Anyway, along with normal classes we'll be meeting with human dignitaries and answering questions about the monster world and what we are." Apoch said with a smile.

"Wow, so you're like celebrities now." Kyouko said with an eager smile.

"Well…I don't know about that." Apoch said looking down with a soft smile. Kyouko shook her head and pointed her finger with a determined smile at the witch.

"Oh yes you are, all of you. Just you wait, tomorrow everybody's going to give you a warm welcome. I should know, I was at the student assemblies, everybody is psyched that you three are coming to our school. You're already so popular, it's only a matter of time before all the boys in school are going to be calling." she said with a nod.

"Boys?" Apoch and Astreal said curiously.

"So much for having a normal life here." Falla said with a shrug. Kyouko sighed and looked down with a timid smile.

"You know I envy you. You'll have your pick of any boy in school. Haha, even Tsukune had a small harem after him for a while in his school. I still don't know how he did it. I wish I had that kind of luck." she said softly.

"Don't you have boys chasing after you?" Falla asked curiously. Kyouko smiled weakly and shook her head.

"No, nothing like that. Sure, a few probably think I'm ok and whatnot. But I'm nothing really special, not at all like you three." she said looking around.

"That's nonsense Ms. Ky…I mean…K…Kyou…KYOUko." Apoch said with a stutter. She blinked then regained her composure as Kyouko looked at her curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure there are those that wish to be with you as well." she said assuredly.

"I don't know about that. But it's ok, I just keep an eye out like every other girl out there for a good catch. Say, since we're talking about boys and all, can I ask you girls a question?" Kyouko said looking at the girls curiously. They just nodded as she leaned against the wall with an inquisitive look.

"Have any of you ever had a boyfriend before?" she asked. The three glanced to each other and nodded slowly.

"Well, we did. But…" Apoch said softly while looking down.

"We broke up with them, in a manner of speaking. We're just…trying to move on now." Astreal said gently.

"Yeah, part of the reason we came out here to the human world was to distance ourselves from those boys, just to make it a bit easier to move on. It was kinda hard seeing them with their new girlfriends all the time." Falla said softly. Kyouko looked around at them worriedly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I've only had a few boyfriends, but nothing serious. Just a couple of days with them before I found out they were jerks. But it sounds like the ones you had were different." she said gently. The three nodded and smiled softly.

"Yeah…they were." Apoch said.

"Still hard not to think about them." Astreal said with a small smile.

"Spent over a year with mine, it's still hard to let go completely." Falla said softly.

"Wow, over a year? That must have been tough for you to break up with him. What were these guys like? I assume they were monsters like you are." Kyouko said curiously. The three nodded in response.

"That's so wild. Though I guess I should have expected they would have been. How come you broke up with them if they meant so much to you?" Kyouko asked.

"It's a bit complicated." Apoch said softly.

"All relationships are. Don't worry, I know how these things go." Kyouko said with a confident smile.

"No…this is a bit different Kyouko." Falla said gently.

"Just because you're monsters?" Kyouko asked curiously.

"Well, no…" Astreal said glancing to the others.

"C'mon, sometimes it helps to talk about these kinds of things. Plus if I know your type in guys I can try to help you find another like them. Like I said a lot of boys are going to be checking you out tomorrow. I can help guide you to a proper match." Kyouko said hopefully.

"I'm not so sure you could do that." Apoch said shaking her head.

"I could at least try. Please? It sounds like these guys were very important to you. What were they like? What kind of monsters were they?" the human asked curiously. The idea of dating a boy who was a powerful monster seemed thrilling to the human girl, that being the major reason why she wanted to pry out the details of what it was like to date some of them. The three girls glanced to each other then back to their friend.

"Well, my old boyfriend was so loving and caring towards me, always a perfect angel. He and I used to fly around the school together and just watch the sunset together. I felt so at peace with him nearby." Astreal said softly.

"Ah, so you're more of the good girl kind of monster aren't you? I'm sure you'll find a gentleman or two tomorrow." Kyouko said with a smile.

"Mine was more rough and controlling, a real demon actually. But that's what I was attracted to I suppose, he was so cool and daring…and so forceful." Apoch said looking down with a blush. Kyouko looked at the two with wonder.

"Wow, a bit of a difference in tastes for twin sisters. Well I'm not so sure about guys that are like that…and safe to be around, but I'm sure they'll be around tomorrow as well." she said with a nod. She glanced to Falla as the chronofly shrugged.

"Not sure if I should comment on this." Falla said.

"Aw c'mon. What was your boyfriend like? What kind of boys are you into?" Kyouko asked with a smile. Falla looked up and thought for a moment.

"He was everything to me really. He was there for me when I needed him the most, always watching out for me and being with me through all the best and worst times at Yokai Academy. My first real friend actually. He's funny, cute, playful…and…well…" Falla said with a bit of a blush.

"What? C'mon girl, don't spare any details now." Kyouko said eagerly.

"He was really great in bed, not what I expected at first." Falla said with a small smile. Kyouko laughed a bit and smiled at the girl amusingly.

"Wow, dirty girl haha. What kind of monsters were these guys anyway?" she asked looking around.

"I already said, he was an angel." Astreal said simply. Kyouko looked at her then tilted her head curiously.

"Wait…an angel?" she said.

"Yes, and mine was a demon. A shadow demon to be exact." Apoch said with a smile. Kyouko looked at her as her smiled faded.

"A…shadow demon?" she said slowly.

"Mine was human when I met him, but he was a vampire later on." Falla said. Kyouko slowly looked to her with wide eyes.

"A human…then a vampire?" she said cautiously. She looked around at the girls puzzled.

"Wait…were you all…with…" she said slowly.

"Rason?" Astreal said with a smile.

"Dark?" Apoch said with a nod.

"Tsukune." Falla said softly with a blush.

THUD!

Kyouko fell back and landed on her rear, the girl looking around at everybody with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"What? You mean you two were with…what? Hold on, _you_ were dating my cousin? And…_doing_ it with him? When?" Kyouko said looking at the sisters then towards Falla. The three girls glanced to each other then back to Kyouko.

"It's a long story..." Falla said slowly.

"A long story? He never mentioned you before once, he only talked about Moka! He had all those other girls after him…but not you! And I thought Dark and Rason were with those other two girls." Kyouko said looking around franticly.

"Try to calm yourself Ms. K…I mean-" Apoch started before the human jumped to her feet.

"No way, what do you mean you were dating my cousin for over a year? He never once mentioned that Falla, hell you never mentioned that before either." Kyouko said shaking her head. Falla sighed and nodded.

"Yeah…sit down and we'll explain." she said simply. Kyouko looked at the witch sisters with bewilderment then back to Falla. The girl sat down on the couch between the witch sisters as the three girls started to explain where, and when, they came from. Falla had no choice but to explain how she killed her darker self, how the original Falla was indeed an evil monster like the others claimed. After the tale was told about how the three girls from another time came to this timeline and gave up chasing after the boys they used to love Kyouko stared at Falla with wide eyes.

"You mean…you…you…" the girl said shakily. Falla nodded slowly.

"Yeah, me and Tsukune were mates for a time. Does that bother you?" she asked worriedly. Kyouko's eye twitched and she shakily pointed at the girl.

"Killed your sister? And…_yourself_? And…were going to kill _me_? And everybody else?" she said with an open mouth. Falla blinked then slowly nodded.

"Well…yes, but like I explained-" she started before Kyouko passed out from the shock and lay limp on the couch.

"She fainted." Apoch said simply.

"She took it better than I expected her to actually. She didn't scream or anything." Astreal said with a nod.

"Just wait until she wakes up." Falla said looking up with a tired expression. The witch sisters took turns shaking the girl gently while Falla looked out the window with a sigh.

_Sister…I hope you're doing well up there. I didn't want to separate us so soon, but I just had to come here. I can't wait to see you again though, unlike the other me I do like having a sister to look up to. You really are the queen of our race, and rightfully so. I can only imagine what you're seeing up there right now with your special mission, what I wouldn't give to join you._

* * *

Down a darkened and shadowy tunnel three figures were running with haste. There were the remains of stone brick walls all around with weathered wooden support beams to keep the ceiling from collapsing. The worn brick floor was covered in dirt and gravel as the corridor extended ahead of them into darkness, the only light coming from phosphorous rocks and a torch held by one of the boys. Render looked around carefully as he led the way, the boy keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings. Behind him Leon was running close by, the boy glancing behind him occasionally to make sure they weren't being followed. And next to him Razico was keeping pace, the warlock looking around carefully while keeping an eye on his two companions.

"You sure this is the right way?" Render asked as they stopped at an intersection. He waved the torch around and looked back to Leon.

"Positive, it's down the middle path." Leon said with a nod.

"How did you manage to find the right way into this place anyway?" Razico asked curiously. They had entered the darkened tunnels from a nearly collapsed entrance in one of the broken down remains of a troll house. Leon had shown them the hidden entryway that was in the lower section of the exposed basement.

"Simple, I followed other hunters that had the right idea. However this treasure got placed here the entrance wouldn't be so obvious to be up in the castle ruins. I followed a few thieves into the tunnel and tailed them. They kept getting lost, and a few disappeared in some parts, but eventually they found the right path. Once I found the location I took care of the…competition." Leon said with a smirk. Razico glanced to him then forward again.

"Did you now? You don't seem to have any weapons on you, either of you. So I assume you're casters of some sort." He said simply.

"You got it buddy, we're the best." Render said proudly.

"We have our talents." Leon said in agreement.

"Alright, so you got some tricks up your sleeve. And we know where the artifact is located. What about the fourth key? That other caster has it, how's he going to make his way down towards it if it's a labyrinth down here?" Razico asked looking around.

"He'll find his way just fine. C'mon, let's make sure we beat him there." Render said as he and Leon took off down the corridor. Razico looked at them cautiously then around.

_This isn't right, it's far too…easy._

Razico took off after the two other boys, the man getting the feeling he was being watched from close by.

_Ok, let's see how many odd things stand out here. They have all four keys that aren't supposed to even exist, they came across other hunters that just so happened to find the supposed one and only way into this place, and they somehow assume that other kid who has the fourth key is going to be able to catch up to us no problem. Not to mention-_

Razico stopped and looked around suddenly, the man narrowing his eyes as he glanced behind him.

"Wait a minute…" he said slowly.

_Those that found the lost artifact were all driven away, all claiming it was too dangerous to get their hands on it. So how did two boys just find it unprotected?_

"Something's not right." He said cautiously. He then took off after the two boys that were far ahead, the man following the reddish glow of the torch that was lighting their way. As he ran he glanced around him, the warlock seeing tunnel after tunnel that branched off into the unknown darkness on both sides.

_Leon mentioned some of those other hunters just disappeared down here, I'm betting they didn't just get lost._

"Hey! Wait up!" Razico called out. After a moment he caught up to two boys that were glancing back at him.

"Oh sorry, didn't realize you were that out of shape." Render chuckled.

"What's the holdup?" Leon asked raising an eyebrow.

"You mentioned you followed a few thieves into here, right?" Razico said as he looked around carefully.

"Yeah, they were nothing though. Why?" Leon asked.

"Did you encounter anything else? Anything else that was guarding the treasure?" the warlock asked. The two boys looked to each other then to the warlock.

"No, nothing else down here but the artifact." Leon said shaking his head.

"What's up bud?" Render asked curiously. Razico shook his head and glanced back.

"This isn't right. The stories about the treasure being here said something was protecting it, something that drove all those that found it away. It can't be this easy to get to it." He said cautiously.

"Well obviously it is since we're about to grab it." Render said with a shrug.

"Nothing else was down here Razico, it's unguarded." Leon said.

"No, that wouldn't make sense. Think about it, this artifact is sought after by so many, it couldn't be just sitting out here unguarded. Not to mention that it had to have been placed here by somebody, it wasn't originally here before. Those that found it before would have claimed it if it really was unguarded." Razico reasoned.

"Look around you bud, nobody's home. It's just us down here, the treasure is all ours." Render said with a proud smile.

"He's right, there was nothing else down here but our claim. Whatever may have been here before is long gone." Leon said.

"It's not right though. It's too easy." Razico said looking around. If there was one thing that was always consistent, it's a highly valuable find is _always_ guarded by something, not just hidden down underground.

"Well I'm not going to complain about that. C'mon Leon, let's hurry up before this dreaded guardian comes back to his lair." Render said with a mocking chuckle. The two boys laughed and ran off ahead.

"Wait! You idiots, don't you see it's a trap?" Razico called out. He shook his head with a tired expression.

"They are way too confident here." He said simply. He looked around carefully as nothing was heard but the echoing footsteps of the two boys ahead. Darkness was seen down the corridors as the warlock kept a sharp eye around him. He felt a cold chill as he kept his hands at the ready to cast his magic.

"We're not alone down here." He said carefully. He glanced to the side and saw a figure dart back into the shadows in an adjoining tunnel. The warlock held out his hand as a black glow formed around it.

"I know you're there, come out and show yourself!" he called out.

Render and Leon stopped and looked back as they heard the warlock's voice.

"What's he talking about? That guy is way too paranoid." Render said shaking his head. Leon glanced around quickly then back ahead.

"Come on, let's get going ahead. He'll catch up when he realizes he's alone down here and talking to shadows." He said tiredly.

Razico peered into the darkened tunnel to the side, the man keeping his hand ready as his magic flowed around him. Slowly a figure walked out from the darkness, the woman being seen as the phosphorous rocks gave a little bit of light. Razico blinked then looked with wonder.

"Ruby?" he asked as he saw the witch walk towards him with a timid smile.

"Hey, I'm on your side, remember?" the witch said with a gentle voice. Razico lowered his hand looked at the witch with wonder as she stood there.

"Ruby…what are you doing here?" the warlock asked.

"I came to find you Razico. C'mon, let's get out of here, you don't need to do this for me." Ruby said with a soft smile.

"How…how did you get down here?" Razico asked looking around.

"I followed you of course. I left the academy of my own free will Razico, so we could be together." Ruby said gently as she walked closer. The warlock looked at her with gentle eyes as she walked up to him, the witch sliding her arms around his neck slowly.

"I love you Razico. Please, let's just leave this place, you don't need to get the treasure for the headmaster just because of me." She said softly with loving eyes. Razico held her and smiled gently at the witch.

"Ruby, I would do anything for you. Besides I can't just leave this thing down here for others to take. It needs to be sealed away forever." He said softly.

"Don't worry Razico, it'll be ok." Ruby said leaning in for a kiss, the witch closing her eyes as she blushed a bit.

"Nobody will ever find it." She said softly.

"Ruby…" Razico said as he closed his eyes.

"Razico…" she breathed out as she got closer to him.

Razico's eyes widened and he pushed the witch back, the woman stumbling back then looking at him with surprise.

"What's wrong? Razico?" Ruby said gently.

"You're not Ruby." Razico said as his arm glowed a bright black. The witch looked at him curiously as he stepped back a bit.

"I could smell the sulfur on your breath." The warlock said. The witch blinked then smiled slyly. She started chuckling as she vanished, the girl's laugh echoing out in the corridors. Razico looked around cautiously as the sound faded away. He looked down with narrowed eyes and glanced back towards where the two boys ran off to.

"What…what's going on here?" he said quietly.

"Not bad, I was wondering if you would see through that trick." a voice said from behind. Razico looked to see a boy walking towards him. His black clothing and cape blended into the darkness as his blue eyes watched the warlock carefully. His black reptilian hand was at his side as he glanced around casually.

"You, how did…" Razico said getting ready to attack. The boy stopped and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You want to fight me do you?" the boy said simply.

"The thought crossed my mind, you have something we need." Razico said readying his hand. The boy just stared at him for a moment then glanced around.

"Where did your two companions run off to?" the boy said looking back towards the warlock. Razico looked at him carefully as the boy had a cold expression in his eyes.

"I said, where did they run off to?" he repeated with annoyance.

"Sorry kid, they ran ahead. I lost them." Razico said simply.

"Then let's go find them." The boy said walking towards him.

"Nothing doing, I don't know who you are, but you're not getting your accursed claws on that artifact." The warlock said sternly. The boy blinked and looked at him with a slightly amused smirk. He then glanced behind the warlock. Razico narrowed his eyes, then slowly looked behind him. He jumped and backed up as he saw something with surprise.

Standing, or rather seeming to float above the ground, was Ruby, the witch smiling at the warlock with wide eyes. She was completely naked as her arms were extended out towards the man for a hug. Her legs and waist were shrouded in the darkness behind her as she stared at the man, the witch remaining completely motionless.

"What…Ruby?" the warlock said with surprise. He narrowed his eyes and held his hand towards the figure.

"You think I'm going to fall for that again?" he shouted out. The boy chuckled and looked to where the warlock was aiming.

"Not sure what you think you're seeing, but you might want to put your hand down." He said calmly. Razico glanced back to him then over to the witch, the women seeming to have appeared closer while still remaining motionless. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as her smile was twisted.

"What are you talking about?" Razico said while keeping his eyes locked ahead of him.

The witch seemed to float closer slowly, the body seeming rigid while staring at the warlock constantly with wide eyes.

"You're only going to make it angry." The boy said shaking his head. Razico growled then fired out a blast of dark lightning, the shot striking the witch and zapping all around her. Her smile didn't fade as she didn't budge from the attack, the body seeming to be unfazed by the shock. Suddenly the body yelled out with an ear piercing scream before it shifted around, the body turning into a large disjointed hand. It's wrist and arm were shrouded in darkness as it extended into the tunnel as it's pale skin was decaying and falling apart. The bony hand screamed as it stretched out, the palm having a large mouth with razor sharp teeth lining the inside.

"What…is that?" Razico said backing up.

"A screaming hand, what does it look like?" the boy said raising an eyebrow. The large hand raced at Razico and tried to grab him, the warlock dodging back before casting out his dark chains from rifts around the corridor. Chains wrapped around each finger and the wrist as the monster screeched at the two in front of it. It struggled around as the chains creaked and rattled around. Razico focused his power and fired out a blast of fire towards the monster, the attack striking the palm and erupting into a fiery blaze. The warlock watched as the monster didn't burn in the slightest from the attack while it slowly pulled free from the magical chains.

"Damn, it's stronger than I thought." Razico said with frustration. The boy behind him rolled his eyes then glanced to the side corridor.

"Oh look, there's the other one." he said simply. Razico looked over to see another screaming hand clawing it's way down the corridor at them, the two large monstrous hands coming from the middle and left halls of the intersection.

"Other one?" Razico said looking between the two.

"Yeah, why would there just be one hand? They come in pairs you idiot. You know, a left and a right." the boy said flatly. Razico fired a blast of lightning towards one and a fireball at the other, the two attacks striking and doing no apparent damage.

"Again, you're only pissing them off." The boy said simply.

"You seem pretty calm about this." Razico said glancing back to the boy.

"I fear nothing." the boy said flatly.

"Really? Then how do you propose to stop these things oh fearless one?" the warlock said as the two hands were grabbing and clawing closer to them. The boy merely looked at them then glanced behind to see a pale skinned lizard man running down the corridor next to a man in gray and brown robes. The two looked with surprise to see the strange hand that was screaming and grabbing wildly from down the corridor.

"What…what is going on here?" the lizard man said with surprise.

"What the hell is that?" the caster said with caution.

"Perfect. You're just in time to assist us." The boy said casually. He held out his reptilian hand towards the two treasure hunters, the black scaled hand glowing black as they looked to the boy with surprise. Suddenly a black rift tore apart on the ground and a long black tentacle raced out and wrapped around the neck of the lizard while another grabbed hold of the caster. In a flash the limb whipped the scaled monster toward the strange monstrous hand in the middle of the hall, the lizard screaming before the hand caught him in it's grip, while the other limb tossed the caster around the corner towards the other hand. It's fingers pressed the caster towards the palm as the mouth started tearing into the flesh of the screaming man. The lizard man screamed out as the hand smashed it's prey against the walls and onto the ground while chewing it. Razico watched with surprise as the hands slowly devoured their screaming victims while the boy casually walked down the other hall. The warlock blinked then followed after while the lizard fell silent in the grip of the strange hand, with only the crunching of the poor bastard's bones and the screaming of the other hand down the hall echoing out.

"What was that about?" Razico asked curiously.

"Nether hands, they use magic and trickery to catch their prey." The boy said simply.

"No, I mean how you threw those other hunters at them like fresh meat." The warlock said flatly.

"Would you have rather I fed you to those things instead?" the boy asked in a bored tone as he kept looking ahead. Razico glanced to him cautiously.

"No, though I'm curious why you didn't. You don't seem to play well with others, yet you don't seem to want to kill me." The man said while keeping his guard up. The boy merely glanced back to him then forward again.

"We need a fourth don't we?" the boy said flatly. Razico looked at the boy cautiously as they walked down the hall. He wasn't sure if this boy was a friend or foe at this point, though he didn't seem too friendly to begin with.

"So you expect me to help you unlock this thing? Are you out of your mind?" Razico said with a careful eye on the boy. After a few more steps the boy stopped and glanced back to him.

"I expect you to be quiet." the boy said simply. The two locked eyes for a moment before the boy continued on forward. Razico glanced around then back to the kid.

"What a lovely mess this has turned out to be." he muttered. He followed the boy as they kept walking down the darkened corridors.

"Might I at least know your name before you betray us in the future? You know, just so I have a name to curse out loud later." Razico said dryly. The boy kept walking without looking back to him.

"Not much of a talker are you?" the man said simply.

"Just shut up already." the boy said simply. Suddenly black chains whipped around in front of him blocking the path, the boy merely glancing back to see Razico having his hand held out.

"You really do have poor social skills kid. I appreciate the help back there and all, but I don't think this partnership is going to work out. You just seem too…unpleasant." The warlock said simply. The boy merely looked at him for a moment then waved his black hand back, the boy causing multiple tentacles to rip out from rifts around the hall. Razico jumped back before his arms and waist were grabbed, the man being thrown against the wall as more wrapped around his legs and neck. The boy walked up to him and glared into his eyes.

"I could have killed you back there foolish hunter, do not test me. I however, like those idiots up ahead, need four to unlock the seal. Now, try keeping that mouth of yours closed and I might let you live. Or, if you prefer I'll feed you to those hands back there, I'm sure they're still hungry." The boy said coldly. The tentacles tightened their grip as the warlock struggled to free himself. He growled then glanced to the boy's reptilian hand.

_This magic is far too strong for somebody of his age, that hand must be giving him this power._

"That thing can never be opened, you can't be serious about this." Razico growled.

"I'm dead serious, no rumors that may surround the chest will chase me away." The boy said coldly.

"And what makes you think I'm going to help you with your suicidal ambition?" the warlock said with frustration. The boy smirked and snapped his fingers, the black rifts vanishing along with the limbs that came from them. As the warlock regained himself the boy walked off down the hall. He vanished into the darkness as Razico growled with frustration. He knew the boy expected him to follow, seeing as how the warlock was determined to get to the treasure first. That and the boy needed him, if only to actually open the seal and that was it. The warlock took off after the mysterious boy hoping to stop both him and the other two hunters from reaching their goal.

* * *

Render and Leon were looking with bright eyes as they walked out of the darkened tunnel. They were inside a large cavern, the darkness extending far out and high above them. The ground was blackened rock that was coarse as the walls were rough stone. Although the large area was pitch black around them an object was clearly seen as it glowed brightly in the middle of the darkness. It was a very large square chest that had gold and ivory handles and edges, with the box itself being gray with an odd shimmer to it. On the four corners facing out at angles were four keyholes, each oddly shaped and unique. The air around it seemed to waver slightly as an odd glow illuminated the chest. Beneath it on the ground several strange circles and markings glowed a bright yellow as they gently revolved around the artifact.

"It's…real. It's really real." Render said in awe.

"I know, when I saw it myself…I almost couldn't believe it." Leon said as they slowly approached it.

"I think I might piss myself because it's so beautiful…I mean…wow." Render said with amazement.

"I wouldn't hold it against you man." Leon said with wonder.

"Do you realize what this means Leon? All the richest of the richest treasures lie within this chest. Wonders that were locked away long ago by the gods themselves. And now they're ours, ours at last." Render said with a drooling smile.

"Claiming this as our find alone will assure our status as famous hunters. The riches within…well, we'll never have to worry about spending money again." Leon laughed with a grin. Render chuckled then ran up to the large chest, box coming up to his neck as he admired it. He laughed a bit then hugged the chest with a joyous smile.

"It's more glorious than the legends described it to be. Incredible. It even smells heavenly." He said in awe. He looked to the keyhole that was facing out from one corner.

"I wonder what manner of treasure lies inside. Weapons of the gods? Jewelry of the finest quality? Magical relics of the strongest caliber?" Leon wondered as he walked around the large box. Render examined the keyhole curiously.

"Ok, we have three of the keys needed here. All we need is for the other to come to us." Render said as he examined his key on his chain. He had another in his pocket as well. Leon examined his, the boy putting it back into his pocket and then looking towards the fourth corner.

"So what's the plan here? We need all four turned at the same time to open this." He said inquisitively. The keyholes were spaced out and angled away so nobody could turn them at the same time alone.

"We just need to wait for those two to show up, then we can…work out the details." Render said cracking his knuckles.

"How about you open it for me then die?" a boy's voice said from nearby. The two hunters looked over to see the boy in black looking at them with narrowed blue eyes. The two boys tensed up as the third hunter walked towards them with cold eyes.

"Just who we were waiting for, I knew you'd find your way down here eventually. Except, hmm, did you happen to come across our number three in there? He was talking to himself or something earlier while we were heading over here." Render said with a hopeful smile.

"I did, kept him from getting eaten alive as you two just left him there. Not very wise, very few make it this far after all, and we need four people in case you've forgotten." The boy said calmly. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the boy.

"Eaten alive? By what?" Leon asked.

"By creatures that didn't go down easily, or at all for that matter." Razico said as he walked up towards them. The warlock looked over and stared with wide eyes at the sight of the artifact, the man having trouble believing what he was seeing. Sure enough the mystical chest was indeed right before him. The warlock stared at it with disbelief as his eyes recognized the artifact from all the stories he had come across. It was indeed the sacred tomb that he was after, the sacred tomb that he was determined to prevent from being opened. After a moment he looked back to see the three boys staring each other down.

"Thanks for helping me out back there, _buddy_." Razico said bitterly at Render. The boy rubbed the back of his head with a weak smile.

"Hey I don't know what you're talking about, we didn't come across anything bad coming here." He said.

"Yeah, smooth sailing for us the whole way." Leon said eyeing the third boy carefully.

"I'm sure." The boy said coldly.

"Not sure what you're all talking about, but now that we're all here, how about we put our differences aside, and open this bad boy up, shall we?" Render said with a mischievous smile and an eager nod.

"We're all needed for the deed. Let's open it, and then settle who can be the rightful claimer afterwards." Leon said glaring at the third boy.

"Works for me." The boy said with narrowed eyes.

"Not for me. I have no intention on opening this thing." Razico said watching the three hunters carefully. They looked over to him as he shook his head.

"It's sealed for a reason, and no way am I going to unlock it. I only came down here to get it out of this place and take it far away to be sealed away forever. This thing shouldn't even exist, let alone fall into the wrong hands." He said assuredly.

"Hey c'mon man, we're so close! It's right here! Right _here_! Just four simple turns of the keys, and we're set for life!" Render said pointing to the chest.

"You're worried about nothing man, those rumors about it are all bogus. Just something to scare away the weak minded, true treasure hunters don't fear such stories." Leon said simply.

"I only spared you to help with this. If you insist on backing down you're expendable." The third boy said with a glare.

"I have no intention on fighting you, but if I must than I must. I cannot allow you to set the world into chaos with your foolishness." Razico said as he got ready to attack. The three boys glanced around then towards the warlock.

"C'mon buddy, don't be foolish. Look, I'm sorry you ran into trouble back there and all, but we never left you to die or anything. You can still have your fair share of the treasure when we open it, really." Render said with a hopeful smile. Razico shook his head and glanced to the chest.

"No way kid, nothing is worth opening that thing. Do yourselves a favor and walk away from this." He said sternly.

"We're not going anywhere Razico. If you really don't want to help then just go, I have no desire to harm you. However you are _not_ stopping us from claiming it." Leon said firmly.

"Yes I am kid, I'll be doing you all a favor by keeping this thing hidden from the world." Razico said with a nod.

"I'd rather kill you all and find three other simpletons to open the chest with, that seems like the easiest route from here." The third boy said with a glare around the area.

"Try your luck. You may have a lot of magical prowess, but there's no way I'll ever let you open this." Razico said with a glare right back. Leon kept a sharp eye on the third boy as Render tensed up. Razico kept his eyes on the third boy mostly, while keeping track of the other two. They seemed to be friendlier than the other one, however the warlock would take no chances.

"I don't want to harm kids, it's not my style. But you leave me no choice. There is no way I'll ever allow anyone to open this seal. No matter what, nobody will open Pandora's Box!" Razico yelled as his arm glowed black, the warlock aiming his hand at the three others that watched him closely. As they all prepared to square off for the right of the treasure the warlock had his magic ready to use at a moments notice, the caster ready to throw all he had to ensure the mystical box remained shut for all time.

_Inside this box are all the horrors that were sealed away by the Almighty long ago. How could these kids be blinded by such stories of wealth and fame when any decent treasure hunter knows that this thing isn't a treasure, it's a curse._

"Alright then…" Render said as he tensed up.

"We'll play it your way." Leon said as he did the same. The third boy narrowed his eyes as his reptilian hand formed a black glow around it.

Suddenly a beeping noise sounded off, with three consecutive beeps followed by another set. Razico blinked and looked around as the three boys glanced to each other. They all took a small watch out of their pockets and looked at it carefully.

"Dammit." Render said with frustration.

"That just figures." Leon said shaking his head. The third boy just growled then put the watch back into his pocket. Razico looked at the three boys with confusion as they lowered their stances. After a pause the third boy walked off towards the exit.

"Hey, where…are you going?" Razico asked. The boy merely glanced back to him then walked out. Leon and Render sighed and looked back to the glowing chest.

"We were so close too." Render pouted.

"What? What's going on here?" Razico asked puzzled.

"Yeah, oh well. Tomorrow's another day." Leon said with a shrug.

"Tomorrow?" Razico said shaking his head in bewilderment. He looked around puzzled as the two kids sighed and started walking away. They had gone from starting a fight to the death over the legendary chest to simply walking away casually in three seconds.

"Hey, what's going on here? Why are you just leaving like that?" Razico asked confused. The two stopped and shrugged with weak smirks.

"Yeah…sorry buddy, but we gotta get going for the night." Render said with a weak laugh. The warlock just looked at them with confusion. After a long pause he just shook his head in disbelief.

"What? You mean…you're just going to leave like that? After all you went through to get here you're just going to walk away now?" he asked. The boys chuckled and looked to the glowing chest.

"Yeah, but we'll be back tomorrow to claim our reward." Render said proudly.

"Tomorrow?" Razico said flatly.

"Yeah, you know, the day after today. Besides nobody else can claim it, we have the keys remember?" Render said with a snicker. Razico looked at them perplexed then over to the chest.

"Yeah, and it'll be safe here for us to come back to. No monster is going to be moving it away from here in the meantime." Leon said confidently.

"Really, how are you so sure about that?" Razico asked simply.

"Look at the ground around the chest. That's a binding seal, the chest isn't going to move from that spot anytime soon." Render said pointing at the glowing circles and marks below the large chest. Razico looked at the markings carefully then over to the two boys.

"But…why are you leaving now?" he asked confused.

"We…have someplace to be tomorrow morning. Can't be late. Not again anyway…" Render said with a weak smile.

"Yeah, it's a long story." Leon said rubbing the back of his head. The two shrugged then took off out of the dark cavern. Razico watched them leave with puzzlement looked to the glowing chest with wonder. He walked over to it and examined the legendary box carefully.

"I can't believe it…how did this thing even get here? It's…impossible. This shouldn't be real." He said as he ran his hand along the top of the chest. The object was large enough to hold who knows what in it, though if it was made by otherworldly or high powered beings it could have even greater capacity than what the eye would believe. The man tried to push the chest, the object not budging in the least. He growled then cast his chains around it, the warlock trying to pull the chest towards him. Again the artifact remained perfectly still.

"Dammit, that seal really is holding it tight." He muttered. The warlock looked at the box with frustration then over towards the exit.

"I don't know how this thing got here, I don't know why it exists now, and I have no clue how those kids got all four keys for it. But I'm not going to let anybody open this thing ever." he said with determination. He knew what the legends said about the box, how it contained all the horrors and unspeakable evils of ages long past. How it was rumored to hold treasure and vast wealth as a means to lure unsuspecting hunters towards it to free the evil within. The sacred box did indeed exist apparently and was sealed to the ground deep underneath the dead troll kingdom. Other hunters may be determined to find it, and some may even manage to survive the strange and powerful guardians that roamed the labyrinth around the artifact, yet nobody would be opening it now.

Nobody except those kids who had the four keys. The warlock looked to the exit with determination then dashed out, the caster making haste to find the kids who had the means to unlock the tomb. The kids who would set the world into chaos with their foolish ambition of wealth and power.

10 minutes later:

Razico managed to dash out of the entrance from the labyrinth with his clothes tattered some, his breathing heavy, and his back having a claw mark on it. He scrambled out of the disheveled open basement of the troll house's remains and dropped down onto the grass with wide eyes.

"Holy shit…how many guardians are down there anyway? And how the hell did those kids avoid them _all_?" the warlock cried out. He growled then looked around in frustration. He could still hear the battles and howls of the hunters that still tried to ascend the hill nearby.

"Still…those two were right. Nobody's going to get to the chest, and even if they do they won't be able to do anything. I hate to leave this place empty handed, but I guess I don't have a choice." He said with discontent. The warlock took off towards where his motorcycle was buried in the hay where he was knocked off balance. As he ran over he saw the same cycle take off with the black caped boy driving it.

"What…oh c'mon, again?" the warlock cried out in disbelief. He looked over to see Render and Leon watching the boy drive off with blank expressions, then looking over to the warlock.

"Yeah, looks like he stole your bike." Render said with a shrug.

"I noticed, why didn't you two stop him?" Razico barked out. The two looked to each other and back to the warlock.

"Didn't really cross our minds at the time. Sorry." Render said with a weak smile. Razico face palmed then looked at them with a dull glare.

"How did you two get to this place anyway?" he asked flatly.

"We drove." Leon said simply. Razico looked at them carefully then over to where the cycle was vanishing into the darkness.

_I need to get all those keys away from them so nobody will ever be able to open the chest. Then I'll head back to Yokai Academy and get help. If I head back now…they could try to open it while I'm away._

"Fine, I'm going with you then." the warlock said looking back to them.

"What? Why?" Render said with a jump.

"Because you two left me for dead in that damned labyrinth. Because you two are trying to open Pandora's Box and destroy the world. Because you let that damned bastard drive off with _my_ bike! But mostly because you let that fucking kid drive off with MY bike!" Razico roared out. The two glanced to each other then back to the warlock.

"See, I don't know if that's a good idea and all…" Render said slowly.

"Why not?" Razico said with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I mean you're cool and all, but…I kinda like to stretch out in the backseat and everything. Plus there's the whole part of you not really up for helping us get our treasure. You know what I'm saying?" the boy said with a weak smile. Razico grabbed him by the collar and held him close.

"If you're not going to give me those keys then I'm going with you to keep an eye on you two. Got it?" he said sternly. Render blinked then smiled nervously.

"Ok. You talked me into it buddy. Let's ride." Render said simply.

"Fine, let's just get going." Leon said tiredly. The three glanced around then took off towards the forest where they had a ride stashed away and out of sight. As they did Razico kept a sharp eye on the two boys that possessed three of the needed keys to unlock Pandora's Box.

_No way in hell are you guys opening that thing, I'd die before that would ever come to be._

* * *

Mizore and Kurumu were walking outside of the academy, the two girls having worried expressions on their faces as the sky had turned to night. They had waited with the others as per orders from their boyfriends, but after the day passed by and they didn't return the girls started to get worried. Yukari and Kokoa had been calmed down somewhat, both girls still devastated by their boyfriends breaking up with them suddenly. Moka and Ruby had managed to convince them that the boys would get this mess straightened out, and not to lose hope that their boyfriends would be back to their normal selves again. After waiting as long as they could however Mizore and Kurumu had left to find out what was going on with their loved ones.

"I don't get it, what could they be doing for so long? I thought for sure they would drag those two back to the clubroom right away." Kurumu said looking around, the girl keeping a feel out for her Destined One's bond.

"We shouldn't be out here, this was a mistake." Mizore said softly looking down.

"What are you talking about? We waited till the sun went down, something's wrong here and you know it." Kurumu said.

"Yes, but Dark told me to wait with Kokoa." Mizore said shaking her head.

"Do you _always_ do everything he says by the letter?" Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow. Mizore merely nodded as she glanced around.

"Why? He's not the boss of you, you still have that thing called free will." Kurumu said shaking her head.

"I know that, but I trust his judgment. He's always known the right course of action to take. Even Felucia knew that, that's why she never questioned him. I'm going to be a faithful wife to him, and I know that what he says is the best path to take." Mizore said softly.

"He's really got you by a leash doesn't he?" Kurumu said curiously.

"He can if he wants to, it's kinda fun when he does actually." Mizore said with a soft smile and blush. Kurumu smiled a bit at that then looked around again.

"Well I'm going to find my boyfriend and get some answers. We had to listen to those two girls cry all day, I want to know what's going on here. Poor Yukari and Kokoa, their boyfriends have some explaining to do or else." she said firmly. She stopped and looked around quickly.

"What is it?" Mizore asked.

"Rason. He's close, I can feel it." Kurumu said looking around in the sky carefully. Mizore stopped and slowly looked to the side. She could feel something there even though nothing was seen.

"Dark." she said softly.

"There he is." Kurumu said looking up, the girl feeling the exact pull of her loved one. Sure enough from the sky above Rason flew down towards them. At the same time Dark appeared from a black wisp, the boy walking towards the girls with a blank expression and no earbuds. Mizore looked at him worriedly then down as Kurumu smiled up at her angel.

"Hey! Where did you guys go? Did you find Ahakon and Gin?" she asked eagerly. The angel landed down and started to slip on his shirts as the two boys walked up to them. Kurumu looked to Mizore and nudged her.

"Hey, what are you scared for?" she asked. Mizore blinked and glanced up to Dark.

"Dark…I know I was supposed to stay with Kokoa…but…we were worried." she said softly.

"Way to assert yourself frosty." Kurumu said with a smirk. She looked to Rason curiously.

"She's right though, we were getting worried about you guys. What happened? It's so late, we didn't know what you were doing." she said worriedly. Rason and Dark looked at the girls with blank expressions. Mizore slowly looked up to the demon curiously.

"What happened to your player? Did they break it again?" she asked.

"Where are Ahakon and Gin? Did you find them out here?" Kurumu asked curiously.

"Kurumu." Rason said softly. The girl smiled at him with loving eyes.

"Yes Rason?" she asked as she got closer.

"Mizore." Dark said softly, the snow maiden looking to him curiously.

"What is it beloved?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"I told you to wait with Kokoa." the demon said with narrowed eyes. The snow girl trembled a bit then looked down.

"I'm sorry Dark. I know she needed support, but we were worried and-"

"You're not fit to be my wife." he said coldly. Mizore's eyes widened and she looked to him with shock, the girl's lollipop falling out of her open mouth. Kurumu looked over with wide eyes as Mizore started to tremble.

"Wh…what?" she breathed out.

"You are no longer my wife Mizore." he said harshly. Her world seemed to crack apart around her, the girl feeling her heart break apart instantly. It was as if the wind was knocked out of her, the girl feeling her legs about to give out. The snow girl shook a bit as tears started to leak out.

"Dark…wha…you can't mean…" she said as she started to cry. She held out a hand towards him as she struggled to keep calm.

"What is this? Why are-" she started before he swatted the hand away, the snow girl looking at him with absolute heartache. Kurumu stared at the demon, then slowly looked over to her angel. He was looking at her with discontent, the boy just staring at her. Slowly she started to tremble and shake her head.

"No…" she said softly. She held a hand over her heart and shook her head more.

"You're not going to…not you…" she said shakily.

"We're through Kurumu." he said coldly.

The succubus stared with shock as her eyes went wide, the girl's mouth open as she froze in place. She felt her heart stop as the world around her fell apart.

"Ra...son..." she breathed out.

"I'm done with you Kurumu, find somebody else to suffocate." the angel said harshly. Kurumu just stared with absolute shock at the boy.

"Dark…please…" Mizore said shakily as she trembled.

"That's final." Dark said coldly as he turned to walk away. Rason nodded and followed after, the two boys walking away from the girls who stood there motionless. After a moment Mizore dropped to her knees as her eyes were focused on where her demon walked off.

"Hey, there you girls are." Ruby said as she, Moka, Yukari, and Kokoa walked towards them.

"Did you find Dark and Ra- what…are you two ok?" Moka said worriedly as she saw the two girls staring ahead with devastation. Mizore started to cry softly, then broke down as she held her hand over her mouth. The snow maiden choked back a few sobs before she buried her face into her hands, the girl starting to cry loudly while Kurumu still stared ahead without moving.

"Mizore? Kurumu? What happened?" Ruby asked as the girls ran over to them.

"What's going on?" Yukari asked worriedly. Mizore sobbed a bit then looked up to them with heartbroken eyes.

"Dark…" she said shakily, the snow maiden choking back her sobs. The girls looked at her then to Kurumu. Slowly they looked back to the snow girl with wide eyes.

"No." Kokoa said slowly shaking her head.

"They…they didn't…" Yukari said with fear.

"Not them…they…they couldn't…" Ruby said holding her hand over her mouth.

"Oh dear lord…you mean…they…" Moka said in disbelief. Mizore trembled then broke down, the girl crying into her hands as the ground below her froze over.

"Dark left me!" she cried out with agony. The girls looked at her with shock as Kokoa and Moka knelt beside her.

"Oh god…how…why?" Ruby said shaking her head.

"Them too?" Yukari said with shock. Mizore cried loudly as she shook, the girl freezing the ground around them as the temperature dropped around the area. The girls shivered a bit but still remained with their friend, all in shock from hearing the news.

"Mizore…oh my god…no, this can't be happening!" Kokoa cried out grabbing her hair.

"They're all breaking up with you…how can this be?" Ruby said with devastation.

"Mizore…I'm so sorry." Moka said holding her hand over her mouth. She hugged the snow maiden, the girl feeling cold chills run down her spine in doing so but not caring. After a moment she looked up to see Kurumu still staring to where the angel had left, the girl not moving or blinking. Moka stood up and looked at her friend with sorrow.

"Kurumu…I…oh god I'm sorry." she said as she hugged her friend. The other girls looked to Mizore as she cried uncontrollably, the girl feeling her heart shattered from the demon's words. Snowflakes were starting to fall around the area as the girl's power started to emerge, her mind devastated from the heartache.

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening." Yukari said holding her hat and shaking her head.

"What has gotten into them? How could they-" Ruby started before Moka leaned back with a jump.

"Kurumu?" she asked. The girls looked over to see Moka shaking Kurumu a bit.

"Kurumu?" she said again worriedly.

"Moka? What's wrong?" Yukari asked. Moka looked at her friend with great concern as she trembled a bit.

"Hey…hey! Kurumu!" she said with worry. Mizore looked up as the succubus still stared ahead with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked. Moka looked at her friend with fright then shook her head. Mizore's eyes widened as she saw the girl's lifeforce, the lifeforce that was quickly fading away.

"She's not breathing!" Moka cried out as Kurumu dropped to the ground. Everybody looked to the succubus in surprise as she lay on the ground, the girl in a state of shock from the angel's words. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was open, her body was unresponsive.

And her heart had stopped beating.


	8. The Princess Of Hell

Tsukune was walking down the halls of Yokai Academy, the boy looking down at his rosary seal over his wrist with a blank gaze. The other girls had left to find Mizore and Kurumu after the two went looking for their boyfriends. Yukari and Kokoa were eventually calmed down somewhat by the group, although each girl was still heartbroken and on the verge of tears. Moka promised that when they found the other boys they would get this all sorted out, and not to lose hope. It was little comfort, but Yukari and Kokoa clung onto it as much as they could. During their time in the clubroom while the girls were talking Tsukune had another occurrence where he became incredibly thirsty, and had another strange sensation of seeing everybody's blood light up in front of him. The other girls were more focused with keeping the two heartbroken ones calm to notice him acting differently, the boy shaking his head to clear the images and holding his throat which felt dry. Feeling like something was happening to him, and was growing out of control, he excused himself to go for a walk to try to figure it out without adding to the others worry. He used the excuse of trying to find the boys should they be in the school still, the other girls accepting that as Mizore and Kurumu set out towards the dorm buildings. The others said they would catch up to the two girls when they calmed down Yukari and Kokoa enough to walk around again.

"What is this…what's happening to me?" Tsukune said tiredly as he shook his head. He felt so thirsty, and hungry at the same time. He felt his blood heating up as he slowly walked down the halls of the empty school.

"So thirsty…why?" he said softly as he shook his head.

"Hey, you ok?" a girl's voice said from behind. He looked to see Ran standing there behind him, the girl in her usual school uniform wearing her glasses and Greek ivy headpiece. She walked up to him and looked at the boy curiously.

"You don't look so good." she said worriedly. Tsukune looked down and held his hand over his eyes, the boy trying to stop the image of her blood from illuminating before him. His body seemed to yearn to lunge at her, the boy trying to resist with all his might.

"I'm just…thirsty, really thirsty." he said shaking his head.

"I know what'll make you feel better." Ran said calmly. Tsukune looked back to her and jumped back in surprise. The girl was holding Ren in front of her, the pink haired girl facing him with a bashful expression as Ran held her around the waist with one arm and her shoulders with the other. The blue haired girl's dark smile and cold eyes seemed drastically different on her as she gently brushed her hand along her sister's neck and turning her head slightly.

"How about some fresh blood?" Ran said with a cold voice. Ren trembled as Ran held her head gently to the side, her neck being exposed as Tsukune stared with wide eyes.

"Sister…why?" Ren said shakily as her eyes watched Tsukune stare at her.

"What…what is this?" Tsukune said softly.

"He's hungry dear sister. He needs to _feed_." Ran said coldly before licking her sister's neck gently, the blue haired girl's eyes staying focused on Tsukune. Ren trembled and whimpered as Tsukune felt his blood boil. His vision started to get cloudy as the hunger within felt unbearable.

"Feed? What…what are you talking about?" Tsukune said shaking his head, the boy's mind starting to blur slightly.

"You're hungry Tsukune. Please, take as much of her blood as you desire." Ran said as she forcibly held Ren's head to the side, the pink haired girl gasping and trembling while looking at Tsukune with fear.

"Please…no…" the girl said softly.

"Quiet sister, he needs blood. Your blood." Ran said as she smiled devilishly. Tsukune's heart started to pound heavily as his eyes flickered red. His throat felt so dry and his hunger was overwhelming. The pink haired girl trembled as her veins illuminated, the boy seeing her blood flowing through her. And at her neck he could see the veins that were bright, the boy's eyes locked onto them while he started to sweat a bit.

"No…" Ren said with wide eyes.

"Suck her dry Tsukune…feed to your heart's content." Ran said with a dark chuckle.

"Please…don't…" Ren begged.

"Use her to quench that thirst Tsukune, you know you want her blood." Ran said slyly.

"I beg of you…" Ren pleaded.

"I could tell how you looked at her in the cafeteria…her blood got you going didn't it? Well, take it. Take it all from her if you so desire." Ran said in a seductive voice. Ren whimpered as she closed her eyes. Tsukune trembled then looked down with closed eyes, the boy using all his willpower to stop himself.

"Stop this, what are you doing? She's your sister!" he shouted out as he shook his head. He looked back up to see they were gone, the boy being completely alone in the hallway. He breathed heavily for a moment then looked down as he held a hand over his eyes again.

"What…why am I seeing these things?" he said softly to himself.

"NO!" Moka shrieked from down the hall. Tsukune looked to see Moka, Mizore, Yukari, and Kokoa running after Ruby who was holding Kurumu in her arms. They raced down another hall as they were heard screaming.

"What the…what's going on?" Tsukune said as he ran after them.

Ruby burst into the infirmary and raced the catatonic girl over to a bed. The place was empty as the staff had left for the day. The other girls ran in and gathered around the bed as Ruby was franticly examining her.

"Kurumu! Kurumu!" Ruby yelled out as she looked at her with fright.

"Oh god, what happened to her?" Yukari said shaking her head.

Tsukune raced in and looked to see the girls gathered around the blue haired girl, the succubus just staring up at the ceiling with a look of shock on her face.

"What happened? Kurumu?" he said as he ran over to them.

"Oh Tsukune, she's not breathing! She's not breathing or waking up!" Moka cried out with tears forming.

"My god, what happened?" Tsukune said looking at the girl with concern. He looked around to see the other girls looking at her with sorrow. Ruby shook her head and ran over to the medical cabinet.

"It was Dark and Rason…" Kokoa said softly.

"What? What about them?" Tsukune said looking around.

"Get out of the way, hurry!" Ruby said as she ran back with a needle. The group watched as she took the cap off, squeezed it slightly, then jammed it into Kurumu's heart. She tossed the needle into the trash and started pushing on the girl's chest with quick jumps.

"C'mon…c'mon…dammit Kurumu don't leave us!" Ruby said with frustration.

"What's wrong with her, what happened?" Tsukune said shaking his head.

"She's dying Tsukune…she's dying!" Moka said with tears forming.

"What? How?" Tsukune said with shock.

"A succubus is a love demon Tsukune." Ruby said as she stopped pushing on the girl's chest and held her head to her heart, the witch hearing no heartbeat at all.

"I know that, but why is she dying? What happened to her?" Tsukune cried out.

"A succubus gets her energy and life from her love, from her Destined One. It's that love that keeps them alive Tsukune." Ruby said as she started again in her attempts to resuscitate the girl. She shook her head with frustration and a few tears then started to push harder. Tsukune looked at the witch then to the blue haired girl.

"I don't get what you're saying. What happened to her?" he said with worry.

"Rason broke up with her." Moka said softly. Tsukune looked to see the vampire watching her friend lie on the bed before her, the vampire's eyes watering up.

"What?" Tsukune breathed out.

"He broke up with her Tsukune…he crushed her heart." Moka said as she tried to control her emotions. Mizore choked back a sob and nodded.

"Dark…left me too." she said as she wept a bit. Tsukune looked to her with absolute disbelief then around to see Kokoa and Yukari fighting back tears.

"How…why?" the boy said with a stunned expression.

"We don't know why, but we do know it's killing her." Ruby said as she stopped her efforts and brought out her wand. She held the stick towards the girl's chest and it glowed a bit.

"Killing her?" Tsukune said looking to his friend.

"When Rason broke up with her…her heart stopped Tsukune. Without her Destined One's love…she's dying." Moka said before she sobbed a bit. Ruby growled then closed her eyes.

"Clear!" she shouted out. The wand sent out a powerful shock of electricity, the succubus jerking up slightly then collapsing down. Ruby held up Kurumu's wrist and felt for a pulse. There wasn't one. She growled then tried again.

"Clear!" she said as she cried a bit. Again the group watched her zap the girl with her magic, the succubus jumping slightly then collapsing down with the same look of shock on her face. Ruby held the girl's wrist while the group watched with worried eyes.

"Dammit, Kurumu!" Ruby shouted as she started pumping on the girl's chest again, the group watching with pained expressions as their friend lay there.

"Don't die…not again…please Kurumu, you can't leave us!" Moka cried out.

"Her lifeforce…it's fading out." Mizore said with wide eyes.

"No! Kurumu!" Yukari cried out as she gripped her hat. Ruby shut her eyes as she choked back a sob, the witch pushing again and again to try to jumpstart the girl's heart.

"No…this…this can't be happening." Tsukune said shaking his head.

"It's almost gone!" Mizore cried out as she grabbed her friend's hand, the snow maiden watching with teary eyes as her friend's lifeforce started to fade away completely.

"No! Kurumu come back! Don't leave us!" Kokoa cried out.

Ruby tried again and again, then stopped. The witch slowly leaned back and looked with sorrow at her friend.

"No…it's…it's gone." Mizore said as she held a hand over her mouth. The others watched with devastation as their friend lay there, her lifeforce completely out.

"No…Kurumu…" Moka said as she started to cry. Ruby looked at Kurumu's face then down. Slowly she held out a hand and closed the girl's eyes, the witch feeling her heart ache for the loss.

"She's…gone." she said softly.

"She can't…not again…she can't die!" Yukari cried out before breaking down. Mizore and Moka dropped to their knees by the bedside and looked with watery eyes at their friend. Tsukune stared with a pained expression at the girl who, a little while ago, was alive and well.

"No…this can't be happening." he said softly as he dropped down onto the bed behind him, the boy staring with disbelief at his friend. Yukari started crying and buried her face into Kokoa's shirt, the vampire holding her friend and looking at Kurumu with a pained expression.

"Kurumu…Kurumu!" Moka cried out into the air, the girl feeling her heart break for losing her friend. Mizore broke down crying, from both Dark breaking up with her and losing her friend. Ruby lowered her head and closed her eyes, the witch struggling not to cry out. Tsukune looked with devastation at the girl's body then lowered his head.

"No…not again…Kurumu…" he said quietly.

* * *

In the dark recesses of hell screams and cries of agony echoed throughout the charred and smoking corridors and caverns. Fire and flames seared around the walls as smoke billowed around in the larger corridors. Monsters and humans that were cast into the eternal fires were destined to be tortured and tormented for all time. Demons of hell roamed the underworld as they went about their jobs of delivering pain and suffering to those that led horrible lives up above.

In a vast cavern that had a red glow within a girl with blue hair was standing. She was completely naked as her demonic wings and tail were extended behind her, her blue hair held back in a ponytail as always with her trademark bow and cross from the angel she loved. Her violet eyes were looking down with a dull gaze as she stood there, the girl showing no reaction to being in hell once again. All around blood red ogres and demons were keeping their distance, the hordes of hell being all around the large cavern while keeping the girl in their sights. Slowly they all looked around then scurried off, all of them retreating back into the other parts of hell as a dark shadow seemed to appear by a fiery corridor. Slowly Kurumu glanced up towards it as a dark figure was barely seen in the shadows, the outline of the man only being seen by the fires and flames that lit up the corridor behind him briefly.

**"Don't mind them. They won't be touching you this time." **his voice boomed with a dark chuckle. Kurumu looked at the figure then down with closed eyes.

**"Oh? What's this, no pleas or cries for mercy? No tears of sorrow?**" the voice asked somewhat curiously. Kurumu just stood there as she had her head hung down, the girl's hair covering her eyes.

**"I see, already lost the will to live?"** the voice asked as the figure remained in the shadows. Kurumu growled then glared towards it.

**"Haha, I see you do have some fire in you after all, however small it may be."** the voice said with a small laugh.

"If you expect me to beg forget it. You couldn't possibly do anything to me to harm me more now." the girl said with hatred.

**"Now now, choose your words carefully my dear, you are after all in my domain."** the voice said slyly. Kurumu again looked down with closed eyes.

"It doesn't matter. Torture me or do whatever you wish, I don't care. I have nothing left to hold onto." she said softly. The shadows closed in around the girl, the red stones and air around her keeping their glow as the fires and flames around the cavern flared up.

**"My dear girl, I have no intention on torturing you. I only wished to have a little chat. Why do you think I swiped your soul before it was taken to heaven?"** the voice said with a laugh. Kurumu looked around at the dark shadows that surrounded her with a dull glare.

"Heaven or hell, it makes no difference." she said softly.

**"Oh, there is indeed a difference between the two, you should know that more than anybody."** the voice said from all around her.

"What do you want from me? You won't get any cries for help or screams out of me. There's nothing left to take from me. I've lost everything already." the girl said looking down with sorrow. The voice remained silent as she stifled back a sob.

"I've lost it all…everything I loved…gone." she said closing her eyes.

**"Is that a fact?"** the voice asked curiously. Kurumu looked around as the shadows seemed to circle around her.

**"You claim to have lost it all so soon and quickly, I'm a bit disappointed in you actually."** the voice said with a solemn tone.

"You think I care what you think? You think I give a damn about what you think of me?" Kurumu said with anger. The voice laughed from all around her as she clenched her fists.

"What do you know about anything?" Kurumu yelled around her.

**"I know much about everything, especially you Kurumu."** the voice said with a sly tone. Kurumu looked around carefully as the shadows slowly flowed around the girl to one side, the dark figure appearing with blood red eyes that formed from the darkness. Kurumu looked at the figure as it stared at her, total darkness with two crimson eyes that watched her casually.

"You know my name, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The Lord of Hell himself comes to chat with me, forgive me for not bowing." the girl said with a harsh tone.

**"Haha, I wouldn't ask you to bow Kurumu, no no. However you would do well to listen to me."** the figure said with a booming voice. Kurumu glared at it then looked down.

"There's nothing left to listen to. Nothing left to believe. You're talking to just another damned soul with a broken heart." the girl said softly.

**"Oh spare me the drama. Such weakness and willingness to throw everything away in life, how disgraceful for a demon."** the figure said with a scoff. Kurumu growled then glared at the figure.

"You know nothing Lord of Hell. I threw nothing away." she said with a bite.

**"Haha, oh but you did. I had always expected better of you than this Kurumu."** the figure said with a chuckle.

"What are you saying, you're not making sense. Is this some sort of game, to mess with my head? News flash fucker, I'm already dead, and everything I held dear is already gone!" the girl yelled out. Again the figure laughed a bit while staring at her with his red eyes.

**"Is that a fact?"** he asked curiously.

"Why do you keep asking me that? What kind of 'chat' is this anyway? You just brought me here to talk in circles?" the girl said with discontent.

**"No, I brought you here to talk about how much of a disappointment you are for just giving up so easily."** the figure said calmly.

"Like hell I care if I disappoint you! And I didn't give up, I didn't ask for this! I didn't want any of this! You think this is what I desired? To be cast into hell for all time to talk to you, to be all alone? I had everything I could have ever wanted you asshole, I had Rason! I had my Destined One! I had…I had…" she said before she started getting choked up, the girl looking down as she struggled not to cry.

"I had his love. I had him. I had…everything." she said softly. She trembled then looked to the figure with teary eyes of anger.

"I had everything I could have ever hoped for, and it was just taken away from me! I lost everything in my life! Don't you dare tell me I gave up! I didn't have a choice in this…I didn't have a say…I didn't see how fucking stupid I was when I pushed him away!" she yelled out.

**"Enough!"** the voice boomed, the girl jumping a bit and looking to it with wide eyes.

**"I've heard enough of your self moping. For crying out loud you're a demon, a creature of hell itself. Act like it!"** the voice yelled out. Kurumu stared with wide eyes at the figure as the voice echoed around the cavern like thunder.

**"I brought you down here to hell to help you see how blind you are Kurumu."** the voice said sternly.

"What are you talking about? And since when do you give two shits about anybody? You think just because you made a bargain before that backfired on you, that you came out empty handed, you can act like you're so damned noble? You're the fucking Lord of Hell, there's nothing good about you. Don't act like you pity me, don't pretend you're giving me mercy. Not even the Almighty could give me mercy now, my heart is crushed! Crushed for all time!" Kurumu yelled out. The figure looked at her as the red eyes narrowed.

**"You think you being freed from here was a loss on my part?"** the figure said simply. Kurumu looked at it cautiously as it started to circle around her slowly.

**"You think my deal with the Almighty and your angel was a failure on my part? That I received nothing in return?"** the figure said curiously. Kurumu glanced back to it as it stopped behind her.

**"You know nothing about my doings Kurumu." **the voice said slowly.

"Then start making sense." Kurumu scoffed. The figure vanished and appeared before her again.

**"You still don't see how blind you really were do you? You actually believe your Destined One cast you away."** the voice said curiously. Kurumu looked at him cautiously.

"I'm not blind you jerk. I heard him loud and clear. I saw the hate in his eyes, I heard his voice, I felt the pain…I felt his rejection. I felt-"

**"The bond?"** the voice said again. Kurumu blinked and looked to him puzzled.

**"Did you? Yes…or no?"** it asked. Kurumu glanced up then back to the figure.

**"Well? Answer me. Did you feel your Destined One's bond between you? Or was that truly gone?"** the voice asked sternly. Kurumu thought for a moment then nodded slowly.

"Yes, I…I did feel it. But what does that matter?" she said shaking her head. The voice chuckled and tilted it's head.

**"You of all people should know just how much that matters." **he said with a laugh. Kurumu looked at the figure cautiously then down in thought.

**"I remember that deal that was made for your release. To have the bond removed forever."** the voice said with a curious tone. Kurumu looked to him puzzled.

"But…it came back. You failed in taking it from him." she said shaking her head.

**"Hahahahaha! No no my dear. I did remove it, but that was only to prove a point." **the figure said with an amused tone.

"To prove a point? What are you talking about?" Kurumu asked.

**"I only removed the bond to see for myself, that he was ****_truly_**** your Destined One. You see my dear, that bond you feel was the connection to an angel. Those that are destined to be with an angel of heaven feel the bond, and it grows stronger with each passing day the two are together. Surely you've noticed this."** the voice said. Kurumu looked at him with wonder then upwards.

**"The bond you feel is proof alone that you two are destined to be together. When I first learned that your Destined One was an angel, I was skeptical. No monster has ever had a connection to a being of heaven. However, I was very much intrigued."** the voice said as it chuckled. Kurumu looked to it again cautiously.

"Why do you care so much about me?" she asked.

**"Look around you Kurumu."** the voice said as it waved it's arms around. The girl glanced around to see the scorched walls and tunnels, the fires and smoke, and hearing the howls of monsters and humans being tortured all around.

**"This is what lay ahead for any demon on earth. The fate of being banished back to hell for all eternity as soon as you passed on. Pain, suffering, isolation, and torment for all time."** the figure said with a solemn tone. He looked back to Kurumu and shook his head.

**"This too would have been your fate, your only future after that world up above." **he said somewhat gently. Kurumu looked at him cautiously as she was now more confused than before.

"Again…why do you care so much for me? What's your deal?" she asked with discontent.

**"However, hearing that your Destined One was an angel, a first for any monster in the world, that was a faint glimmer of hope for you."** the figure continued. Kurumu raised an eyebrow at him as he gestured upwards.

**"If you were mated with an angel, perhaps you could be spared such a dire fate. Perhaps you could live happily up above with a true partner in life and afterwards."** he said calmly.

"Where are you going with all this?" Kurumu snapped. The figure looked at her and shook his head.

**"When you first came here, I saw you tortured Kurumu. I saw you ravaged by the demons that were only doing their job. Violated. Raped. And worse. It…pained me."** he said gently. Kurumu looked at him with a bit of surprise as the figure looked up.

**"I removed the bond from you two with what power I had to test him. To test your Destined One if that was what he truly was. Thankfully he proved himself to be your true mate, as the bond came back just as I hoped it would."** the voice said distantly.

"Why did you go to such lengths for me? Why…why have you done all this? Why do you care what happens to me? Why did you spare me from that nightmare before? Why?" Kurumu yelled out. The figure looked back to her and looked at her with it's red eyes.

**"Because I want what's best for you Kurumu. A father always does for his little girl."** the voice said gently.

Silence.

Kurumu stared at the being with surprise, the girl unable to believe what she just heard. After a pause she shook her head then glared at it.

"Father? Father? FATHER? What kind of sick game is this to you? You think you can mess with my head just like that? Like fucking hell you're my father!" the girl yelled out shaking her head. The figure nodded then looked up.

**"Yes, I'm just 'the world class asshole that never called the next day', right?" **he said calmly. Kurumu looked at him with surprise then growled loudly at him.

"Just stop already you sicko, I'm not buying any of this crap! Is that what all this was about? Just to get a good joke in about being my father? You think I'm going to fall for that?" she shouted out. The figure chuckled and looked to her with his blood red eyes.

**"You think this is a game do you? That I brought you here just to mock you myself? Don't patronize me daughter, I have countless underlings to torture and demoralize the souls of the underworld with. If you weren't my own offspring do you think I would have bothered talking to you personally? Let alone had all my demons keep their distance?"** the figure said simply. Kurumu glared at the man, the girl shaking her head and backing up a bit.

"What is this? Just leave me alone, I've already lost everything in my life, I've nothing left to live for! I don't need your fucking pity, and I don't need your twisted stories. Find somebody else to screw around with and leave me be!" she shouted. The figure nodded then looked up.

**"I want you to live my daughter, and to be with your true Destined One. That's why you're going back."** he said simply. Kurumu looked at him with frustration then glared at him again.

"Oh sure, gee thanks so much pops. I guess I get a free 'get out of hell free' card because we're related. This is just too good to be true. Fuck off!" she shouted. The figure chuckled then looked back to the girl.

**"I see you still have your sense of humor. That's good. Perhaps if you apply some proper insight to your problem above you can correct your other mistakes."** he said amusingly.

"Mistakes? What the hell are you talking about?" Kurumu yelled out.

**"You felt his bond Kurumu, he ****_is_**** your Destined One." **the figure said sternly. Kurumu trembled with anger then looked down.

"Not anymore…I'm nothing but a memory to him by now. He cast me away…" she said sadly.

**"Enough of that already!"** the voice yelled out. Kurumu looked to him with surprise as around the cavern demons and monsters started to slither out of the shadows.

**"My daughter isn't so weak hearted to be cast down with words alone. You're a demon Kurumu. Stand proud, stand strong, don't be so feeble as to fall to fear and doubt."** the voice said proudly.

"Enough of this goddamned game, I'm not falling for it. I'm not your daughter, you're not my father, and I'm not blind! Rason dumped me! He cast me away to die alone!" Kurumu yelled out.

**"You have the fire within but you choose to let it die out. Perhaps you need some motivation to think properly."** the figure said as it vanished. Slowly the shadow receded around the cavern as demons and monsters of hell clawed and slithered out from all the tunnels and corridors. Kurumu looked around as they growled and snapped at her.

**"If you really wish to let your angel go, then let the demons of hell take you as they see fit. However, if you decide you want to live to be with him again, to be with your true Destined One, then show me that you're not dead inside Kurumu. Show me that fire you have inside of you."** the voice echoed out around the cavern. The demons and monsters roared then charged from all sides towards the girl. She growled then extended her nails, the girl looking around to see the hellish monsters closing in all around her.

"I'm not playing your fucking game!" Kurumu yelled out. A blood red ogre raced at her and swung his hand towards the naked succubus, the girl taking off into the air above him. Several winged demons took to the air, their black scales and blood red eyes glaring at the girl as their tails whipped behind them. The girl growled and clawed at one while another grabbed her leg. She was thrown around and tumbled into the air as another grabbed her from behind. She growled as the demon held her tightly around her neck and waist while two others raced at her.

**"You didn't think did you? You didn't even try."** the voice said from all around. Kurumu growled then jammed her hands behind her, the girl carving her nails into the beast that howled in pain. She sliced out then dashed towards the other two with fury in her eyes. A black chain whipped around her leg and pulled her down, the girl crashing into the ground as hordes of monsters circled her. She growled as chains whipped around, the girl's arms and legs being tied and pulled out. She was twisted around and bound to the ground as the hellish beings stood over her with drooling mouths and blood red eyes.

**"You were so ready to believe anything he said without a second thought you didn't pay attention did you?"** the voice said again. Kurumu yelled out as she swiped her hands around, the girl's nails tearing the chains apart. She scrambled to her feet and started swiping around wildly.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" she shouted out as she cut down a brute with her nails, the girl then spinning around and razing her nails down the body of another demonic brute.

**"You always talked about how you were destined to be with him, always fighting to the death for each other. And you threw it all away because you didn't think, because you didn't see the truth."** the voice said again. A large lizard man grabbed Kurumu and swung her around, the girl being tossed over to a large two headed ogre that grabbed her hands and held them behind her. The girl was facing the monster as others walked up behind her. She was pulled closer, her rear being exposed as the monsters drooled at the love demon. She growled then struggled to get free before they violated her.

"How dare you…how dare you say such lies!" she yelled as she broke free and swiped around her, the girl's nails swiping through the chest of the ogre and slicing something off of a brute that howled in excruciating pain. As it dropped down holding it's bloodied crotch Kurumu swiped around wildly, the girl yelling out as she tried to fend off the never ending horde of monsters around her.

"You think I threw my life away? Bullshit! He broke up with me! He got rid of me! Just like Yukari, Kokoa, and Mizore went through, we were dumped by the boys we gave everything for! The boys that meant everything to us! The boys we wanted to be with forever!" she yelled with tears forming.

"He just walked away from me! He ripped my heart out and stomped on it!" Kurumu yelled as she was looking around her with fury and tears. She had her wings arched back as her tail whipped around behind her. Her nails were covered in demons blood as her eyes gazed around with a cold glare.

"I loved him…he was my everything…my all. I was prepared to give anything for him! My own life even!" she yelled as she dashed towards the monsters as she cried, the girl launching herself into a frenzied suicide run against the horde.

**"Just as he did for you?"** the voice said. The girl shook her head as the voice echoed in her mind. She clawed at a brute's face, the girl then spinning around to strike at another before she was knocked back by a punch to the chest.

**"Just as he stood up to the Almighty himself for you?"**

Kurumu sliced down a black haired beast man with her claws, the girl then being struck from behind by another reptilian demon. She stumbled forward before swinging around again.

**"Just as he was willing to lose you entirely just to have you live again?"**

She yelled out and clawed at another brute, the girl's nails hacking away it's face before another demon's tail whipped her from behind. She yelped then swung around her sides at other demons blindly.

**"Just as he stood by your side through everything that you went through?"** the voice said expectantly. Kurumu swung at a demon, the girl missing and being grabbed from both sides. Her arms were held out to both sides as the monsters around her growled at her. She trembled with anger and sorrow as she struggled to get free.

**"Just as his love for you kept the bond strong?"**

She yelled out with frustration and anger, the girl being held still as the monsters and hellish minions surrounded her. Their blood red eyes staring at her as her arms were held out to both sides.

**"The bond that came back to you even after ****_I_**** myself removed it?"**

She blinked then stopped struggling, the girl falling limp in their grasp. The monsters of hell laughed and cackled as two of them punched her in the gut. Another whipped her from behind with a chain link whip while others drooled over the girl's ripe body.

**"The bond that was there from the start when you didn't even realize he was your one and only?"**

Another struck her gut with a lash of it's tail, the girl jerking about as her world starting to fade around her. She couldn't fight them all, she felt herself losing all hope. They had her, they were going to use her, now and for all time. She would suffer and be tormented down in hell for all eternity. Alone.

**"The bond that was there even when he ****_claimed_**** he didn't love you?" **the voice called out. Kurumu blinked then slowly looked up with tired eyes. The bond they shared, her and her angel, it seemed to poke at her mind.

**"The bond that proved he was still yours Kurumu, it was always there. You foolish child, you never lost him, just as he never lost his love for you."** the voice said amusingly. Kurumu stared upwards for a moment then looked down at the ground as a monster grabbed her waist from behind, the ogre drooling as it prepared to violate the love demon. Kurumu's eyes were staring down while she was in thought, the words of the dark lord echoing around in her head.

"Rason…" she said softly. All the memories of her being with him, all the time they shared together, all the joy and happiness they had, everything raced through her mind.

**"You knew something was wrong with your friends acting differently, you saw firsthand such irregularities. Yet you didn't think at all when he spoke to you directly. You believed him blindly, even when the proof was still there. That bond that shows he's your true one Kurumu. Your angel. Your love. Your future. Your everything."** the voice boomed. Kurumu was breathing heavily as she was surrounded by the monsters of hell. The ogre behind her laughed as he positioned her down, the girl looking up at the ceiling with wide eyes. The monsters all around her howled as she was held down against her will while her mind raced at the lord's words.

**"You're a demon from hell Kurumu. Act like it! Do not allow anyone to take what is rightfully yours!"** the voice boomed loudly. Kurumu felt a pulse within her, the girl feeling her body heat up. Her mind locked onto Rason again, the image of her beloved angel. The boy she loved more than anything. The only one she wanted to be with. There was no doubt in her mind, no possibility of any other boy ever capturing her heart as he had. He was her Destined One, destined to be with her forever no matter what.

"Rason." She breathed out as her love started to burn from within. Kurumu looked down as her hair covered her eyes, the girl's mind and heart yearning for the angel once more. It started to become overwhelming. The girl felt the desire within grow and grow. She could feel the pulse of the bond within, their connection that was bound to them forever. It called out for him, powerfully, violently. She felt her heart race again, the beating of it pounding away inside of her head.

"He's…mine…" she breathed out as the ogre prepared to have his way with her, her rear exposed and ready for him to use as he pleased.

"He's mine…" she said softly as a brute grabbed her hair from the side, the monster laughing as others stared at the girl with blood red eyes.

"He's mine." She growled as her hands twitched, the girl's willpower flowing throughout her.

"He's mine!" she yelled as chains were wrapped around her arms and legs, the monsters of hell howling out as they chained down the girl.

"He's MINE!" she roared as she looked down, the girl feeling pull for her Destined One clear as day, even though she was deep in the heart of hell. The pull yanked within furiously.

**"You are my daughter."** the voice said as her eyes gave off a purplish glow. She could feel her monster energy spike from her desire.

**"You are the princess of hell."** the voice said as her wings started to smoke. Her body started to heat up more.

**"You are destined to have that angel."** the voice said her body tensed up, the girl feeling her rage for being taken from her Destined One growing.

**"And nobody, mortal or otherwise…"** the voice continued as she looked down with a glare, the girl shaking a bit as she was held in position to be used by the hordes of hell.

**"Shall take that from you!"**

The ogre laughed as he got ready to have his way with the girl, then looked at her with surprise. The girl's wings and tail were smoking as she growled loudly. All the monsters watched with caution as she started trembling with furious snarls. She felt her mind racing, her aura flaring around her, and something else.

Desire.

Desire to be free from hell. Desire to have her angel once more. Desire to be with the one that she was destined to be with. Desire to hear his voice and feel the bond light up inside of her again. Desire to make love to him over and over again.

Desire to kill all those that dared try to take that from her.

**"Now my daughter…show them the true power of hell!" **the voice roared.

Kurumu trembled then arched back, the girl yelling out with fury. She couldn't take it anymore, the burning desire within fueling her rage. She needed her angel, she wanted him more than anything. Her heart needed him. Her body needed him. She needed him. They were destined to be together, fated to mate. And she wouldn't let anything keep that from happening.

"RASON!" she yelled as her wings and tail ignited, the demonic limbs burning ablaze with a purplish flame. The monsters of hell jumped back as she yelled into the air with a feral roar, the girl's aura flaring around her in a dark torrent. The chains around her seared away in the flames, the girl's aura burning all around her. She screamed loudly, the ground around her cracking apart as a dark aura erupted from within. She looked around with murderous eyes as the monsters of hell stared at her with surprise.

"I will not fall…" she growled. Her nails shimmered for an instant showing their razor edge.

"I will not be denied…" she hissed as her aura flared around her wildly.

"I will not be fooled…" she said with hatred as her wings and tail seemed to burn with a bright purplish flame. She raced out towards a group of monsters, the purple flames flowing behind her wildly.

"I WILL HAVE MY ANGEL AGAIN!" She roared as she swiped through three ogres in one go, the three monsters being cleaved into pieces instantly. She yelled out as her fire fluxed around her, the flames swirling around her and blasting away two snake demons. She yelled out with a furious roar then raced towards the frightened demons, the girl having rage in her eyes as she prepared to attack. She swiped again and again around her, her attacks razing and slicing down the hellish monsters brutally. The girl attacked mercilessly, clawing and swiping around her at high speed with incredible power. The hellish fires on her wings and tail burned brightly as her demonic aura raged out of control. Demons and monsters all around the cavern were hacked to pieces by the girl with flaming wings. The girl that would not be calmed down. The girl that was fueled by her desire once more. The girl that felt the overwhelming presence of the bond she cherished so much. The girl that showed to all that she was indeed a true demon.

The true daughter of the Lord of Hell.

After she decimated the hordes of hellish monsters she stood with a cold glare in her eyes among the slaughtered minions. The girl's nails retracted as she looked ahead at the dark figure once more. He glanced around with his crimson eyes then laughed a bit.

**"Not bad Kurumu. Just what I expected of you."** he said with a chuckle. Kurumu's fires died off from her wings and tail, the girl looking at the figure cautiously.

**"Perhaps now you will have the willpower to act as a true demon. To take what is rightfully yours, and slay all those that dare try to stop you."** the voice said as it looked to her again. The girl eyed the figure closely then slowly her expression changed to wonder.

"You…you really are…my…" she said softly. She couldn't believe it. Her father was the Lord of Hell, the darkest and evilest of all beings. All her life she was told by her mother that her unknown father was just some asshole that never called the next day, that he was nothing important. But now she knew the truth, she understood why her mother was reluctant to tell her. It's not everyday a girl finds out she's the princess of hell after all. The figure looked at her and nodded slowly.

**"I had hoped to tell you one day if need be. I can understand how knowing such a thing could be…unsettling."** The figure said somewhat gently. Kurumu looked at the figure with wonder still, the girl finally meeting her father face to face (sort of).

"I can't believe it…you're…my…my father." She said softly. She didn't know whether to be afraid or happy to see him.

**"Now then my daughter, you need to return the living. You have a Destined One to claim, don't you?"** the figure said with a chuckle. Kurumu blinked then looked upwards, the girl's eyes longing for her angel again. She loved him, through and through. And she knew the bond between them was still strong, the bond that showed that they were destined to be together no matter what. She nodded then looked to her father.

"Yes. I won't let him get away, I won't let anyone take him from me." She said with determination. She blinked then smiled a bit.

"Thank you…I…I don't know what to say. I mean…I never thought…you and I…" she said softly.

**"Would meet? Haha, well, I have been keeping an eye on you my dear. I'm glad to see you have found a mate of fate worth killing for."** The father said with a dark chuckle. Kurumu smiled softly then looked up again.

"Thank you, for helping me see clearly. I won't make that mistake again, no way in hell." She said with a nod. The figure laughed as she smirked a bit.

**"Glad to hear it daughter. I expect great things for your future. I knew this boy would be the one after he sacrificed so much for you. To think my daughter would be fated to mate with an angel. It's so twisted and mad, so suitable for one such as yourself in a way."** The figure chuckled. Kurumu giggled a bit then looked to him with a gentle smile.

"That may be, but he really is the one for me father. I love him so much, so very very much." She said as she looked down while holding a hand over her heart.

**"Then go get him my dear. A succubus, let alone my daughter, doesn't take no for an answer."** The voice said calmly. She nodded then looked up. After a moment she looked to the lord curiously.

"Can you really just bring me back to life? Isn't that against the rules for you?" she asked. The figure laughed, the voice echoing out around the cavern.

**"I'm the Lord of Hell aren't I? Bending the rules is a little…perk of mine. Besides, what are they going to do to me? I'm already in hell." **It laughed. Kurumu blinked then smiled softly at the lord. Bright black fires flared up around the girl, the ground below her glowing a reddish hue. She looked to the fires then back to the dark figure.

"Will we…meet again? I mean, now that I know…" she said softly. The figure tilted his head at the girl, then held out his hand through the flames. The dark shadowy hand rested on her head and gently brushed her hair.

**"Perhaps, but for now stay focused on your true goal. Have faith in that bond you share with your mate, it will never betray you. I'm proud of you daughter, I truly am. I may be the Lord of Hell, but that doesn't mean I don't love you."** He said gently. The girl looked at the figure with awe, the red eyes of the darkest evil looking back at her gently. She smiled and nodded slowly as the figure backed up.

**"Now go my dear, your destiny awaits." **The figure said as the flames burned brightly around her. After a giant flash and crackle the fires vanished along with the girl. The dark figure chuckled then glanced behind him to see a girl leaning against the charred walls.

"That was quite a show." Felucia said with a grin. She was dressed in her usual outfit as her eyes glanced upwards curiously.

"I just came by to thank you for allowing me the chance to play with those witches. Didn't expect to see her again though." She said simply. The lord chuckled and looked up.

**"She just dropped by for a little chat. Visiting time however is over, and we have work to get back to. I trust you're enjoying your new home here?"** the lord said glancing to the doll demon. He had accepted the girl into hell with the deal that she did the torturing rather than being tortured herself. After all, those dark witch sisters were such a thorn in his daughter's side and he wanted them to suffer. The doll demon seemed eager to provide that suffering, so he allowed her to stay along with her comrades as welcome residents of hell.

"Haha, I guess I'll have to bow to her next we meet, if we ever do." Felucia said as she walked off, the girl's light green hair flowing behind her as she headed off to torture the evil witch sisters again.

**"No, you won't meet her again. And hopefully I will not either. My daughter deserves the best, and that angel is going to give it to her. He had better anyway." **The lord chuckled as he looked up again. After a moment he glanced over to a corner of the cavern that was pitch black. However it wasn't pitch black because of the shadows, rather it was dark as there was a rift torn through the air. The bright darkness that glowed from within the tear in space rippled around as a figure was barely seen within.

"Now now, that's against the rules sending a soul back to earth like that." The voice said with a chuckle.

**"Perhaps, but if you refuse to play fair, than why should I?"** the dark lord said with an amused tone. The other figure nodded a bit then looked upwards, his body obscured by the darkness around him.

"You do realize that her time is short up there right? You would have been better off keeping her here with her dear old daddy." The figure said with a dark tone.

**"You underestimate them. She just needed a little push to get going, that's all. They will not fall to the likes of you."** The lord said with a tone of annoyance. The other figure chuckled as the rift started to crackle and slowly fade.

"They will fall. They will all fall before me, that is my destiny you old fool. Her beloved angel belongs to me and my army now, she shall never have him back." The figure said as the rift vanished from the underworld. The lord chuckled and looked up again.

**"No no, he will never belong to you. After all, my daughter saw him first."**

* * *

Outside the group was gathered near a gravestone and a freshly dug up patch of earth. Tsukune was looking down at the site where Kurumu was buried with sorrow as Moka held onto his arm, the vampire still crying a bit. Kokoa and Mizore were looking down with closed eyes, both feeling pain for their loss. Ruby was looking down with remorse as she held Yukari close, the young witchling still sobbing and trying to calm her emotions. The night sky above was seen as clouds gently rolled by, the sight of the moon obscured slightly as a calm breeze flowed by.

"I can't believe it…she's dead. She's really gone forever." Moka said as she tried not to cry out again. Tsukune looked down with closed eyes, the boy feeling great pain for having to have buried his friend. Kokoa choked back a sob as Mizore looked up with gentle eyes.

"I hope she's happy in heaven now…or at least…content." She said as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Kurumu! Kurumu!" Yukari cried out as she buried her face into Ruby's chest, the witch holding her as she mourned the loss of the succubus.

"I can't believe this is happening. How…how could this be?" the elder witch said shaking her head. Kokoa walked over to the patch of earth and kneeled down before it. She rested her hand on the ground with teary eyes.

"Rest in piece Kurumu…I'm so sorry-" she started before a figure burst up from the ground. The vampire jumped back with wide eyes and a scream as Kurumu arched back, the succubus rising up from the ground. Her hair flowed behind her gently, her eyes half open as she breathed in, and her breasts swayed with incredible force as her hands stretched out. The group stared with shock as the girl slowly climbed up to her feet. She stood there, her hair flowing in the breeze, as the group stared with open mouths of surprise.

BANG!

The girl dropped back down as a golden washtub dropped onto her head.

"AHHH! She's a zombie now!" Yukari cried out with her wand held up. Kurumu sat up and glared at the witch.

"Hey, I'm not a zombie you flat chested pipsqueak!" she barked out.

BANG!

She again dropped to the ground from another hit to the head as the group just stared with wide eyes.

"Don't call me that you dumb milk cow!" Yukari yelled out. She blinked then looked curiously as the succubus was holding her head in pain.

"Wait…zombies don't talk." She said curiously.

"I said I'm not a zombie!" Kurumu yelled as she jumped back to her feet.

"Kurumu! You're…you're alive!" Tsukune cried out with surprise. The girl shook her head and smiled at the group.

"Alive as ever." She said simply. Moka smiled with relief then raced over, the girl hugging her friend. Mizore and Ruby ran over and held the girl as well while Yukari smiled with tears of joy. Kokoa however was still trying to catch her breath after being scared nearly to death.

"You're alive! Kurumu you're alive!" Moka cried out with relief.

"I don't believe it, how? You…you died!" Ruby said in amazement.

"We thought we lost you Kurumu." Mizore said with tears forming.

"What happened Kurumu? How did…why did…I mean you're…" Yukari said with awe. The girls stepped back as Kokoa climbed back to her feet.

"Kurumu, you're…you're ok now." She said in wonder. The girl nodded and looked down with a calm smile.

"Yeah, sorry to worry you all like that." She said softly. She blinked then shook her head to shake off the bits of dirt on her still. She looked back to the grave then toward her friends.

"You didn't have to bury me so deep though." She said with a smirk. The group smiled at her in wonder as she stood there, her lifeforce fully revived once more.

"Kurumu, how…I mean…how? We saw you die before us." Tsukune said curiously. The succubus nodded then looked down with a gentle gaze.

"I was a fool Tsukune, I was blind to the truth and nearly lost my way because of it." She said softly. The group looked at her with wonder as she closed her eyes.

"I was so blind, so foolish, so naïve to ever think Rason would not love me." She said gently. The group looked to each other then back to the girl.

"Kurumu…" Moka said softly. The girl looked up to them with a determined expression and shook her head.

"But I won't make that mistake again. No fucking way." She said proudly.

"I don't understand Kurumu…what happened? And how…" Ruby said curiously. Kurumu sighed and looked to them with a gentle smile. She told them what happened, how she was brought to hell for a little wakeup call from her father. How she realized that she was truly destined to be with Rason, that the bond was proof that they were still in love despite what the angel had claimed. After the tale was told the group was looking at her with wide eyes of shock.

"You mean…you're…you're…" Moka said shakily.

"Yeah, I'm his mate of fate. That can never change, it's destiny after all." Kurumu said with a calm smile.

"You're the daughter of _him_? Of the Lord of Hell?" Tsukune cried out. The girl blinked and smiled weakly with a nod.

"Well…yeah." She said softly. The group just stared at her with disbelief.

"Oh…my…" Moka said quietly as she tried not to faint.

"Well…didn't see that coming." Ruby said with a nervous expression. Kurumu nodded then looked at her friends with determination again.

"We can have a lovely chat about that later, but right now we have work to do." She said boldly. The group looked at her curiously as she glanced down at the ground with a growl.

"What are you talking about Kurumu?" Moka asked.

"I'm talking about getting our boys back." Kurumu said looking up at the group. The girls looked to each other then towards their friend again.

"But…Ahakon said…" Yukari said quietly.

"They don't love us anymore Kurumu." Kokoa said looking down in despair.

"They left us." Mizore said softly while closing her eyes.

"BULL FUCKING SHIT!" Kurumu yelled out, the group looking to her with surprise. Kurumu growled then pointed to Mizore.

"You're Dark's wife! You're his _wife_ Mizore! Your heart is marked as his for all time, something he always wanted you and ONLY you to have. Not even Apoch or Felucia could get that from him, like bloody hell anybody else could either!" she shouted out.

"Well, actually Apoch _does_ have his mark-" Yukari started before Moka whacked the back of her head.

"You're his wife goddammit! How could you even think for a second that he would ever lose his love for you? Don't you remember how he came after you when Fairy Tale took you? Don't you remember how he only smiled for you when we first met him? Don't you remember that you're the only girl he's _ever_ loved? For crying out loud Mizore, the boy can hardly understand you but he stays by your side all the time no matter what. He loves you!" Kurumu yelled at the snow maiden. Mizore looked at her with surprise then down in thought. Kurumu shook her head and pointed to Kokoa.

"And you! What the hell is wrong with you Kokoa? You know goddamned well Gin loves you! For crying out loud he turned into a perfect gentleman for you! He did what we all thought was impossible, and all for _you_! There isn't a fucking chance he would just dump you like that! It doesn't matter if you were jealous today, or if you take his blood! He's your mate Kokoa, your mate and nobody else's!" she shouted out at the vampire. Kokoa looked at her with wonder then down in thought. Kurumu looked to Yukari and pointed at her.

"And you pipsqueak! You know damn well Ahakon loves you! He pushed away _both_ Apoch and Astreal, two witch sisters who were fawning over him, to be with you only! You waited all this time, you waited and waited for a boy to come into your life that you could love, and now you have him! How could you even consider the possibility of just letting him walk away like that out of the blue? That boy is nuts for you, the fact that he stays with you _after_ you've fed him your horrible cooking is proof of that alone!" Kurumu yelled at the young witch. Yukari growled and held up her wand in anger, then looked down in thought at the girl's words. Ruby, Moka and Tsukune looked at Kurumu with wonder as the girl growled in frustration.

"And me…I know Rason's my Destined One. I've been bragging about that day in and day out ever since I realized it. Dammit he's the only one I could ever love! And it's his love that keeps the bond flowing, the bond I _still_ feel with him now! He does love me, he does still want me. Just as all your boyfriends still love you!" she shouted out. The group looked to her as she looked around at her friends with determination.

"Kurumu…" Moka said softly.

"I won't let this love be taken from me. I won't just stand by and accept that as my fate. Rason's mine. He's my loved one. He's my boyfriend. Dammit he's mine forever just like I'm his!" Kurumu yelled out into the air. The other girls looked at her with wonder as she looked into the air with a determined glare.

"You're right." Mizore said softly. The group looked to her as she held a hand over her heart.

"Dark's my husband. He's the only one for me, there will never be another like him. Never. Our love…it can't be just taken away like that. It's not possible. He always said I was the only girl for him, his one and only little snow bunny. I won't just let that melt away in my life. Dark's mine. He's mine and I won't let him go, not now or ever." She said with determination.

"Ahakon loved me. He always said so. We were perfect for each other. And he did pick me, out of all the others that wanted him, he wanted only me. Even after my cooking made him ill, or after I got carried away with being his, he stood by my side. He never turned me away. He was always there for me, always. He was my perfect boyfriend. He is my boyfriend. He's my boyfriend!" Yukari said looking at the others with determination.

"Gin…he changed his perverted and dirty ways all for me. He became a real gentleman, a knight in shining armor…just for me. He saved my life again and again. And supported me, comforted me, loved me. He loved me. He really did. He does! What the hell is wrong with me? He's my mate! He does love me! I finally got a mate, an S-Class werewolf. A boy who I could call my own! Like hell I'm just going to let that slip from my fingers!" Kokoa said with determination. The three girls looked to each other then to Kurumu. She nodded then looked towards the sky.

"When Tsukune picked Moka as his choice, we all felt like there was nobody for us at first. That we would be all alone. But we were wrong. We all found the boys we were destined to be with. We all found our future husbands and loved ones. They were there with us through everything that came after us, everything that tried to pull us down. We all found the ones _we_ were supposed to have. They're made for us, just like we're made for them. There is no denying that. There is no arguing that. We belong to them only, just as they belong to us." She said sternly. She looked to her friends as they watched her, the daughter of the Lord of Hell who stood proud.

"Dark…you couldn't possibly have meant what you said. There's no way." Mizore said softly as she looked up.

"My boyfriend would never be so cruel. He would never just cast me away like that." Yukari said as she looked up.

"My mate would never leave me like that, not after all we've been through. I know it, he does love me, just as I love him." Kokoa said as she looked up. The three girls nodded and looked to their friends again.

"I agree with all of you. Something's not right here." Tsukune said with a focused expression.

"Dark, Rason, Gin, Ahakon. Something's changing them, affecting them. They're not acting like they were before at all." Moka said in agreement.

"We need to get to the bottom of this. Something's rotten at Yokai Academy." Ruby said glancing around.

"We will Ruby." Kurumu said as she looked to them with a focused expression. The group looked to her as her aura flared around her briefly.

"We're going to find our boys, and get them back. And nobody's going to stop us."


	9. Checkmate

A few clouds were gently rolling by in the night sky as a car was driving down the road. It's headlights were lighting up the pavement as the vehicle drove through the streets of a small town. Inside the car Leon was driving the vehicle with a calm expression, the boy having his arm leaning out the window as the wind was blowing through his hair. Next to him Render was looking out the window with a curious expression, the boy watching the passing cars and streetlights as he hummed a casual tune. And sitting in the backseat Razico was looking at the two boys with confusion still.

"I'm sorry, but…explain again to me why you _all_ decided to just _leave_ the place where the treasure you all wanted was." the warlock said shaking his head. Leon glanced back to him in the rearview mirror then forward again.

"We told you, we have someplace we need to be in the morning. We can't be late." he said simply. The boy scratched his head and coughed nonchalantly as Render kept watching passing cars with a curious expression.

"I gotta learn to drive one of these days." he said simply.

"Isn't so hard." Leon said with a shrug.

"How do you even have your license yet?" Razico asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't." Leon said. Razico looked at him for a moment then rolled his eyes.

"Of course." he said tiredly. He looked around then back to the boy.

"I take it this isn't your car?" he asked.

"Nope." the boy said again. Render kept looking out the window, the boy showing no reaction to the conversation.

"Alright. Not going to ask how you got it then, but I'm still lost here as to why you all just decided to leave that thing back there. Even that other kid who stole my bike, what was that alarm for anyway? Not to mention how the hell did you kids find all four keys to Pandora's Box? Also, how did you get out of that damned labyrinth without a scratch?" the warlock asked curiously.

"Are you going to talk the whole way?" Leon asked tiredly.

"Probably." Razico said with a nod. Leon rolled his eyes and glanced out the window as they drove through the streets of the town. As they did Razico glanced around. They were passing by houses and small shops, the lampposts blurring past as other cars passed by occasionally. The warlock looked around cautiously then back to the two boys.

_We're in the human world…but why? What could be so pressing that these kids would leave the treasure they all desired so badly behind just like that?_

After a long drive the car stopped in a large parking lot across the street of several rundown buildings.

"What are we doing here anyway?" Razico asked as they got out of the car.

"Well _we_ are going to get some sleep for tomorrow, I don't know what _you're_ doing here." Leon said simply. Razico looked around curiously as the boys walked towards a rundown building, the place looking like an old three story apartment building. It was clearly abandoned as the two boys walked into the front foyer, the door hanging off it's hinges. The old brick building stood against the dark sky with no color or lights on. Razico looked around curiously then followed after the boys. He walked into the front entrance then looked up to see the two boys walking up the stairs.

"Why here? Is this where you live?" he asked as he followed them.

"Sorry it's nothing fancy." Leon muttered.

"Just until we can afford an actual place. Once we get that treasure we'll have several mansions around the world!" Render cheered out. Razico looked at them with a dull expression then around as he followed them up the old stairs. They climbed to the top floor then over towards an apartment near the front side of the building. Render and Leon walked in as Razico eyed the place curiously. The inside of the room at least had a lived in feel to it, with a mostly clean carpet, a couch, table and chairs, T.V. that was turned off, a small kitchen opposite from the entrance, a bathroom placed between two bedrooms to the left, and a two windows to the right that looked out to the city street. To Razico's surprise the electricity worked still as the boys turned on the lights and walked around. Render plopped down on the couch with a relaxing sigh as Leon looked out the front window.

"Um…nice place." Razico said with a shrug.

"It works. Don't have to pay bills at least." Render said with a laugh.

"You have working electricity, how?" Razico asked.

"There's an old generator in the basement. We just give that thing a good charge of our magic and it works perfectly for us." Render said with smirk. Razico nodded and looked around curiously as Leon glanced back to him.

"Don't you have family you can stay with?" Razico asked. The two boys looked to him then to each other.

"Bad topic." Render said looking down.

"We're both alone Razico. Our families were killed a while ago." Leon said quietly.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I wasn't aware." Razico said softly. Leon nodded and looked out the window again while holding the locket around his neck.

"It's ok man. So now that we've gone through our tragic past and shown you our awesome home, it's about time we got some rest. Pretty tired and all, you know, what with the dangers and perils we faced today. You understand right?" Render said as he stood up and feigned a yawn. Razico looked at him with a dull stare as he crossed his arms.

"You all seemed fine out there, I was the only one that nearly died." he said flatly.

"Like we said we're sorry about that, you were the one that lingered behind anyway. Besides he's right, we need to turn in for tomorrow. The door is right behind you. You can sleep in any of the other apartments if you want, this one's ours." Leon said simply. Razico glanced to him and shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere, I didn't come with you all just to sleep here you know." he said.

"Yeah, I had a hunch. Some strange warlock follows us home after we show him our treasure, we were just asking for it right?" Render said tiredly.

"As long as those keys are here I'm not letting them out of my sight." Razico said sternly.

"Planning on taking them are you?" Leon said with a raised eyebrow.

"The thought did cross my mind, since you two are trying to unleash the end of the world." Razico said flatly. The two boys looked to each other then back to Razico. Render rolled his eyes and brought out the key that was on his necklace along with the one in his pocket. Razico looked at the legendary keys as the boy held him in his hand casually. He smirked then held his other hand over them, the boy looking down to them as a glow formed around them. Razico watched as a flash shot out from his hands, the boy then parting them to reveal the keys were gone.

"There, see? The keys are safe and sound now, nothing will get them until I bring them back into reality." Render said proudly. Razico looked with surprise as the boy showed his hands were empty.

"What…what did you just do?" Razico asked perplexed.

"Don't worry about that. Simple story is they're locked away in another existence until I pull them out again. It's a little…talent of mine. Comes in handy for all sorts of things." Render said with a smirk.

"No keys here for you to take, such a shame. You can go now." Leon said. Razico shook his head and narrowed his eyes at them.

"I'm not going back without those keys." he said sternly.

"They belong to us Razico, and they are going to stay with us." Leon said firmly.

"Then so am I." Razico said.

"Well…like we said there are apartments out there you can use to sleep in. I wouldn't use the one down the hall though. It's plumbing hasn't held up too well in the past…and we tried making homemade fireworks in it. Didn't work to well. Big fire. Place almost burned down. You get the picture." Render said with a smirk. Razico looked at them with discontent as he crossed his arms before him.

"No way am I letting you two out of my sight. I'll sleep on the couch if I have to, but I'm not going anywhere." he said firmly. The boys glanced to each other then back to the warlock.

"Fine, whatever. Just stay out of my room, it's a 'cool people who respect other people's privacy' domain only." Render said as he walked back towards one of the bedrooms. Leon watched him go then looked back to the warlock. The man glanced to him then walked over to the couch.

"You always invite yourself in to other people's homes when you're trying to steal from them?" Leon asked flatly.

"I do when I'm trying to keep those people from destroying all life on earth." Razico said looking to the boy as he sat down. Leon shook his head and walked towards his room, the boy holding his locket gently. As the two boys closed the doors to their rooms Razico leaned back on the couch with a dull expression. He closed his eyes and breathed out as he wondered what Ruby was doing right now. The warlock was determined to get those keys from the three boys that had them at any cost. He may not be able to move the chest to a secure location, but he could at least ensure it would never be opened. He glanced to the table near the couch at a picture that was in a frame. He looked at it curiously as he leaned closer to it. It was a picture of Render and Leon, the two being shown out in what looked to be a forest of some sort. And with them was a girl, the girl having long black hair, hazel eyes, and a big smile on her face. She wore a normal white t-shirt, blue jeans, sandals, and a blue bracelet over her left wrist. The three teens were looking at the camera, with Render having a big grin on his face while holding a thumbs up, Leon smiling confidently at the camera with a calm expression, and the girl who was smiling at the camera while holding Leon's hand. The warlock looked at the picture with a blank expression then laid back on the couch, the man trying to think of how to get those keys from the boys that would doom the world with their quest.

* * *

Another day was starting at Yokai Academy as the sun started to rise. Today was the day of the festival for the school, the day where clubs and students would hold events, games, and shows for their peers and also visiting alumni monsters. The festival is normally held to let students learn to blend in and mingle with humans during their own celebratory events, and also to learn from previous graduates how life is in the human world. Even though monsters and humans were starting to learn to coexist it was still being required, at least for now, to remain in human form in the outer world. So the festival would continue as always with the students of Yokai Academy learning to blend in and act human while also sampling varieties of human games and events. And it was also an excuse for teachers to slack off for a day. Buses were shuttling in former students as the festival was getting set up in the large outer courtyard of the academy. Booths for food, games, and displays were being setup outside in the expansive courtyard along with a large stage for bands and music to play at. There would also be booths of various sorts and a musical stage set up inside the auditorium as well. Student helpers and faculty members assigned to help out were busy getting booths and stands set up around the courtyard. Everybody was excited for the big day as the students of the school were getting ready to enjoy the day with their friends.

However some students were not preparing for the festival at all, rather were readying themselves for something else altogether.

Inside one of the girls' dorm rooms a blue haired succubus was standing in front of her mirror. She had her usual outfit on as she fluffed her hair, the girl's cross dangling in her bow as she eyed herself over carefully. She was on a mission to get her angel back, the girl having been up for a good while making sure she looked her best. She had no idea what came over her boyfriend, why he said those things to her the way he did. But she knew, without a doubt in her mind, that they were still destined to be together. And nothing was going to convince her otherwise now. Her plan was simple. Find Rason, and either talk some sense into him and learn why he said what he did, or fuck his brains out until he came to his senses and realized that she was perfect for him. She smiled confidently as she nodded, the girl approving her freshly washed hair and perfume she wore. She would throw all her succubus charm at the boy, the girl convinced that she could easily win him back from whatever was pulling him away.

"I don't know what got into you Rason, but I'll bring you back around. And what better way than to remind you of exactly who, and _what_ your Destined One is." She said with a sly smile. She giggled and walked to her door, the girl ready to join her friends in their mission to get back their boyfriends. One way or another.

In another room Mizore was looking in a mirror as well, the girl adjusting the choker around her neck that showed her boyfriend's insignia on a white pendant. No, not boyfriend. Husband. The snow maiden had known for a long time now that she and Dark were going to get married, what with him marking her heart with his essence and coming right out and saying she would be his wife. He always protected her, guarded her, loved her, always being there for her and rushing to her side without question. She wouldn't be fooled or swayed now, not even if the demon said she couldn't be his wife anymore. She knew better, she knew her shadow demon would never break her heart. Not after all they've been through, all they've done. They were perfect together, there was no denying that. The girl knew something was wrong with him, and was going to find out what. Mizore admired the insignia she wore and was determined to be faithful to it. Part of being a good wife is keeping the husband happy and content with her. No matter what. She rolled her lollipop around her mouth gently as she gave her outfit one last look over, the snow girl dressed in her usual outfit. She nodded then looked to the window with a curious gaze.

"Dark, I don't know what got into you, but I won't let you go. You and I are soul mates, and I'll remind you of just that today. I'll find you this time beloved, no matter what I'll find you. And when I do, I won't let you go." she said confidently.

As the snow girl walked towards her door to meet the others she prepared her mind to locate her shadow demon outside. Not only was he capable of hiding from view, but there would be hundreds of others out there, all masking his dark essence like a thick cloud. She had to find her demon and get him back, by any means necessary.

In another room Yukari was adjusting her hat while looking in the mirror, the girl having a look of determination on her face. She looked herself over for the 10th time that morning as her mind kept going through the facts. She had to find her boyfriend and talk to him, to get him back into her life. She couldn't accept the idea that he didn't love her anymore, not after all they've been through. If Apoch _and_ Astreal couldn't take him away from her, if her cooking couldn't scare him away from her, then nothing could possibly overcome their love. She knew Ahakon loved her just as she did him, and was on a mission to keep that love going strong. There had to be a reason why their boyfriends just dumped them out of the blue, and Yukari would not rest until she found out what was really going on. She had her goal, to find Ahakon, confess her unwavering love to him, and reunite their relationship once again. And if that failed she would try again, and again, and again. And if that failed she would just clonk the boy on the head with a washtub, drag his ass back to her room, tie him down, and try again some more. She would not give up, not after she waited for so long and went through so much to get her first boyfriend. She would absolutely not give him up.

"I'm coming for you Ahakon. There's no way in hell I'll let our love just fall to pieces like that. Whatever was wrong, whatever happened, we'll work out it. I'm sure of it. We're freakin' geniuses after all, there's no problem we can't sort out together." she said confidently. She nodded and looked to the window, the girl knowing her true love was out there somewhere. She just had to go get him.

The witch walked to her door to join her friends in their crusade, all of them focused on finding their boyfriends and getting them back, despite what they might say or do.

Elsewhere in the girls dorm building a redheaded vampire was looking in her full sized mirror with a calm gaze. Kokoa was dressed in her usual uniform, stockings, and bows in her pigtails. The girl looked herself over again and glanced to the window with a determined expression. She always had the worst luck with boys in the past, with her ill-fated attempt to get Dark first, followed by her obsession over Tsukune. Each time she fell for a boy disaster followed her. This time however she would not accept failure. She wasn't chasing after just some boy anymore, she was going after the one she loved. Kokoa knew for a fact she found her mate. The werewolf Gin used to be the last person anybody expected to be boyfriend material, what with his perverted and lecherous ways. However he changed, completely in fact, all for her. He became a true gentleman and loved one in her eyes, the young vampire sure that he was the only mate for her now. She cracked her knuckles and looked to the door with determination as her bat landed on her shoulder.

"Alright Kou, we're going to find my mate. He's not going to get away from me, no way in hell." she said firmly.

"Yes Ms. Kokoa, um…what's your plan?" Kou asked curiously.

"Simple. I'm going to find him, and tell him that we are perfect for each other. Then…I'll confess my purest love to him." Kokoa said softly as she looked down timidly.

"And if that doesn't work?" Kou asked.

"Then I'll beat him into the ground over and over again until he accepts my love!" Kokoa declared with a devilish yet happy smile.

"Ah, the old fallback. Good choice Ms. Kokoa." Kou squeaked. Kokoa nodded then walked towards her door with a determined smile.

"I'm coming for you Gin, you're going to be my mate, whether you like it or not." she said with a slight bite.

The vampire walked out the door and saw Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari standing ready, all girls having focused expressions. They all had one common goal, one desire. To get the ones they loved back by any means.

"Alright, we ready to do this?" Kurumu said energetically.

"Dark will be mine again before the sun sets." Mizore said looking down with determination.

"Ahakon will see reason, even if I have to force it into his head." Yukari said holding her wand up.

"I'll bring back the side of Gin that loves me, even if I have to give him a concussion to do so." Kokoa said with a nod.

"My angel will be back with his Destined One tonight as well, I won't take no for an answer." Kurumu said enthusiastically.

"Those lucky boys." Moka said amusingly from behind them. They looked over to see Moka walking towards them with a curious smile, the vampire dressed in her usual uniform.

"So…you're going to actually knock some sense into them are you?" she asked with a giggle.

"We're doing what we have to big sis. Gin's my mate, and there's no way I'm just going to let him walk away like that." Kokoa said assuredly.

"Yeah, I don't know what made Dark say those things, but he couldn't have possibly meant them. I'll wait for him to come back around while I keep him frozen in ice." Mizore said softly.

"My angel can't get away from me like this. We're bound together, I'll never just let him fly away." Kurumu said proudly.

"I promised before I wouldn't use my washtubs on Ahakon, but if he needs a jump to think properly again then so be it." Yukari said firmly. Moka just looked at her friends who, although were committed to getting their boyfriends back, were being very aggressive with it. _Very_ aggressive.

"Well…lucky them." she said with a weak smile.

"C'mon girls, let's head to the festival and start looking. I intend to have my boyfriend back to watch the fireworks with." Kurumu said in a commanding tone. The girls nodded and walked off towards their goals while Moka smiled weakly.

"I'll…just go get Tsukune…and maybe prep the infirmary staff." she said with a soft laugh. She sighed then headed out to meet her mate at his room.

As she walked out of the girls dorm she saw her friends walking towards the academy grounds. She watched them head off, the vampire hoping they could at least get back the boys they loved so much. Moka walked into the boys dorm building and headed up the stairs towards her mate's room, the vampire in deep thought the entire way. She was worried about her friends, but was also wondering how Tsukune felt about all the breakups. She knew nothing could ever take him from her, that they were completely in love with each other. Still, with all the recent breakups happening so quickly the vampire couldn't help but feel a bit of concern that her boyfriend was indeed happy with her.

_I know it's silly to think it…but…_

**_You're damn right it's silly of you to think of that, Tsukune would never leave us._**

_I know that, I trust him completely. It's just…all four of them…after they all declared their love to their girlfriends as well. It's just so strange._

**_Like Ruby said, something's rotten in this school. We'll help our friends get their boyfriends back, then we're getting to the bottom of this._**

She walked down the hallway toward Tsukune's room, the vampire feeling silly for even considering the possibility that he would leave her. As she approached his room the boy walked out and casually closed his door behind him.

"Tsukune, you're awake. C'mon, we'll meet the others at the festival." Moka said with a happy smile. Tsukune walked up towards her…then right past her. The vampire looked around to see him walking down the hallway without saying a word.

"Tsukune? Hey, wait up." she said as she ran over and grabbed onto his arm. The boy yanked back and turned to glare at her, the vampire stepping back with a jump.

"Tsukune? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't touch me." he said coldly. The girl looked at him with a stunned expression then a nervous smile.

"What…what are you talking about? Tsukune?" she asked softly as she held a hand out towards him. He swatted it away promptly, the vampire stepping back with shock.

"Just stay away from me Moka, we're through." he said harshly. The vampire's eyes widened as her heart seemed to stop. Her world faded to black around her as she stared at her mate with disbelief. She could only look at her mate with a stunned expression as he glared at her. Slowly she shook her head.

"What…Tsukune…what are…" she asked shakily.

"I'm done being tied down to you, find yourself a new mate." he said before he turned to walk away. Moka stared with wide eyes as the girl's legs felt weak.

"Tsu…kune…" she breathed out with shock.

"I was a fool to ever have loved you." Tsukune said as he vanished down the hall. The vampire felt her throat dry up as she felt lightheaded.

_No…_

She dropped to her knees as she trembled a bit.

_No…_

A tear started to form in her eye as she started to shake.

_No…he…he didn't…not him too…_

**_That…that didn't just happen…no way. No way!_**

"Tsukune!" she cried out as she took off, the girl refusing to believe what she just heard. She ran down the stairs after her love, the girl scared and confused as to why he just left her. She ran out of the dorm building and looked around, the girl not seeing any sign of the boy.

"Tsukune? Tsukune! Please Tsukune, don't go!" she cried out, the vampire feeling her heart break apart. She held her hands over her chest as she whimpered, the girl shaking her head and looking around franticly. The pain was deep in her chest, her body trembling from the feeling.

_No…this isn't happening…he didn't…he couldn't…not him…no!_

**_What the hell is going on here? How could he…how could he say that?_**

"TSUKUNE!" she cried out as she started to break down, the vampire shaking her head as tears were flowing down her face. She took off down the path towards the academy as she cried out loudly, the girl unable to bear what just happened. Her heart ached, her mind was racing, her breathing was ragged. She couldn't think, she couldn't focus. She could only feel the pain in her chest, the vampire breaking apart as she heard her mate denounce his love for her.

_No…this isn't right. This isn't right!_

As Moka ran down the path towards the academy she didn't notice a girl up above sitting in the open window to Tsukune's room. Ren smiled slyly as she watched the vampire run away, the girl giggling as her feathered wings were extended out behind her. She glanced down to see a few other boys talking near the trees next to the building. She glanced to the pathway then back to the boys, the girl's eyes narrowing at her prey.

* * *

"Aw shit we're going to be late!" Render screamed out, the boy's voice waking Razico up with a jump. The warlock looked around franticly as he had his hand raised up ready to attack, the man still half asleep. He blinked a few times then looked around slowly. Light was coming in from the two windows, the apartment being lit up as the morning was starting. Leon was at the table eating bowl of cereal casually, the boy dressed in tennis shoes, dark pants, and a button down white t-shirt. His hair was still styled up in large poofy spikes as he gently held his locket. The boy glanced to Razico then shrugged, the two then looking over to see Render running around franticly. He too was dressed in shoes, dark pants, and a button down shirt that wasn't buttoned properly in his haste, the boy looking around wildly as he panicked. His pale blue hair was still set in his spiky style as he franticly tried to rebutton his shirt.

"What's going on?" Razico asked.

"He overslept. Again." Leon said casually as he continued his meal.

"It's not my fault, that damned watch wasn't set for the time this morning, it was just set for last night!" Render cried out.

"And whose fault is it that it wasn't reset properly?" Leon asked simply.

"Not the point here!" Render said as he ran into the bathroom to brush his teeth…the boy forgetting to put toothpaste on the brush at first. Razico sighed and leaned back into the couch, the warlock glancing to the two boys curiously.

"You're dressed up, what's the occasion?" the warlock asked casually. Leon finished eating and put the bowl in the sink, then walked over towards the door as he slipped on a blue shirt jacket. Render raced over and put his on quickly, then pointed to the door with a bold stance.

"Quickly, to the awesome-mobile!" he called out.

"You mean that piece of shit ride we found on the side of the road?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, that's the one! We're off!" Render boasted as he ran out the door. Leon waited a minute then stepped back as Render ran back in, raced over to his room, grabbed his watch and put it in his pocket.

"Where are you two going?" Razico asked as he got up.

"We told you, we have someplace we have to be. Just…hang out or something." Leon said with a bored expression and shrug. Razico shook his head and walked over to them.

"No way, you two aren't leaving my sight at all until I have those keys." he said firmly. Render ran over and looked around quickly.

"He's right, we can't leave him here. He's a thief, he might steal all our cool stuff." he said worriedly. Leon and Razico blinked then looked around the rundown apartment.

"What?" Razico said shaking his head.

"Oh yes, I can just see it now. He'll make off with our light bulbs and blankets. How could I have overlooked that?" Leon asked flatly.

"Hey, I'm no thief, I'm a respected treasure hunter. Just where the hell are you two going in such a hurry anyway?" Razico asked sternly.

"It's none of your concern, just someplace we have to be. We'll be back later on, I think I'll take the chance you won't steal anything in our absence." Leon said tiredly. Razico shook his head again and marched up to them.

"Nothing doing. You want me out of your hair? Give the keys over, otherwise I'm following you everywhere." he said sternly.

"I hope to the Almighty that doesn't include the restroom, because that would be just weird." Render said with a raised eyebrow. Razico twitched then just looked at him funny.

"What the heck is wrong with you kid?" he asked.

"Likely suppressed childhood issues, but no time now for intriguing backstories. Come Leon, bring the thief if you must, but make haste!" Render said as he bolted out the door. Leon sighed and looked to Razico, the warlock just looking with puzzlement to where the other boy ran off.

"Is he…ok?" he asked.

"Just dandy. Let's go then." Leon said as they walked out.

A few minutes later they were driving down the town's streets, with Leon behind the wheel, Render bouncing around energetically in the front seat, and Razico sitting in back watching the two curiously.

"C'mon man, speed up, we're going to be late." Render said worriedly as he looked at the clock in the car.

"I'm going as fast as I can without getting pulled over. I don't have a license remember? Can't afford to get pulled over by the police." Leon said annoyed.

"We can't be late, not again. No way no way no- holy crap, pull over here! Quick!" Render said as he pushed his face against the side window. Razico looked at the kid with a bit of worry as they pulled over into a drive-thru. After a moment they were on the road again as Razico had an eyebrow raised.

"So…you're in a hurry…so you stop to get a coffee?" he asked puzzled as he watched Render drink something. The boy shook his head and looked back with a bright smile.

"Haha, no way. It's a caramel frappe, it's awesome!" he said as he took another drink. Leon rolled his eyes as he kept driving.

"A caramel frappe? You pulled us over when you're supposedly going to be late…to get a caramel frappe?" Razico asked in disbelief.

"Welcome to my world Razico." Leon said flatly.

"But…but…caramel frappe." Render said looking at the drink with puppy dog eyes.

"Do you even _need_ coffee? You seem wired up already." Razico said shaking his head.

"Thank you." Leon said raising his hand. Render sighed and shook his head.

"Don't deny me the simple joys in life you guys, that's just cruel. I've always had a taste for these, let me have my moment of happiness." he said simply. Razico shook his head and looked around them, the car driving through the streets of a human town. Daylight was shining down as people were out and about in their daily lives. The warlock looked around curiously then back to the two boys.

_Where could they be going in such a hurry in the human world?_

* * *

"Sister, are you about ready? The bus will be arriving soon." Apoch said as she walked down the upstairs hallway of the girls home in the human world. She was wearing the school uniform for girls at her new school; black shoes, long white socks, a blue skirt, and a blue sailor shirt over a white t-shirt. She had chosen to leave her bracelet with Dark's emblem on it in her room, the girl trying to keep her mind focused on moving ahead with her life. Her short black hair was combed neatly as she knocked on the door to Astreal's room. After a moment the blonde haired witch came out, the girl dressed in the same uniform.

"All set. Um…just curious, how did they get our exact measurements?" Astreal asked curiously. Apoch just shrugged.

"I have no idea, I didn't want to try to think about it actually." she said simply. The two nodded then walked over towards the other room. Apoch and Astreal had rooms next to each other while Falla had hers across from Astreal's. Apoch knocked on the door as Astreal admired just how perfectly her clothing fit her.

"Ms. Fa…I mean…Fa…FALla, are you about ready?" she said shakily. She sighed and looked to her sister with worry.

"Today's going to be difficult." she said softly. Astreal nodded and looked down with worry as well. After a moment the door opened and Falla walked out. She was wearing the same uniform as well, the girl having her silver headband around her head still. She also had her hair cut shorter again, just like it used to be before.

"All set. Say, how did they know about our measurements? I don't remember telling anybody about them." she said looking down at her clothing.

"No idea either. Say, why did you cut your hair?" Astreal asked curiously.

"And how? With only one eye you can't have the best depth perception, how did you cut your own hair properly?" Apoch asked. Falla smirked and ran her hand through her hair.

"Give me some credit you guys, I'm pretty resourceful." she said arrogantly.

"Yeah, like when you booby-trapped the entire girls dorm building?" Apoch said with a raised eyebrow. Falla blinked then smiled nervously.

"You…don't _know_…that was me." she said weakly. The two witch sisters smiled amused then walked towards the stairs with the chronofly.

"Besides, I wanted a fresh start remember? I thought I would have my hair just like it was before I was with Tsukune. A new look for the new me, you know?" Falla said softly.

"Well it looks great on you, very nice work." Astreal said with a smile. The three walked to the foyer and towards the front door.

"Our first day at a human school. I'm a bit nervous actually." Falla said with a small smile.

"We are too, but it won't be so bad. Ms. K…I mean…K…KYOuko said everybody was happy we were coming there today." Apoch said, the witch once again straining herself to properly say the girl's name.

"Yes, I'm sure it'll be ok." Astreal agreed.

"I hope so, I want us to make a good first impression. I mean…we're representing monsters here. We can't screw this up." Falla said worriedly. They walked outside and stopped at the front gate, the girls waiting for their bus to arrive for their new school. A few people were out and about in the town as everybody was going about with their day. A few of the humans waved to the girls, everybody knowing that a few of the heroes of that fateful day were staying there. The girls waved around with smiles then glanced to each other.

"Well the people seem to be friendly with us at least." Falla said with a small laugh.

After a few minutes the bus pulled up to a stop next to them. The doors opened and girls walked in, all noticing how the driver did _not_ have glowing eyes and how all the students on the bus _were_ looking at them with wonder. The female students were dressed just as they were and looking at the new monster girls with wonder. The boys were dressed in dark pants and blue shirt jackets over white button down shirts, with their eyes looking at the figures of the monster girls with awe. The three girls looked around slowly as all eyes were on them. After a moment the other students smiled while a few waved. The three girls waved shyly then started walking down the aisle. They took their seats at the back of the bus, the girls seeing that everybody, including the driver, was looking at them.

"Um…good morning." Apoch said.

"Good morning." the bus called out together. The girls glanced to each other and smiled softly at the humans. After a pause the bus took off towards the school while all eyes were on the girls.

"So…" Astreal said slowly.

"What should we say?" Falla whispered to them.

"Good morning was all I had." Apoch said.

"What are we supposed to talk to them about? I'm not used to being on a bus in the morning, let alone with so many…people." Astreal asked curiously.

"Wow, are you three really monsters?" a girl asked with stars in her eyes.

"What kind are you? Do you breathe fire? Spit acid?" a boy asked with amazement.

"Is it true you were fighting that giant monster that tried to kill everybody?" another girl asked eagerly.

"Do you have boyfriends…or girlfriends?" a girl asked with a coy smile and blush.

"Where did you come from?" another girl asked with wonder.

Apoch, Astreal, and Falla looked to each other then back to the bus filled with curious human students.

"I think we have plenty of topics to choose from." Apoch said with a weak smile. The bus continued towards it's destination as the three girls started answering the students many questions. As they did they didn't notice that one student wasn't paying them any particular attention, a boy with short black hair who sat in the front seat looking out the window casually.

* * *

The festival at Yokai Academy was getting underway at last. Students and former graduates were walking around the large courtyard as booths for games, special events, and cooking were set up and run by student clubs and volunteers. Others were talking to the alumni of Yokai Academy as they walked around to find out what they did in the human world and what it was like to live among them. Word was spreading that the next graduating class of the academy would be taking a new step towards coexistence as they would have more freedom to move around in the human world, with some alumni showing a bit of jealousy towards that.

As the festival started and students were enjoying their day outside of classes four girls were at the front gate of the large gathering. Kurumu, Mizore, Kokoa, and Yukari were looking around at the large event with focused expressions. They were originally hoping to partake and enjoy the festivities with their loved ones, but now they were focused on finding and reclaiming the boys that, for some reason, claimed they no longer wanted them.

"Alright, no more games. We find them, and get them back. No matter what." Kurumu said sternly.

"Dark won't escape my sight this time." Mizore said.

"I'll knock some sense into Gin, one way or another." Kokoa said firmly.

"Ahakon will be mine again before the day ends." Yukari said holding her wand at her side.

"Let's go then." Kurumu said, and with that the four girls took off to search the festival for the boys they loved.

Kurumu ran through the crowds of students and graduates as she looked around, the girl searching for the bond's pull between herself and her Destined One. She looked around with a focused expression as she was on a mission to find her beloved angel and reclaim him as her own, no matter what.

"Rason…I won't let our bond be broken, I swear it." She said to herself as she ran through the crowds.

Mizore walked calmly through the crowds as she stared ahead of her with a calm expression, the girl focusing her mind to detect her loved one's essence of life. She glanced around occasionally as she searched for her shadow demon, the girl gently holding the pendant around her neck.

"I'll find you Dark, I'm marked to be your wife remember? I'm going to hold you to that commitment." She said softly as she walked the grounds looking for her soon to be husband.

Kokoa ran around with a determined expression as Kou flew above her, the two looking for any sign of the vampire's beloved werewolf. The young vampire wouldn't take no for an answer now, not after all she and the werewolf had been through. Kou looked around carefully at the crowds at the festival, the bat keeping a keen out for his master's loved one.

"Gin…I won't let you just walk away like this. You're going to take care of me just like you promised, or else I'll throttle you." She said to herself as her green eyes glanced around slowly.

Yukari was running around through the festival grounds with hopeful eyes, the young witch franticly searching for any sign of her mage. The four girls searched around each booth, restroom, and crowds of monsters in disguise for the boys they loved, each one finding no trace of them at all.

"Ahakon, where are you? It can't end for us, not now or ever. No, I won't let that happen, I won't let you go as my boyfriend. Never!" she said confidently as she ran through the crowds with determination.

After two laps around the expansive courtyard and festival grounds the four girls met up near center of the area. Students all around them were partaking in freshly cooked hot meals, displays and small performances about the human world, and game booths that were being run by others. Kou flew down onto his mistress's shoulder and shook his head, the bat unable to find a trace of the girl's boyfriend.

"I can't find Ahakon anywhere, or the others for that matter." Yukari said shaking her head.

"No luck finding Dark yet, there are too many people here." Mizore said looking around.

"I still don't feel Rason's bond, he's not here." Kurumu said looking around in frustration.

"What gives? Everybody on campus is here, they have to be here as well." Kokoa said with annoyance. She blinked then looked to the girls.

"What if they're in the auditorium? Or back in the dorm buildings?" she asked.

"Or maybe they left the academy altogether." Yukari said worriedly.

"Dammit, they have to be close by, they just have to be." Kurumu said with frustration as she shook her head.

"Where's Ruby? She could help with this." Mizore said looking around.

"I haven't seen her outside yet, maybe she's in the auditorium watching over the activities there." Kurumu said.

"Tsukune!" Moka's voice cried out from nearby. The girls looked to see Moka running through the crowds quickly, the girl having tears in her eyes as she searched around through the gathering. She darted around through the pathways in the festival while calling out her mate's name franticly.

"Moka?" Mizore asked. The vampire ran up to them as she was breathing heavily, the girl looking around with a heartbroken expression.

"Moka? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Yukari asked. The vampire looked to them and shook her head, the girl whimpering and crying a bit. The girls eyed her for a moment then slowly they showed surprise.

"No…don't say it." Kurumu said softly.

"There is no way…no way." Yukari said in disbelief.

"Big sis…did…Tsukune…" Kokoa asked worriedly.

"Break up with you?" Mizore asked in surprise. Moka choked back a sob then nodded, the vampire looking around with sorrowful eyes as the other girls stared with shock.

"He did…he just…he said he was tired of being tied down to me. Just like that…he left me just like that." Moka said shakily.

"What?" The girls cried out.

"No way…there is absolutely no freakin' way Tsukune would ever break up with you! I mean c'mon, after all he went through to finally get you as his girlfriend? After all we've been through? This is crazy!" Kurumu shouted out, the girl looking around with anger as a few passerbys were glancing to the very loud group of girls.

"Big sis she's right, that's…that's just not possible. Tsukune would never leave you for anything!" Kokoa said in disbelief.

"I know he wouldn't…at least…I thought he wouldn't…" Moka said worriedly.

"I can't believe it…all of our boyfriends, they just left us." Mizore said looking around confused.

"What the hell is going on here? Seriously, that's just the last straw! Now I know something's not right here. There is no way all of our boyfriends would just leave us like that." Kurumu said with frustration.

"I know, I've been trying to find him to talk to him. I thought he might have come here along with everybody else. Where…where are the others?" Moka asked looking around.

"We're still looking for them, we haven't seen them outside at all yet." Yukari said.

"We need to find them now and get to the bottom of this, something's very wrong here." Kokoa said looking around. Kurumu nodded, then looked off suddenly.

"Rason." She said softly. The girls looked to her as she was staring off into the crowd intently.

"Rason? You feel him close by?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah…it's him alright. C'mon girls, we're getting some answers right now." Kurumu said, the succubus taking off to follow the pull of her Destined One's bond. The other girls followed after, all of them with focused expressions. There was no doubt about it, something was very rotten at Yokai Academy. All of their boyfriends were behaving strangely, and the girls intended to find out what was causing it. And to make it pay dearly.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me, you drag me into that monster filled labyrinth, with the sole intention of opening Pandora's Box to completely screw over the world because you're too blind to see reason, then take off suddenly because it was past your curfew, all while leaving me down there to barely crawl back out alive, all to…be _here_?" Razico said with disbelief as he looked out the window of the car. The vehicle was parked in a lot across the street from a school, with students being dropped of by buses and walking into the building. It was a three story building that was a high school in the human world. Razico looked at the structure with a dull gaze then glanced to the two boys in the front seats.

"Well…yeah." Render said rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, but, didn't you say yourself that you wouldn't waste your time in a classroom when 'real action' is out there?" Razico asked simply. Render twitched then chuckled nervously.

"That…sounds familiar yes." He said weakly. Leon rolled his eyes and opened the door.

"Look, believe it or not, we have a good reason for being here." He said simply.

"It's hard to believe a lot of things when it comes to you two." Razico said shaking his head. Leon glanced to Render then looked back to the warlock.

"You don't understand. Our families were always pushing us to get a decent education, to make something for ourselves. Before we started getting into the thrill of treasure hunting we didn't have much to motivate us. Both of our families wanted something better for us than to be idiots in the real world." He said firmly. Razico looked at him curiously as Render drank the last bit of his frappe.

"It's true. My mom was always pushing me to graduate with honors, to make something of myself. Our families were both spell casters, education was always a high point to them." The boy said softly.

"When they died…we didn't have anything left. We try to live day by day the best we can, it's not easy, but it's all we can do." Leon said looking down a bit.

"The least we can do to honor our fallen loved ones is to grant them their wish of us getting through school. It's what they always wanted from us, what they always pushed us towards. I know it's silly, but we feel like they'll sleep easier knowing their sons lived up to their expectations." Render said looking back to Razico, the boy having a cool smile on his face. The warlock looked at him for a moment then over to the school.

"I see. That does make sense actually." He said.

"We're still going to become famous treasure hunters, and gain the wealth that comes with it. But we won't let this promise of ours fall to the wayside. We intend to make our families proud." Leon said as he got out of the car. Razico nodded and smiled a bit.

"Ok, so you do have some nobility to you after all." He said simply. Render smirked then opened his door. He blinked then looked back to the warlock.

"Sorry, but you won't be able to join us in class. Just…um…stay here and watch over the car." He said. Razico looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Nothing doing, I'm-" he said before Render chuckled and got out of the car.

"You won't be allowed in the school anyway, you're not a student." He said as he walked over to Razico's window. The warlock looked at him with frustration then towards the school.

"Just watch our ride. Seriously, we kinda need it to get home anyway. Here, play with this string if you get bored." The kid said with an amused smile as he handed Razico a small piece of string. The warlock looked at it with a dull expression then to the boy.

"So yeah…um…see you later then bud." Render said with a smile as he took off after Leon. Razico watched them take off then slumped down in the backseat of the car. He groaned as he tossed the useless string away.

"This is going to be a long day." He muttered.

Render and Leon ran into the school and down the halls towards their class with haste as students were entering their classrooms.

"Just for the record, if we're late again I'm blaming you." Leon said as he glanced to his friend.

"What? Me? Why when you have Razico to pin the blame on?" Render snickered.

"Razico isn't the one that overslept just like always." Leon barked out.

"I can't help it, I like my beauty sleep. Besides we're going to make it! We're going to make it! We're going to-" Render started before he was tackled to the ground by two schoolgirls. Leon stopped and looked back as his friend was struggling to get up from two schoolgirls holding onto him.

"Render! There you are!" one of them said dreamily.

"Are you late again? You bad boy you." Another girl purred. Leon looked at them tiredly as Render tried to push off the girls.

"Seriously, women are going to be the death of you." Leon said simply.

"I'm not doing anything! I don't even know these girls!" Render cried out as he stumbled away. He looked at them with a nervous smile as they looked at him with loving eyes.

"Um…sorry ladies but…kinda need to get to class." He said worriedly.

"We can walk with you, please?" one girl said as she stepped forward.

"Or we can all skip class with you, I don't mind being naughty." Another said with a coy smile. Render blinked then looked behind the two girls, the boy pointing with a surprised face.

"Oh my god, what the hell is that?" he cried out. The girls looked back to see nothing there, then over again to see the two boys had vanished. They looked around then sighed in defeat while the two boys made haste down the hallway.

"Seriously, I just know no other boy anywhere has this kind of problem." Render said shaking his head.

"Or at least none that would complain about it." Leon said with a laugh.

"Sorry but a harem of drooling girls isn't my thing. No no, I want just the perfect girl for me, a real one and only." Render said with a smile.

"And that sir is why I didn't leave you to the wolves back there." Leon said with a smirk.

The two ran down the hall and into a classroom just before the bell rang. The classroom was set up so that the teacher and front board were seen by the students who sat in seats that were raised up on ascending levels. There were two rows of ascending steps that ran between the sections of desks. There were already other students in their seats as the male teacher was looking at some papers at his desk. Render and Leon walked up to their seats near the middle next to the windows and sat down, with Render glancing out to the parking lot across the street.

"Good news, the car's still there." He said with a smile.

"The thief didn't take our rusty piece of shit of which I have the keys, I'm shocked." Leon said flatly.

A girl with teal colored eyes and hair clips in her black hair walked in giggling then took her seat near the middle of the class. As she did the teacher looked to the class with a smile.

"Good morning class. Now, before we begin we have three new students joining us. I know you all have heard about them, so I'm just going to run through a few quick notes here. Yes, they are monsters. No, they are not hostile. They have offered to join our school in a demonstration that monsters can be peaceful with our world, so please make them feel welcome here as our guests." The man said with a smile. The class looked to the door anxiously while Render and Leon glanced to it.

"So, these are the three we've heard so much about." Render said quietly.

"I wonder what kind of monsters they are." Leon asked.

Three girls walked into the room, all of them looking at the class with timid smiles. They stood before the class as the teacher looked at them curiously.

"Ok, well, please introduce yourselves." The man said gently. A girl stepped forth, her black hair being combed neatly as her yellow eyes looked around at the crowd of students.

"My name is Apoch Ezrana. It's a pleasure to be here." She said softly. The class stared with wonder at the girls, all of them amazed that for monsters they looked perfectly normal. The girl stepped back as another stepped forth, her long blonde hair swaying behind her as her black eyes looked around.

"My name is Astreal Ezrana, thank you for allowing us to join you here." She said politely. The class smiled at the girls, everybody having been waiting to meet the famous trio of monsters that would be attending the school. The girl stepped back as the third one stepped forward. Her one red eye looked around as she noticed that a lot of the boys were looking at her with awe. She wore a silver headband over her short black hair as she smiled at the class.

"My name is Falla Cii, I hope we all become good friends." She said with a bow. The teacher blinked and looked at her curiously.

"Fallacy?" he asked. The girl giggled and shook her head with an amused smile.

"No, Falla Cii. I know, it's a…unique name from the family." She said with a shrug. The teacher smiled and nodded as the girl stepped back. Render and Leon were looking at the girls curiously as they stood before the class.

"Very well then, welcome to the school girls. As you may have been informed, everybody here knows about your true identity, so no need to feel shy or scared. We all know we can trust you here, and we want you to feel welcome in our home." The teacher said politely. The girls smiled at the class, all three still amazed how accepting the humans were of them now.

"Alright, now then, you three will be seated up in the second row, please take your seats and we'll begin with today's lesson." The teacher said as he walked toward the board. The girls nodded then preceded towards their seats, the girls looking around to see everybody smiling at them. It was almost too good to be true, everybody was being so friendly with them. Not even Yokai Academy had students that behaved that way. It may have been because the students may know it was them that helped take down Alucard, or maybe they were told to be on their best behavior and were faking it. Or maybe they really were just that friendly and excited about going to class with monsters now. The three girls took their seats then turned to wave to Kyouko who sat behind them, the girl smiling down at them and waving back. Apoch was seated with a girl student to her left, with Astreal on her right, and then Falla between Astreal and the aisle. Render and Leon glanced to them as they sat across from the red eyed girl then looked to each other curiously.

"Ok then, for today's lesson we'll be-" the teacher started before the door opened and another student walked in. The class looked over as a boy with short black hair and blue eyes walked in. He had a dull expression as glanced to the teacher. He wore the same student uniform for boys, and a black leather glove over his left hand. Render and Leon's eyes narrowed at seeing him again as the teacher merely raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, I see you've decided to join us again today. Let me make something clear, even though you do well with your tests and studies, that doesn't mean you can just show up when you feel like it." The man said annoyed. The boy didn't respond as he took his seat at the front row right before the three new girls. They looked at him curiously then back to Kyouko. She just shook her head and looked to the boy again, the three girls then looking forward as well.

"Do I make myself clear?" the teacher said looking at the boy sternly. After a pause the boy merely nodded.

"Crystal." He said flatly. Leon and Render glanced to each other then back to the boy with glares. Falla glanced back to Kyouko curiously.

"What's with him?" she whispered.

"Don't mind him, he's always got a cold attitude." Kyouko whispered back. Apoch and Astreal looked at the boy curiously as Falla glanced back to him. After a moment the boy glanced back to her with no expression. Falla smiled softly and waved a bit.

"Hello." She whispered. The boy just looked at her for a moment then back forward again. Falla raised an eyebrow at the boy then gently poked him with her foot. He glanced back to her as she eyed him curiously.

"I said, hello." She said softly. Again the boy just looked at her. After a pause he looked back ahead with no expression. Falla showed a bit of discontent then moved her foot to tap him again. Without looking the boy reached up and grabbed her foot with his gloved hand, the girl looking with surprise. He glanced back to her and narrowed his eyes.

"Stop." He said, his voice making the girl feel a chill run down her spine. After a pause he let the foot go and looked forward again as Apoch and Astreal looked at their friend. Falla glanced to the sisters with worry then back to Kyouko, the girl nodding with a dull expression.

"Yep, nobody's as cold as Ceal Erres." She said quietly.

* * *

At the festival at Yokai Academy a group of girls were running through the crowd, all of them following a blue haired succubus as she homed in on her Destined One's signal. They had all been dumped by their loved ones, and all one right after the other. Even Moka felt the pain of Tsukune telling her they weren't together anymore. However they all knew something was wrong, there was just no way their loved ones would walk away from them like that. They raced through the crowds of students and former graduates of the academy as Kurumu led the way, the girl following the pull of her angel's bond.

"He's this way, we're getting closer." Kurumu said as she was looking around at the passing crowds. As she did she noticed something that seemed to stand out.

"Do you think the others are with him?" Yukari asked worriedly. She glanced around, the girl also noticing something strange.

"We'll find out soon enough." Kokoa said as her bat held onto her shoulder while she ran with the girls. She glanced around, the vampire seeing something that seemed off.

"I don't feel Dark's essence nearby yet." Mizore said worriedly. She looked around, the snow maiden slowing down as the other girls did. They were all looking around cautiously as they all noticed the same thing.

"Um…does anybody else notice something…wrong?" Moka asked. They were looking around at the crowd around them, which was of girls showing sorrow or sadness while the boys were walking around with blissful smiles on their faces. A few girls were tugging on some boys arms with worried expressions while others were breaking down crying.

"What…what's going on?" Kurumu asked.

"Why Runo? What did I do wrong?" a girl cried as she tried to pull her boyfriend back, the male student yanking away and walking off with a dull expression. The group looked at her then around with worry.

"Why did he break up with me? Why?" a girl sobbed as her friends held her, the girls also showing pained expressions.

"That bastard…he said he loved me." Another said with tears and frustration, the girl sitting bench with her head hung down low.

The group looked around then towards each other.

"It can't be…" Kokoa said softly.

"Please, talk to me Valen, please!" a girl cried out as she tired to pull her boyfriend's hand back. The boy yanked away as the girl showed worry and sorrow.

"Leave me be, we're through." He said harshly before walking off. The girl broke down crying as she dropped to her knees.

"My god…it's…it's happening everywhere." Kurumu said with surprise. The group looked around as all the girl students and female graduates seemed to be breaking down crying while the boys walked away with dull expressions.

"They're all getting dumped…everybody." Yukari said shaking her head.

"It's not just us. All the girls are losing their boyfriends." Mizore said with concern.

"What is going on here?" Kokoa cried out.

"I have no idea…how could every boy just want to leave their girlfriend all of a sudden?" Moka asked worriedly. Kurumu shook her head and looked towards where her Destined One's pull was coming from.

"C'mon, we're finding our boys and getting to the bottom of this right now." She said sternly. The others followed after her, all concerned about what as happening. Every girl they passed by seemed to be depressed or saddened, every one of them dumped by their loved ones without any reason.

"Dammit what the hell is this?" Kurumu yelled out as they pushed their way through the crowd. They came out to a small clearing and looked ahead with surprise.

A large crowd of boys were smiling happily along with girls who were showing worry and heartache, all looking at something before them. The group looked ahead to see Rason and Gin standing in front of the stage set up for bands to perform on, both boys smiling at the group of girls with calm expressions.

"Rason!" Kurumu said.

"Gin!" Kokoa called out. The two boys smiled happily then glanced behind them as a girl walked onto the stage. Her blonde hair flowed behind her as she wore her trademark headphones. She wore the girls uniform for students at the academy as she hummed a small tune to herself. The girl walked up to a microphone stand and looked to the girls with a sly smile.

"Rin?" Moka asked.

"What is going on here? Rason what's gotten into you?" Kurumu said looking to her boyfriend with disbelief.

"Gin, talk to me. Please, what is the meaning of this?" Kokoa said with a bit of frustration. The girls looked at the two boys then to Rin. Slowly they looked around to see the other boys watching the blonde haired girl with loving eyes while the other girls were trying to snap them back to reality.

"Wait…" Moka said as they looked back to Rin.

"Glad you all made it for the show." Rin said happily.

* * *

Inside the auditorium Ruby was looking around with worry. All throughout the large building she was seeing girl after girl crying their eyes out as they tried to talk to their boyfriends, all of which seemed to dump them on the spot for no reason. The witch watched as boy after boy broke the heart of their partner and walked off while every girl was left standing devastated.

"What…what is going on here?" Ruby asked. She blinked then looked to the large stage set up for bands to play on. A girl with blue hair and glasses walked onto it along with two other boys.

"Dark? Ahakon?" Ruby said with surprise. The two boys were standing on either side of the girl as she walked up to the microphone stand, the girl tapping it a few times to get the attention of the crowd. Dark wasn't wearing his earbuds and was smiling calmly, a look that didn't seem like him at all. Ahakon was watching Ran with loving eyes as she smiled slyly.

"Ran? What is going on here? What are you doing?" Ruby said as she walked towards the stage. A blast of lightning struck near her feet, the witch jumping back in surprise. She looked to see Ahakon smiling at her with a gleam in his eyes as his hand was pointed at her. Ran giggled softly then looked out towards the crowd that was watching the stage in wonder.

* * *

A barrage of rocks struck through the many windows of the boys dorm building with a series of crashes. Male students looked out the broken windows with anger and annoyance as girls in the adjacent building looked out with wonder. Down by a tree between the two buildings a bunch of male students were holding rocks and smiling slyly up at the boys dorm building, Tsukune included.

"What the hell, are you guys out of your minds?" a boy in the building yelled out.

"What's gotten into you? You're going to pay for that!" another yelled out.

"You think that's funny? Just wait till I get down there!" another boy roared. Tsukune and the other boys chuckled then glanced to a girl who was sitting in the tree nearby. Ren smiled up at them with a calm gaze as she tilted her head, the girl looking to see all the boys staring down at them with anger.

"Hello boys." She said simply followed by a giggle.

* * *

"You…" Kurumu said as the girls glared at Rin, the blonde haired girl laughing a bit on the stage.

"You did this…didn't you?" Kokoa said with anger. Mizore and Yukari looked around but saw no signs of their boyfriends. Moka looked at the new girl cautiously then jumped in surprise. From behind Rin her feathered wings extended out, the girl looking around at the crowd of students and former graduates of the academy with a sly smile.

* * *

Inside the auditorium Ran's wings extended out, the girl taking the microphone into her hands. Dark and Ahakon looked to her with loving eyes as Ruby looked at the girl with surprise. She looked to the two boys next to the new girl then narrowed her eyes.

"What…what did you do to them?" she said with anger as she brought out her wand. Ran glanced to her and smirked.

"Our job." She said simply.

* * *

Ren's wing extended out as she looked around at all the boys looking out from the building. She giggled then sat up, the girl being watched by the curious girls from the other building, the pissed off boys from the boys building, and the group of followers that stood around the tree looking at her with loving eyes.

"Check, and mate." Ren said smugly.

* * *

Rin took the microphone and closed her eyes, the girl taking a calm breath. She then started to sing a melody, the girl's voice and tone echoing out the speakers and sounding off throughout the festival. The group of girls watched her with caution as she sang a beautiful yet sad song in unknown tongues. It seemed to resonate slightly within them, the girls feeling some of the new girl's emotion from the voice.

"What is she doing?" Kokoa asked shaking her head. Kurumu and Yukari looked at the girl with caution then around. The others looked around to see every boy within eyeshot suddenly looking towards the singing girl with wonder. The girls around the crowd looked over with curious eyes as the new girl sang with a beautiful voice.

"Why is she doing that?" Mizore asked. Yukari looked around and gasped. All the boys were looking at Rin with loving eyes and walking over, the girls around them looking to their boys with worry and concern. The young witch looked around then back to Rin, the witchling putting the pieces together.

"Of course…their voices…" she said with surprise. She remembered back to when she heard the three new girls singing to each other, how their voices seemed to light up inside of the young witchling somehow. Kurumu blinked then looked to Yukari with surprise.

"Their voices…" she said with the same realization.

Kou squeaked softly then took off into the air, the bat flying towards the stage as Kokoa watched with surprise.

"Kou? Where are you going? Get back here! Hey!" she called out. Moka, Kokoa, and Mizore looked around as the boys everywhere were looking to the new girl with loving eyes, the boys ignoring the calls and pleas from the other girls.

"They're all in a trance…almost as if…" Kokoa said looking back to Rin with wide eyes.

"It's her voice, she's doing this to them." Mizore said as she glared at the new girl.

"It's her…she's…she's a…" Moka said with wide eyes.

* * *

Ran started singing her song, the girl's sad yet beautiful melody sounding out inside the auditorium. Ruby looked at the girl with frustration then around. She saw every male student and staff member look to Ran with loving eyes then walk towards the stage, all while all the girls looked around with confusion and worry. A few girls tried to pull their boys back but were knocked away quickly. Ruby growled then looked to Ran, the girl who was being guarded by a shadow demon and mage, the two boys smiling lovingly at the girl as well.

"It was you…you're…you're a…" she said with frustration as she held her wand tightly.

* * *

Ren started to sing, the girl's sad yet beautiful melody filling the air around the two dorm buildings. The boys in the building were looking down with wonder at the new girl as the girls in the other building watched with curious expressions.

"What's she doing?" a girl said shaking her head.

"Her voice…it's so beautiful." A girl said in awe.

The girls in the building watched the new girl sing then looked over to see the boys in the other building watching with loving eyes. A few of them jumped out of their windows to get down to the girl while others ran back in to race down the stairs. The girls watched with surprise as a horde of love struck boys surrounded the girl who was singing in the tree.

"What…what's going on?" a girl said with worry.

"Hey, Sado! What are you doing?" a girl called down to her boyfriend in the crowd.

"Hey, hey what's wrong with you boys?" a girl called out worriedly as she saw her boyfriend was gazing at the singer with loving eyes as well. Tsukune and the horde of boys smiled up at the girl as she sang down to them, the winged singer whose voice was so alluring to them.

* * *

The group of girls were looking at Rin with frustration and surprise as she sang to the crowd at the festival, her voice carrying out across the courtyard through the speaker system. All the boys, and even Kou, seemed to be drawn to her and paid no other girl any mind, all of them smiling lovingly at the singer with the beautiful voice.

"I was right…it's their voices…they're doing this." Yukari said with anger. She remembered the four boys that guarded the three sisters in the cafeteria fight, how those boys were bullies to the girls before but somehow changed completely.

"What's going on here? What do you think you're doing?" Moka called out, the girl's rosary glowing red. Her inner self wouldn't be swayed or fooled, she knew damn well something was changing Tsukune, and she had a good idea as to what that something was.

"Now I get it…now I see what's going on." Kurumu said as she extended her nails, the succubus realizing what happened to her Destined One. And why Ren smiled at her the way she did before.

"You girls took our boyfriends, didn't you?" Mizore said as she formed her ice katana, the girl furious at the ones responsible for taking her demon. She remembered Rin's cold smile at her, and understood where it came from.

"What the hell is going on here? What is she anyway?" Kokoa yelled out with anger, the vampire glaring at the singing girl with wings. Not only was her boyfriend fawning over the new girl, but now Kou was too.

"It's them…they did this…they stole our boyfriends. Ahakon, Rason, Dark, Gin, Tsukune, they took them all. They're taking every boy out there." Yukari said as she growled with anger. She understood now what happened. How all their boyfriends just suddenly left them. How every boy in school seemed to be leaving their loved one without any reason. She held out her wand towards the girl as her friends tensed up.

"They're sirens!"


	10. The Sirens Song

All throughout the school grounds of Yokai Academy an alluring melody was echoing out into the air. The song was both uplifting yet sad at the same time, the strange melody being sang from the auditorium of the school, at the dorm buildings for the students, and at the festival held outside the academy. All over the school boys were looking towards the source of the song with loving and caring eyes while the girls around the school were showing concern and heartache. Every boy and male graduate that attended the fair, along with any male staff and faculty members, that heard the song was drawn towards the three girls that were singing the haunting melody. They would push off and away any other girl that tried to get near them as they gathered around the three female students that sang their song.

Inside the auditorium Ruby was looking at the stage where bands and shows would normally take place as a girl with blue hair and glasses was singing into the microphone, her voice being carried all throughout the hall. At her sides Dark and Ahakon were looking at her with loving eyes as she focused on using her voice to allure all the boys in the area to her. Boys and male graduates that heard the song were walking towards the stage with loving eyes while all the girls watched with confusion and worry. Ruby growled then held out her wand towards the girl with a glare.

"You're a siren! You're the reason my friends' boyfriends left them!" she shouted out. Dark and Ahakon looked to the witch with sly smiles as the siren continued to sing her melody. Ruby aimed her wand at the girl as it glowed a bright purple.

"Stop this at once Ran!" she yelled as she fired a blast of energy. In a flash Dark grabbed the siren and pulled her to the side as Ahakon fired a blast of fire at the witch. Ruby held her wand up and formed a barrier around her, the fireball striking the purplish dome and exploding as Dark held Ran close. The girl giggled and looked to the witch with a sly smile.

"That wasn't very nice, I was in the middle of my song." she said coolly. Ruby growled then held her wand to the girl again.

"This show is over." she said sternly. She was then grabbed from behind, her arms and neck being pulled back by a horde of male students. Ran started laughing as Ruby looked back to see all the boys looking at her with glares.

"No no witch, the show has just begun." Ran said.

* * *

Outside in the festival grounds Moka, Kokoa, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari were looking with anger at Rin as she continued to sing her alluring melody. Rason and Gin were standing before the stage with calm smiles on their faces as all around them more boys and male graduates were gathering around. The other female students in the area were being pushed aside and ignored with cold shoulders as the boys headed towards the beautiful voice.

"They're sirens! This is their doing!" Yukari called out with her wand held at the ready.

"So that's what this is all about, how dare you try to steal our boyfriends like this!" Kurumu yelled with her nails extended out, the girl's wings arching back behind her.

"You'll pay for this." Mizore hissed as she held her ice katana at the ready, the girl's hair frosting over as she unleashed her monster energy.

"You…it was because of you Tsukune said those things to me wasn't it? How dare you!" Moka yelled with anger, the girl's rosary glowing a deep red.

"My boyfriend…and my servant…you have some nerve taking them like this." Kokoa hissed with a glare, the girl's emerald eyes staring at the siren with hatred.

Rin stopped singing and then smiled at them slyly. The girls glanced around to see male students and graduates all around them, all eyes looking at them with dark smiles. Kurumu and Kokoa growled then raced towards the stage.

"You bitch!" they yelled out as they dashed towards the siren. In a flash Rason shot forward, grabbed Kurumu's hand, then spun the surprised succubus around. He threw the girl back as Gin appeared before Kokoa, grabbed her arm, then threw her around and back towards the others. Kurumu crashed into Mizore as Kokoa collided with Moka, the four girls dropping to the ground with a crash. Yukari aimed her wand at the siren with a glare before two male students jumped in front of the blonde haired girl to act as a shield. Rin giggled as Yukari's wand glowed a bit. The other girls got up and looked to see Rason and Gin walking in front of the siren as well, the boys acting as a shield before her.

"She's using them to hide behind." Mizore said with frustration. She glanced around quickly as she noticed something.

"Wait…where are the other two?" she asked.

"Yeah…where are Ren and Ran?" Kurumu asked. Moka looked around then gasped.

"Tsukune!" she cried out. The girls looked to see a large group walking towards the area. Ren and Tsukune were walking in front of a large horde of charmed boys, all of them looking at Ren with loving eyes. She smiled arrogantly as she walked up onto the stage next to her sister, the siren then looking to the other girls. Tsukune walked in front of her as the large group of boys remained off to the side.

"Tsukune. No…no!" Moka cried out with anger, the girl looking to Ren with a deep glare.

"Damn you Ren, how dare you charm my mate!" she yelled out, her hair flashing silver for a brief second in her rage.

"She got him…she got him too." Yukari said with frustration. She jumped a bit then looked around.

"Wait…if she has Tsukune…and Rin has Gin and Rason here…" she said looking to Mizore. The snow maiden's eyes widened a bit then glared at the two siren sisters. The two girls laughed a bit then looked over to the side. The girls looked and jumped with surprise to see another large group walking towards the gathering. Ran was leading a large group of male students and graduates with a cool smile on her face. Next to her Dark was walking while holding Ruby in his grip, the witch being forced to walk forward with a growl. Ahakon was next to the siren and was holding the witch's wand.

"Dark!" Mizore called out.

"Ahakon!" Yukari said with worry.

"They got them, and Ruby." Kurumu said as she saw the elder witch struggling in the grip of the shadow demon. Ran walked onto the stage next to her sisters as Dark and Ahakon joined the other charmed boyfriends.

"No…Dark! Dark snap out of it!" Mizore called out.

"Ahakon! Don't do this!" Yukari cried out.

"They can't hear you, they can only hear our beautiful voices now." Ren said crossing her arms before her. The other two sisters laughed a bit and looked around at the large gathering of charmed boys.

"Nice work sisters." Rin said looking around at the two new groups of boys that were brought here.

"Very, I'd say this was a huge success." Ran said adjusting her glasses.

"You three won't get away with this, you think you can just charm all the boys here to keep them all to yourself?" Ruby barked out at the sisters. They looked to her with discontent.

"How dare you…how DARE you take our boys from us!" Kurumu yelled, her wings and tail starting to smoke slightly.

"Release them now…or else you will suffer." Mizore growled as she held her blade towards the sisters.

"They're already going to suffer…nobody charms my mate and gets away with it." Kokoa said cracking her knuckles.

"That goes double for me, we're going to make you pay girls. Pay dearly." Moka said as her aura flared around her.

"Stealing other boyfriends for your own, you won't get away with it!" Yukari yelled out as she held her wand at the ready. The sisters sang a quick tune in harmony, their voices echoing out around the area. All the boys in the crowd looked to the group of girls with glares as they walked forward. The boyfriends stood their ground before the sisters as Ruby looked around with surprise.

"We were sent here for a purpose, we don't have to explain ourselves to you." Ran said looking around at the army of followers.

"We won't be stopped…not when we're so close." Rin said with a tone of annoyance.

"They aren't yours anymore girls, they belong to us now." Ren said with narrowed eyes.

The other girls looked around in frustration as they were surrounded by a large crowd of charmed male students and graduates. Other female students and graduates were looking with surprise and worry from nearby as the five fighters glanced around at the army of boys surrounding them. The girls looked around as they tensed up, then glared over at the sisters.

"You think you can hide behind your brainwashed followers?" Kurumu yelled before she took off into the air. She flew up before a few other male students shifted into their monster forms. One shifted into a black scaled lizard with four short wings, the monster's red eyes glaring at the succubus as it's long tail whipped behind it. Another shifted into a feathered hawk-man, with the monster's wings extending out as it's claws and talons stretched out. And a third turned into it's true form, a long slender eel with several sets of small insect wings along it's back. The three monsters raced towards the girl as she glared at them. She readied her nails and raced towards them with a yell.

"Kurumu don't hurt them! They're not in control!" Yukari called out. The succubus jumped a bit then stopped, the girl then watching the dark lizard monster send a swipe at her and knocking her back into a tumble. She was caught then wrapped up as the eel coiled around her, the girl then dropping down to the ground as the two other winged monsters dived down to her.

"Kurumu!" Mizore yelled as she ran toward her. She was grabbed by the hand and tossed to the side by a male student, the girl stumbling over then swinging her blade around her. She stopped a hair short of cutting the boy's head off then growled in frustration.

_No, I can't strike them down when they're being controlled. Dark would never forgive me for killing innocent monsters._

Another boy grabbed her by the neck and threw her back to the ground, the girl's blade flying out of her hands as others surrounded her. She yelled out then froze the ground around her in a flash. As the students slipped and fell the snow maiden scrambled away while Kurumu broke free and flew back into the air. Yukari growled then aimed her wand at the stage, the girl's magic lighting up her wand as the ground started to shake. The siren sisters looked around with surprise as large column of earth shot up through the stage with a loud crash. The girls were thrown back as the boyfriends were blasted forward into a tumble. Ruby rolled away from Dark and scrambled back to her feet, the witch grabbing the wand from Ahakon and aiming it at the sirens. Before she could fire a shot a few male students tackled her to the ground. One tried to pull the wand out from her hand while two others held the witch down. She yelled and kicked around as the siren sisters looked towards the girls with glares.

"Know your place!" Moka and Kokoa yelled as they raced toward the three girls. Before they could reach the stage a few male students tackled them to the ground, the boys trying to hold down the thrashing vampires. Yukari aimed her wand before another boy tackled her to the ground as well, the young witch trying to get up as the larger student held her down forcibly.

"Damn it, knock it off!" Mizore yelled as she flash froze the area around her, the girl's power spiking and causing the ground to frost over as a few boys were partially frozen as well. As they shivered and tried to move again Kurumu flew around with the three charmed monsters that were chasing her. She banked around and flew down towards a few booths, the girl weaving around one as the three monsters crashed through it. The girl flew down and kicked the student that was keeping Yukari pinned. The witch grabbed her wand then cast out her magic, the girl sending out a wave of earth that crashed into the three flyers as they got near.

"Get off me!" Kokoa yelled as she tried to push away a few boys that had her pinned down. Moka was thrashing around as she was pinned next to her, the two vampire sisters surrounded by charmed boys. The five boys had the girls pinned and were smiling wickedly at them.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The charmed boys dropped to the ground as five golden washtubs hit their heads, the dazed students collapsing down as the two vampires scrambled to their feet.

"Dammit snap out of it! Stop this!" Ruby shouted as she was dragged to her feet by two students while one kept trying to pull her wand away from her. Kokoa ran over and grabbed the student, the vampire promptly throwing the boy over into a group of the charmed students. As he crashed into them Moka ran over and pulled one boy off of Ruby as Kurumu ran over and grabbed another.

"There's too many of them." Moka said as she tossed the boy away into a stumble, the kid regaining himself and looking back to the vampire as others joined him.

"What are we supposed to do? We can't hurt them." Kurumu said as she pushed the other charmed student away, the boy stumbling back before glaring at the girls. Mizore froze over a few more from the waist down then backed up towards the girls.

"I can't freeze them all." she said worriedly.

"My god, the entire male student body is under their control." Ruby said looking around with worry.

Yukari held up her wand as it glowed brightly, the ground around the girls then shaking a bit. Suddenly a wave erupted all around them and traveled outward, the rolling tremor of earth and rock blasting the crowd back a bit. The young witch breathed heavily then looked to the sirens.

"Stop those sirens!" she yelled. The girls looked to them with glares as the sisters smirked at them. The girls ran towards them with fire in their eyes. Moka raced towards them before Tsukune jumped in front and sent a powerful punch to her face, the girl being shot back instantly. At the same time Rason swooped down and grabbed Kurumu's tail, the girl yelping as she was thrown back into a crash. Mizore was grabbed and spun around, the girl then being launched back into a tumble as Dark appeared from a black wisp. Yukari aimed her wand at the sirens before a blast of lightning struck down at her, the girl jumping back as Ahakon aimed his hand at the witch. Kokoa raced towards the sisters before Gin appeared in front of her and grabbed her wrist, the surprised vampire then being spun around and throw back towards the others while Kou laughed and landed on Gin's shoulder. Ruby aimed her wand towards the sisters before a gray skinned brute in the boys school uniform grabbed her from behind and slammed her into the ground, the witch gasping in shock as the brute held her down with a foot.

As the witch struggled to get free the girls were looking with wide eyes as their boyfriends stared them down.

"Tsukune…don't do this. Snap out of it." Moka pleaded. Tsukune chuckled then snapped off his rosary, the girl looking with surprise as his full power was released. His eyes turned black and crimson as a gray streak bled through his hair. Moka shook her head slowly and backed up a bit.

_No…Tsukune…_

"Rason, it's me. Your Kurumu, please!" Kurumu pleaded. Rason arched his wings back as his eyes glowed, the angel glaring at the girl who was watching with a stunned expression. She remembered how they were pitted against each other before when the boy was under a wizard's spell, and felt her heart ache as she watched the angel prepare to attack her once more.

_Rason…not again…_

"Dark. I know you're in there, I know you're seeing this. Try to fight it, please." Mizore said worriedly. She watched as the shadow demon's eyes shifted to pitch black and a dark fog formed at his feet. The snow maiden knew her boyfriend was seeing everything play out, and didn't want to harm him in any way. She choked back a sob then readied her ice katana.

_Don't worry Dark…I'll free you, I swear it._

"Ahakon…it's me, your girlfriend. Don't let them use you like this." Yukari pleaded. The girl watched as Ahakon held his hand out towards her, the palm glowing red as fire raced around his arm. She knew she had more magical energy to fight with, but didn't want to hurt her boyfriend at all. She held her wand up defensively and shook her head.

_No…don't make me fight you Ahakon…please._

"Gin, it's me. Kokoa. Your girlfriend remember? I'm your mate…I'm your mate!" Kokoa cried out as Gin shifted into his werewolf form, the wolf growling at the vampire as Kou flew up into the air overhead. The vampire knew her boyfriend was being used, and that he was going to attack her with his all. She growled then clenched her fists as she fought back her tears.

_I'm going to get you back Gin, no freakin' way are they keeping us apart._

Ruby aimed her wand up and shot a small blast of magical energy up, the projectile striking the brute and blasting him back a bit. The witch scrambled to her feet and looked over to see the girls facing their boyfriends with pained expressions.

"Oh no…" Ruby said softly. She looked over to the siren sisters and aimed her wand at them.

"This game ends now!" she yelled as she fired a blast of magical energy at them. The three sisters took off into the air with their wings as the stage below was blasted to pieces. The girls giggled and shook their heads amusingly as Ruby glanced around to see the hordes of charmed students glaring at her.

"I don't think so." Rin said with a smirk.

"We won't be stopped now." Ran said crossing her arms before her.

"No matter what, we will not fail today." Ren said as looked over to the other girls, the ones preparing to face the boys they loved. Ren narrowed her eyes at them then looked to the boys.

"Put an end to this now!" she called out.

Tsukune dashed towards Moka as his aura blasted around him, the boy sending a powerful kick towards the vampire. The girl yelled and raised her arms up defensively as she braced for the hit.

WHAM!

"Moka!" Ruby cried out as she watched the pink haired vampire fly back and crash into the ground, the girl carving through the earth and crashing into a booth with a powerful explosion. The other girls looked over with shock as Tsukune retracted his kick, the boy smiling wickedly at where the vampire was knocked to.

"Oh my god…Moka!" Kurumu cried out.

"He used his full strength on her." Mizore said with wide eyes.

Slowly Moka climbed to her feet out of the destroyed booth and ground, the girl trembling as she held her arm with a pained expression. She wavered then dropped to her knee.

_Tsukune…_

**_His power…he's not holding back at all._**

_Another hit like that…and we're done for._

The vampire shakily looked over to Tsukune, her vision blurring as she had trouble staying up. That one hit alone nearly killed the vampire, the girl in incredible pain as she tried to stand again. She slowly stood back on her feet and wavered, the girl trying to focus her vision on her mate.

"Tsukune…stop…" she said weakly. The boy dashed towards her at high speed, the vampire watching with a pained expression as he neared. He geared back a punch as Moka closed her eyes, the girl expecting to die right away.

"No!" Ruby shouted as she swooped by and grabbed the vampire, the witch flying her into the air with her raven wings. She looked with worry as Moka struggled to remain conscious.

"Moka? Moka speak to me." Ruby said urgently.

"That…really hurt." Moka said weakly.

The other girls watched Ruby fly Moka into the air then looked over to their boyfriends with worry. All of the boys were glaring at them as their aura flared around them.

"Something tells me they're not going to hold back either." Kurumu said worriedly.

"They're…going to go for the kill." Mizore said as she backed up a bit.

"We can't fight them…they're not in control. What do we do?" Yukari said worriedly.

"If we don't fight back they'll kill us." Kokoa said with a bit of worry.

In a flash Rason shot towards Kurumu, the angel flying towards her with his fists clenched. Dark vanished into a black wisp as he ran forward, the boy cloaking himself as he raced towards the snow maiden. Ahakon aimed his attack at Yukari with a cold glare, the boy ready to use all his magic to strike her down. Gin growled then dashed towards Kokoa at high speed, the wolf charging his mate with the intent to kill. The girls looked with surprise as Ruby watched with worry. Down on the ground Tsukune was still looking up at Moka, the boy glaring at her with his aura flaring around him violently.

"Rason don't!" Kurumu yelled as the boy raced up to her, the angel striking her gut with a punch then carrying her up into the air. She coughed out in pain as she was thrust into the air.

"No…Dark!" Mizore said looking around. She saw the flicker of the boy's essence briefly but couldn't lock onto it. In a flash she was shot back with a kick into a nearby booth, the girl crashing through the wood and destroying the stand.

"Ahakon, wait!" Yukari said before the mage fired a blast of fire at her. She dodged it then waved her wand, the girl casting out a few tarot cards that circled around her. The mage narrowed his eyes then fired out an erratic burst of electricity, the attack zapping and knocking the cards away wildly.

"Gin, stop!" Kokoa yelled as the wolf started swiping at and around her at high speed. There wasn't a full moon fueling his power yet he was still incredibly fast. The girl dodged around before Kou flew in front of her, the squeaking bat causing her to stumble off balance. In a flash Gin struck her from behind, the girl flying forward and crashing through a nearby bench.

"Oh god…no." Ruby said looking around at the fights below. She blinked then looked to see a large boulder flying at her. She screamed then darted to the side, the large chunk of earth just missing her. The witch looked down to see Tsukune grab another chunk of the ground, rip it up, then throw it at her with great force.

"Tsukune stop!" Ruby said as she erected a barrier before her, the large stone striking it and knocking her off balance. Moka dropped down and fell towards the ground as Ruby shook her head from the hit.

"Moka!" she yelled as she dived down towards the falling vampire. She neared the girl before a few flying students raced up towards her. The witch was knocked back by the hawk monster before the flying dark lizard grabbed her and swung her around. She was hurled down and crashed into another booth while Moka landed down on a pile of red pillows that appeared suddenly.

Yukari breathed out in relief that she was quick enough with her magic then looked to see another blast of lightning striking down towards her. She jumped to the side as it struck the ground, the shock and bang from it sending her into a tumble.

Kurumu was tossed into the air, the girl groaning in pain before Rason flew in front of her. He grabbed her hair, stopped the girl, then punched her back towards the ground. The girl flew down and crashed into another booth as Mizore was thrown out of the destroyed one from before. The snow girl tumbled into a roll before her leg was grabbed. She looked to see the faint outline of Dark briefly before she was swung around. The girl screamed as she was thrown onto the stage.

"Dark…" she said shakily as she stood up. The girl looked around her as she felt the boy's presence nearby. She focused with all her might to try to find her boyfriend, the girl's life depending on it now. She darted around a bit as she saw the boy's attacks just barely, the girl dodging and weaving around as the demon attacked from all around.

Kokoa darted around before Gin grabbed her hand then threw her to the ground. The wolf reached up as Kou formed into a giant hammer above him. Kokoa looked with surprise as the wolf swung down towards her with the oversized weapon. The girl screamed as she rolled to the side, the hammer striking down and blasting her into a tumble away. She scrambled to her feet then jumped back as the wolf threw the hammer towards her. It whirled past before the werewolf raced up and struck the girl in the back of the head. She slammed into the ground with a gasp, the girl face down and struggling to get up. Gin stomped down on her back as he roared out, the girl looking back to him with teary eyes.

Moka shakily stood up from the pillows and tried to look around her with weary eyes. She saw Kurumu standing up from the destroyed booth before Rason shot down and slammed her into the ground with a powerful kick. Mizore darted around on stage before her head jerked to the side from a punch, the girl stumbling to the side before her arms were grabbed and held behind her forcibly. Yukari darted around to avoid the magic from her boyfriend, the witch not able to bring herself to attack him back. She stumbled to the side from a blast of fire before Ahakon tackled her to the ground, the mage holding a hand that was glowing red up to her face point blank. Gin roared then reached down and grabbed hold of Kokoa's hair, the girl choking back her sobs as the wolf had her pinned down on the ground. Ruby was being attacked from all sides by the charmed boys and graduates, the witch keeping herself from using lethal force as they kept trying to take her down.

"No…stop it…" Moka said softly.

Kurumu was lifted up by the neck, the succubus looking with teary eyes as Rason started choking the girl. Mizore screamed as her arms were held back forcibly, the girl dropping to her knees as Dark appeared behind her. Yukari stared with wide eyes then grabbed the mage's hand, the girl trying to aim the attack away from her. Kokoa tried to get up, the girl using all her strength to try to free herself from the wolf's grasp. Ruby was knocked back and grabbed from behind, with two larger brutes holding her arms as another lizard monster wrapped its tail around the witch's neck.

"Ra…son…" Kurumu coughed as she grabbed the boy's hands, the girl looking into the angel's stone cold glare.

"Dark…don't…" Mizore whimpered as the boy's arm wrapped around her neck. He held her tightly as he placed a hand over her head.

"Ahakon…please…" Yukari cried as the mage's hand started to slowly come back to aim at the girl's frightened face.

"Gin…stop…" Kokoa said weakly as the wolf started to push down on her spine, the girl being crushed into the ground.

Moka looked over to see Tsukune walking up to her, the boy's black and red eyes glaring at her as his aura flared around him. The girl stepped back a bit before dropping down to her knees. She wavered then looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Tsukune…" she said softly as he grabbed her by the neck, the girl coughing out as she tried to free herself.

The three siren sisters watched the boys mercilessly attack the girls with dull expressions. After a moment they flew down towards the ground gently and looked around.

"Make them stop!" Ruby cried out.

Kurumu coughed out as her hands started to weaken, the girl's world fading to black. Mizore grabbed hold of Dark's hands with all her might, the girl trying with all her strength to stop him from snapping her neck. Yukari was pushed down onto the ground as Ahakon's hand aimed at her face, the boy's arm lighting up with streaks of fire. Kokoa coughed out as the ground around her cracked apart, the girl's back starting to break as she was pushed down with great force. Moka watched with teary eyes as Tsukune geared back a punch, the girl unable to move or break free.

"Please, don't do this!" Ruby cried out as the tail around her neck tightened. She choked loudly as the siren sisters looked around with dull glances.

Kurumu's arms dropped to her side as her eyes started to close, the girl feeling her world fade around her. Mizore whimpered and felt her strength giving out, the girl feeling her head being turned against her will. Yukari felt the heat from the fire building in Ahakon's palm and looked at him with sorrowful eyes. Kokoa coughed out then started to go limp, the girl's world blurring as her body was being crushed into two. Ruby dropped to her knees as she couldn't breathe, the witch coughing out and going limp. Moka looked with watery eyes as her mate prepared to finish her off. With his full power her body would not survive another direct hit.

"That's enough!" Ren called out. The boys all stopped instantly and let go, with all the girls dropping down to the ground. Slowly they looked up at the boyfriends as they stood before them. The boys then walked back over towards the sirens who were looking around with dull expressions.

"They're done." Ran said simply.

"Just walk away, you can't win." Rin said firmly. The girls slowly got to their knees and looked with heartbroken eyes at their boyfriends, all of the boys looking at the three sirens with loving eyes.

"Rason…" Kurumu said as she tried to stand again.

"Dark…" Mizore said as a tear fell from her face.

"Ahakon…" Yukari said as she started to cry.

"Gin…" Kokoa said shakily as she slowly got up on her knees.

"Tsukune…" Moka said as she wavered, the girl dropping down onto her rear and looking with disbelief at all the boys who were under the sirens control.

"Why…why are you doing this?" Ruby said as she slowly got back to her feet. She wavered then walked towards Moka.

"You said…you're doing your job. What is your job?" Ruby asked again with a narrowed glare at the sisters. The girls looked to the sisters as they just stared back at Ruby with dull expressions.

"After they tried to help you…to be your friends…you just use them like this?" Kurumu said as she shakily got back to her feet.

"They saved you…they were trying to be your friends…how could you?" Yukari said as she got to her feet with a pained expression.

"They were our world…they were everything to us. How could you just take them from us like this?" Mizore asked as she slowly stood up again.

"My boyfriend…my love…dammit you can't just take him like this." Kokoa growled as she shakily got back onto her feet. Ruby kneeled next to Moka, the witch focusing her magic on the vampire's injuries with her wand. Moka looked at Tsukune with heartbroken eyes.

"Please…don't do this girls. They mean everything to us…don't take my mate away from me!" she cried out as she reached out for Tsukune. The three siren sisters looked down as their hair covered their eyes. The other girls started to cry softly as she looked at their charmed boyfriends with pained expressions.

"I'm sorry." Rin said softly. The girls looked to her with surprise as the sisters glanced around.

"We don't have a choice." Ran said softly.

"It's not like they're going to be our boyfriends anyway. They're not for us." Ren said with a hint of remorse.

"What? What do you mean?" Kurumu said.

"Not for you?" Mizore asked.

"What do you mean you don't have a choice? You always have a choice." Yukari said worriedly.

"Explain. Why are you doing this? Why are you taking all the boys around here if you don't want them?" Ruby asked. Moka slowly stood back up as enough of her strength was restored.

"Why are you doing this? Why?" she asked with teary eyes. The sirens glanced to each other then looked upwards. They started to sing a song in unison, their voices echoing out with a different melody. It was strangely erratic in tone yet haunting at the same time.

"What…what are you doing now?" Ruby said as they watched the girls sing. After a moment the three stopped and glanced behind them. The air around the stage started to bend and crack apart, the area seeming to shake a bit. Mizore looked around worriedly then darted off the stage quickly. She stumbled over to her friends as the stage was obliterated in a flash. A large tear seared around the air as a black void was seen, with the ground and remnants of the stage collapsing into the darkness. The group looked with surprise as the siren sisters looked to it with remorse.

"What…what is that?" Ruby asked. The girls looked at the dark tear carefully for a moment.

"Wait…that void…" Kurumu said with wonder.

"That's just like what we saw in the time stream, when Luna's power went out of control." Mizore said softly.

"What's that thing doing here?" Yukari said backing up.

The three siren sisters walked up towards it then bowed down on one knee, the girls lowering their heads as the large tear in space etched out before them.

"Master." they said softly.

"Master?" the girls said in surprise. They looked to the void as the large tear into time rippled around with a bright darkness. The three sisters stood up and looked around at the boys.

"Attention!" they all called out. All the boys stood at attention for them, all lining up into three large organized groups while facing the three girls. The girls looked around to see all the boys standing in formation as they smiled calmly at the sirens. The boyfriends walked up behind the sisters and stood at attention as well.

"What's going on here? What are you doing with them?" Ruby called out. The girls looked to the void as a dark chuckle echoed out from it.

"Ah, good work my girls, very good work." the voice said with a cold tone.

"Master, we have done as you have asked. All the boys at the school are at your command now. We even secured additional forces for you from the festival." Ren said looking to the void with a blank expression.

"Hahaha, well done girls. I was right to trust you with such an important task." the voice said with a laugh.

"Who is that? What's going on here?" Moka called out.

"What are you doing with our boyfriends?" Kurumu yelled out.

"Haha, don't worry about them. They will serve a greater purpose than ever before under my command." the voice said with a dark tone.

"Under your command?" Mizore said with anger.

"Who are you? What is the meaning of this, explain yourself!" Ruby shouted out.

"I don't need to explain anything to lesser beings." the voice said amusingly.

"Lesser beings? Who the hell are you?" Ruby yelled out.

"Master, we have done as you asked. Now please, we ask you uphold your end of the deal." Ran said hopefully.

"Haha, my end of the deal you say? Oh yes, I remember now." the voice said with a laugh.

"We've gathered you an army of monsters, and those that destroyed Alucard. We've done our part." Rin pleaded.

"An army?" Yukari said looking around at the charmed students.

"Oh, but you failed in your part. I asked for all those that brought down the legendary destroyer as well as the entire school of monsters that they hailed from." the voice said with a tone of discontent.

"But…but we've done that! Every boy in the school is yours now! Even more than what was asked, we've done our job!" Ran cried out.

"Their job…" Ruby said looking to the black void with narrowed eyes.

"No, you missed one. There is one of the fighters that brought down Alucard not here with you. You have not completed your end of the deal, so I am in no way bound to uphold mine." the voice said. The sisters jumped back and looked around franticly.

"But…we got everybody. There isn't anybody else here master." Rin said worriedly.

"Yes, every male student, teacher, and guest has been taken, nobody else remains." Ran pleaded. Ruby jumped a bit then glanced to the other girls, all of them glancing to her with one same thought.

_Razico._

"Nobody else is here master, please. We got you more than what was asked, please let us go free!" Ren cried out.

"Go free?" Kurumu said looking to the sirens.

"You didn't do as you were asked and you called to come back anyway. I will do no such thing." the voice said with a laugh. The sirens trembled and looked around quickly.

"What…what does he mean? Who did we miss?" Ren said worriedly.

"There's nobody else here, we got the school, the dorms, and the festival. We got everybody, we had to have." Rin said nervously.

"I don't understand, who did we miss?" Ran cried out. The other girls glanced to each other then looked back to the sisters. The sirens looked around quickly then over to the boyfriends. They started counting then paused afterwards.

"Wait…they were in pairs during the fight. I'm sure of it." Ren said looking to the girls again. The sirens looked at them with caution as they walked up to them. They started counting as they pointed to each girl, then stopped as they got to Ruby. They blinked, turned back, then looked to the witch again.

"Wait…where's…" Rin said looking around. Ran looked around then over to Ruby with wide eyes.

"The warlock…he's not here!" she cried out. The sisters looked to Ruby as the witch backed up a bit.

"Of course, the one time I _do_ have a boyfriend it's a problem." she muttered.

"The warlock…he's not here. He's not here?" Rin said looking around puzzled. Ren growled loudly then ran up to Ruby, the girl glaring at the witch with teary eyes.

"Where…where is HE?" she screamed out. The witch blinked then smiled arrogantly.

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." she said coolly.

"Your boyfriend, that warlock with the chains. Where is he?" Ran yelled as she ran up to her as well.

"Oh him, sorry but he's not here." Ruby said plainly. The sisters looked at her with surprise as they glanced to the other girls. They were smirking and shrugging in response.

"What…not…here?" Ren said looking back to the witch.

"Liar, where is he?" Ran yelled out. She growled as her wings arched back. Rin ran up to them then looked back to the black void with fearful eyes.

"We need them all, where is he?" she said with fright.

"Tell us now…where IS HE?" Ren yelled out with anger.

"Like I said, I don't know. He took off with a special assignment from the headmaster. He's long gone from these grounds." Ruby said crossing her arms with a smug grin. The sisters looked at her with surprise then slowly shook their heads.

"No…we need him as well…no." Ran said as she backed up a bit. Ren trembled then slowly looked back to the void.

"But…we didn't know…" she said quietly.

"You failed to complete your mission. I asked you to bring all of them to me. For that you will not be going free." the voice said with a dark tone.

"No…please…we brought you all these others…surely that's more than enough…" Ren said with a whimper.

"You can't do this, he's not here, we couldn't have gotten him anyway." Ran said shaking her head.

"We did as we were asked, please." Rin begged.

"You did well my sirens, but not well enough. Don't worry, you won't be executed for this, but you will continue to serve me as I see fit. Haha, as if I would ever have let you go anyway." the voice said as spark came from the rift. A flash trailed out as a glowing chain became illuminated, the chain sparking wildly as it raced up to Ren. The girl gasped before the light struck at her and lit up a collar on her neck, the girl screaming out as her body was electrocuted. Her sisters stared with horror as the pink haired siren shrieked out in pain then dropped to her knees. The group looked with surprise then over to see the chain flickering before vanishing from view.

"Please…master…" Ren coughed out before she dropped to her hands and knees. Her body smoked a bit as she trembled. Her sisters ran over to her side as the others looked at the rift with caution.

"Please, no more, we've done enough." Ran pleaded.

"No more, I don't want to go back to the darkness." Rin said shaking her head.

"That was only to remind you who you belong to, now bring me the ones you have gathered. After you do so you will be going back out to bring me more, and you will continue to do so for your king." the voice said with a commanding tone. The sisters looked at the void with fright then down as they started to cry.

"Please…no more…I beg of you…" Ren said as she choked back a sob.

"We're begging you, let us go!" Ran cried out.

"Enough of this nonsense. Now, bring me my soldiers at once." the voice commanded as a spark shot through the rift, the light traveling along three illuminated chains to the three girls. They were shocked and screamed loudly, the sirens screaming out with wide eyes as their bodies lit up with electricity. After a moment they dropped down, all three coughing and whimpering. The other girls looked to each other then to the sirens.

"Well? You have your orders." the voice said in a commanding tone. Slowly the three sirens stood up, all of them trembling still. They breathed heavily for a moment then looked to each other with worry. After a moment they looked to the boys around the area with remorseful eyes.

"Give them the order now." the voice boomed. The sirens looked around then over to the other girls.

"Wait, don't do this. Please." Moka said shaking her head.

"Don't listen to that guy, you can't do this." Kurumu pleaded.

"Please don't take them, please." Mizore said softly.

"They're our boyfriends…we love them." Yukari said as she held back her tears.

"Don't do this girls. Don't let him control you like this." Ruby said worriedly.

"You can't just take them away from us like this." Kokoa said urgently. The sirens looked around at them then over to the black rift.

"We're never going to be free." Rin said sadly. The other girls looked at the sisters with worry as the trio looked down with sorrow.

"We'll always be caged in the darkness." Ran said softly. Ren looked at the dark void then over to the boys that were standing at attention, all of them waiting for the girls to give them an order. The girl held a hand over her neck then looked to her sisters with sorrowful eyes. After a moment Ran sighed then looked over to the girls again.

"I'm sorry." she said softly.

"Please no." Yukari said shaking her head.

"You can't…you can't!" Kokoa cried out as she looked to her charmed boyfriend. Ran looked at them with sorrow then walked over to Yukari. The witch looked up at her as she showed signs of remorse. After a moment she closed her eyes and looked down.

"Please…forgive me." she said softly. Yukari trembled and shook her head as Ran looked up with a deep gaze. She breathed out, then sang a quick melody, the girl's voice echoing out around the area. The girls looked at her with worry then over to the boys. Gin and Ahakon blinked a few times then shook their heads, both of them wavering bit. After a moment they looked over to the sirens with surprise as the two sisters looked to Ran. She shed a tear then looked to Yukari as the group of boys she charmed from the auditorium suddenly were looking around confused. The girls looked at them with wonder then over to Ran.

"I'm so sorry." she sobbed. In a flash she screamed out as her collar lit up, the girl shaking around as her chain lit up from the void. She dropped to her knees as she screamed, the siren's eyes wide as the girls backed up a bit.

"Sister!" Ren and Rin cried out. Ran stopped screaming and wavered there, the girl looking down with closed eyes as she whimpered. The girls looked at her then over to see Ahakon and Gin running over to them.

"Ahakon?" Yukari said softly.

"Gin?" Kokoa asked. She looked to see Kou flying back to her quickly as well.

"Yukari." Ahakon said softly with a smile, the young witch slowly smiling back. She shook a bit then hugged him tightly, the girl crying with relief.

"Ahakon, you're back!" she said as she cried with joy. The boy chuckled a bit then held her too.

"Thanks for coming after me Yukari." he said softly as he held her close. The witch looked up to him with loving eyes, the boy then kissing her gently on the lips. He leaned back as Yukari was looking at him with a blush.

"Girlfriend." he said gently. She nodded eagerly then held him tightly.

"Kokoa." Gin said with a calm smile, the boy holding his hand to Kokoa's cheek. The vampire held it as she smiled with a tear in her eye.

"Gin…you're…you're back." she said as she hugged the boy tightly.

"Ms. Kokoa! I'm so sorry, I couldn't control myself. Wee!" Kou squeaked as he nuzzled against her cheek. The vampire laughed a bit then looked up to Gin with loving eyes.

"I was so scared…I mean…I actually thought…that you…" she said softly. He chuckled and shook his head as he held her close.

"I would never give up my mate Kokoa, you should know that." he said as he pulled her into a kiss. The girl sighed and let the boy hold her close, the vampire feeling her world light up again. The other girls looked at them with wonder then over to the sisters.

"What have you done? You idiot, how dare you defy me!" the voice boomed as Ran screamed out again, the girl shrieking as her collar and chain lit up again with sparks. Her sisters watched with pained expressions as the others looked back to her with surprise.

"She let us go." Gin said looking to the other boys that were looking around confused as ever. Ahakon nodded as he stood in front of Yukari, the mage holding an arm back to shield her. Yukari looked at the boy with loving eyes then over to Ran with wonder.

"Enough of this. Your sister may have fallen but you two can still redeem yourselves in my eye. Now, get those monsters back!" the voice boomed. Rin and Ren looked to the void then to each other. After a pause Rin looked over to the girls with remorse, the siren then walking towards her coughing sister. Ran shakily looked up to her as Rin glanced down to her. The blonde haired siren looked up with a calm gaze then sang a melody, the girl's voice echoing out quickly. After a pause she looked over to Mizore.

"Sorry." she said softly. In a flash she was dropped to her knees as her chain lit up, the girl screaming as she held her collar that lit up with energy. The girl yelled and thrashed about as Ran and Ren looked with surprise. After a moment Rin stopped screaming then shakily looked over to Ran, the girl smiling weakly. Mizore blinked then looked over to see Dark shaking his head. The demon looked around then over to the group as the second group of boys standing in formation started looking around confused. Rason blinked a few times then shook his head, the boy then looking around quickly as well.

"We're free." he said looking to the girls. Kurumu and Mizore's eyes widened as their boyfriends ran over to them.

"Dark?" Mizore asked softly.

"Rason?" Kurumu said hopefully.

Dark walked up to the snow maiden and smiled softly at her while Rason hugged Kurumu, the girl being lifted off her feet and held securely. The girls looked at their boyfriends with wonder then smiled brightly. The shadow demon gently brushed Mizore's hair away from her eyes and around the back of her ear.

"My little snow bunny, thank you for coming after me." he said gently. The snow maiden smiled as she started to cry then hugged him tightly.

"Dark!" Mizore said as she held onto her demon.

"Sorry to be so difficult my dear, I hope you didn't believe a word I said before." Rason said as he held his girl close. The succubus smiled brightly then hugged the boy with a cheer.

"You're back! Rason you're back! Oh Rason, I was so worried. I just knew something was wrong before, I just knew it! Oh my dear Destined One, I'm so sorry they took you like that. I'm so sorry! Are you ok now? Do you feel better? Oh my darling Rason, I'll never let you go, never ever ever!" she cried out.

"Kurumu." Dark said flatly. The succubus looked over to see Dark just looking at something. The girl blinked then looked down to see Rason squirming in her chest once again. She gasped then let go, the boy shooting up for air as she looked at him with worry.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Are you ok? I was just worried that-" she started before the boy chuckled and smiled at her.

"I'm doing much better now that I have my girl back." he said kindly. The succubus blinked then smiled lovingly at the angel as she melted inside. The group then looked over to see the two siren sisters coughing and looking at them with remorse.

"You…freed them." Kurumu said with wonder. The group then looked over to Ren as she was looking at her sisters with a worried expression.

"How dare you! I will not accept such a betrayal. If you want your sisters to live to see another day Ren, then get them all back right now!" the voice boomed from the dark void. Ren jumped a bit then looked back to it. After a moment she looked to Moka with worry.

"Please don't Ren…don't do it." Moka said worriedly.

"Don't listen to him, please." Ruby begged. Ren sighed and looked to Rason with a saddened expression.

"I told you didn't I?" she asked. The angel looked at her worriedly as she looked up with closed eyes.

"Life is usually a letdown anyway. Just the way it is." she said softly as she shook her head.

"It's always bad, every time." she said softly.

"Ren, it doesn't have to be that way." Rason pleaded. The siren looked to him and smiled softly, the girl shedding tear.

"Thank you…at least for the thought." she said gently. She looked back to the rift with a dull expression, then over to her sisters with sorrow. She walked over to them and smiled softly at them, both girls smiling softly in return.

"Please Ren, don't take him from me." Moka pleaded. After a pause Ren sang her song, the girl's melody echoing out around the area. The group watched her sing the song as she cried a bit, her words seeming to resonate within them. After she sang the quick song she looked to Moka.

"Please don't hate us." she said softly before she screamed out, the girl shrieking as her collar lit up. The girl yelled out as her collar and chain sparked wildly and glowed brightly. She thrashed about then dropped down next to her sisters as her chain rattled around behind her. The group looked at her with surprise then over to see Tsukune shaking his head. The remaining group of boys did the same then looked around bewildered.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked softly. The boy looked around puzzled then over to the group. He ran over to them and looked at everybody.

**"Are you ok?"** he asked as he looked to Moka. He showed remorse then held the vampire closely, the girl jumping a bit in surprise.

**"I'm so sorry Moka, I saw everything but I couldn't stop myself. I'm so sorry."** he said worriedly. The vampire looked ahead with surprise then held the boy close, the girl's eyes watering up.

"Tsukune…you're back. You're back to normal." she said as she held him close.

**"I'm sorry Moka, I couldn't stop what was happening."** Tsukune said as he pulled back and looked at his girl worriedly.

"Wait, you mean you all were awake during this?" Ruby said looking around. The group looked to each other then back to the sirens. They were struggling to move as the chains rattled around behind them.

"You have failed me for the last time. Take a last look at the sky above you, it will be the last time you ever see daylight again!" the voice roared from the dark rift. They looked to the void with fright then to each other.

Suddenly their chains were yanked back, the three girls screaming as they were pulled back towards the void. They yelled out with fright and tears, then stopped suddenly. They looked with surprise to see Dark holding onto Rin's chain, Rason holding onto Ren's, and Gin holding onto Ran's. The boys were holding tightly as the sparks and shocks blasted around them, the three boys trying to pull back. The chains were taught as they tried to reel in the three sirens who were screaming and crying as their collars continued to shock them.

"I don't want to go back! No!" Ren cried out loudly.

"No more darkness! No more being alone!" Rin cried as she closed her eyes in fright.

"Please! No, anything but that!" Ran cried out as she thrashed in her bonds.

Tsukune ran over and joined Rason in trying to pull on Ren's chain while Ahakon raced over and grabbed onto Ran's, the young boy yelling as he got shocked but pulling back on it anyway. The other girls looked with surprise as the boys tried to keep the sisters from being yanked back into the void.

**"Moka…please…help us!"** Tsukune called out as he tried to pull the chain back.

"Tsukune…" Moka said softly, the girl watching as Tsukune tried to save the sisters from being taken back.

"We can't let them go back!" Rason called out.

"What? After all they did?" Kurumu said in disbelief.

"Please, we can't let them be taken again!" Ahakon called out.

"Are you crazy? They nearly kidnapped all of you!" Yukari cried out.

"Just trust us, they're not bad!" Gin called out.

"Not bad? They were going to have you KILL us!" Kokoa yelled out as Kou watched from her shoulder.

Dark growled then glanced to Mizore, the snow maiden watching him with surprise.

"Mizore…trust me." he said. The snow girl looked at him then over to Rin, the girl crying and shaking her head as her collar glowed brightly. Mizore looked at her for a moment then over to Kurumu.

"I just can't say no to him." she said with a shrug and soft smirk. She ran towards the boys as she formed her ice katana, the girl yelling and striking down at the chain as Dark held it tightly. Her blade sparked on it as it cracked, the girl focusing her power to keep it solid as she whacked at the chain again and again.

Moka showed a determined expression then ran over, the vampire grabbing onto the chain with Dark to help hold it back. She looked to Rin as the siren screamed out.

"Hang on, we'll free you!" she called out to her. Kurumu looked to her angel then readied her nails.

"Alright, but they're so going to grovel for forgiveness when this is over." she said as she ran over. She hacked down on the chain as Rason and Tsukune held it tightly, the girl hacking again and again as the chain sparked and crackled with each hit.

Kokoa looked at her boyfriend then nodded with a determined expression.

"Kou, transform now." she said sternly.

"Ms. Kokoa? Are you actually going to try to save those girls? They used me, nobody can use me but you! Weee!" Kou squeaked out.

"Just do it! My mate said to trust him, so that's what I'm going to do!" she yelled at the bat. The bat squeaked then shifted into a sword with a cute smiley face on the blade. The vampire grabbed the blade and ran over to the others, the girl leaping up and striking down on the chain as Gin and Ahakon held onto it with all their might. The vampire hacked at it again and again as the chain sparked and crackled with each strike.

Yukari watched her boyfriend try to save the blue haired siren then looked to the dark rift. She held up her wand as she glanced to Ruby.

"That rift's gotta go." she said with discontent. Ruby nodded then brought out her wand.

"I agree." she said. The two ran ahead of the others then pointed their wands at the large rift in time. They focused on their magic as they tried to erect a sealing circle around the void. The dark rift crackled and rippled violently as the witches strained to seal the opening. The ground around the tear shifted green as several circles with strange emblems on them formed, the glowing markings spinning around as the air around the tear wavered.

"Please don't let him take us again! Please!" Ren shrieked as she held her sparking collar.

"No more darkness! No more!" Rin cried out as she thrashed around.

"Please! Please help!" Ran sobbed loudly as she tried to pull away.

**"C'mon, keep pulling!"** Tsukune called as he used all his strength to hold the chain back.

"You're not getting them back, I despise those who don't treat women right!" Dark yelled out as he yanked back.

"No way are you using them anymore you fucking bastard!" Rason yelled as he pulled with all his might.

"You can't use them like this, no way in hell!" Gin yelled as he struggled to hold the chain back.

"We won't let you take them back!" Ahakon yelled as the boy used all his strength to help hold the chain back.

Mizore, Kurumu, and Kokoa kept striking at the chains with all their might with their sharp weapons while Moka kept pulling on the chain next to Dark, the vampire willing to trust her boyfriend completely. Yukari and Ruby kept focusing their magic to seal the rift, but with each seal they created they watched as it was instantly destroyed.

"If my Dark says you're not getting them back…you're not getting them back!" Mizore yelled as she geared back for a swing.

"If my Destined One wants her to be free, then so be it!" Kurumu yelled as she held her nails up.

"My mate said no, so the answer is hell no!" Kokoa yelled as she held her blade up.

With one mighty swing the three girls sliced down and shattered the chains with a powerful strike. The group fell back as the chains fell to pieces, the glowing links and collars sparking then vanishing. The siren sisters coughed out and struggled to sit up as the others go to their feet.

"We did it." Rason said as they watched the other links whip back into the rift. Yukari and Ruby growled then backed up to them.

"That's great, but we can't close this thing." Ruby said worriedly.

"Now what do we do?" Yukari said worriedly. The group looked to see the large tear in space rippling around violently, the dark void showing nothing but a bright blackness inside.

"So you think you're free from me? Hardly, you will return to your cage soon enough my sirens." the voice said with a dark tone. The group looked back to the sisters as they were breathing heavily. Tsukune narrowed his eyes then looked back to the rift.

**"They're not your pawns anymore, you're never getting them back."** he said harshly. The voice inside the rift chuckled as the tear started to seal up.

"Oh but I will boy, them as well as all of you. This is only a small setback, nothing that cannot be fixed quickly. They belong to me, they will always belong to me." the voice said as the rift vanished. The group looked at the destroyed area where the stage was then over to the sisters. They were coughing as they were holding their throats. After a moment they slowly looked over to the group.

"You…saved us." Ran said with wonder.

"Why…why did you do that?" Rin asked. Ren looked at the group worriedly as the three sisters struggled to stand back up again.

"That's a good question. Ok, why _exactly_ did we save them after what they did?" Kurumu asked looking to the boys.

"A bit curious myself since they tried to have you kill us." Kokoa said as her pet bat returned to its perch on her shoulder. Mizore and Yukari looked to their boyfriends curiously as well, both wanting to know why the boys wanted to save the girls that enslaved them. Moka looked to Tsukune curiously as the boy snapped on his rosary seal again. His eyes shifted back to brown as his hair returned to normal, the boy's vampire aura being suppressed once again.

"Why?" Ren asked.

"Like we said, we were awake the entire time you had us under your power." Tsukune said calmly. The sirens looked at him curiously then to the other boys.

"I don't understand." Rin said.

"We were awake when you had us guard you overnight." Dark said. The girls looked at him curiously then over to the sisters.

"You mean…you…you…" Rin said nervously. Dark merely nodded.

"You saw us change into our nighties?" Ran said with a blush. The girlfriends looked to their boyfriends with wide eyes as Dark showed no reaction.

"Well…yes. But that's not what he's talking about." Gin said shaking his head.

"Ok, only hearing more of a reason to kill them now." Kokoa said with anger while cracking her knuckles. The other girls glared at the sisters as they trembled.

"We heard you." Ahakon said. Everybody looked to him curiously at that.

"Heard us?" Ren asked.

"We heard what you were saying, before you went to bed. You all were praying to the Almighty for your sisters to be free. However you only prayed for _their_ salvation, never your own." Dark said. The girls looked to the boys with wonder then to the sisters. The three sirens then looked down worriedly.

"We heard you cry yourselves to sleep, crying out of sorrow and guilt." Rason said gently.

"We know you didn't mean to be malicious, that you were only trying to save each other." Ahakon said with a soft smile.

"Only asking for your sisters to be freed, a very noble and selfless prayer." Tsukune said with a smile. The other girls looked at the three sisters as they started to cry a bit. Slowly they looked up at the group with remorse.

"I'm sorry…we only wanted to be free from him." Ran said softly.

"Wish granted." Tsukune said with a warm smile. The three sisters looked at him with wonder then over to the boys that nodded in agreement. They looked to each other with wide eyes.

"We're…free." Rin said softly.

"We're free. No more darkness." Ran said with a small smile forming.

"No more being caged." Ren said with a smile and a tear forming. The three girls smiled brightly then looked to the others.

"Thank you for saving us again." Rin said softly.

"Yes…we…we can't thank you enough." Ran said with relief.

"You don't have to thank us." Dark said. The sisters looked at him curiously as he looked to his snow maiden.

"They cut you free." he said with a soft smile. The sisters looked to Mizore, Kurumu, and Kokoa, the three girls looking to them with a bit of wonder. After a pause the sirens bowed timidly.

"Thank you. We're sorry…for what we did." Ran said gently.

"Yes. Thank you." Rin said softly. Ren nodded and looked to Kurumu.

"We owe you our lives. If there's anything we can do in return…" she said softly. The three girls glanced to each other then back to the sisters. After a moment they smiled gently.

"Fine, if Rason says it's ok, we'll forgive you this one time. Just keep that magic to yourselves from now on." Kurumu said with a small smirk. Rin smiled softly and nodded.

"Yeah yeah, but next time this happens you're going to pay." Kokoa said with a small glare. Ran nodded then looked down with a weak smile.

"Thank you for giving them back to us. Thank you." Moka said graciously.

"Who was that guy that had you come here anyway?" Mizore asked.

"Yes, that was going to be my question. Just what was he after all the boys here for? And how did he open that rift?" Ruby asked. The sirens looked around as the group looked at them curiously. The three girls looked down with worry.

"He's a powerful monster, but we're not sure where he comes from. He kidnapped us from our home long ago and used us to bring him more slaves and soldiers with our magic." Ren said worriedly.

"He's very powerful, and wishes to conquer all of the worlds out there." Rin said worriedly.

"All of the worlds?" Moka asked.

"Yes, the human world. The monster world. And any others that he can find. He wants to rule everything as the one and only king." Ran said with anger.

"He wanted us to bring him all the boys here after he saw you all fight Alucard. He wants to build an army to conquer all the worlds with, and he wants the strongest and most powerful monsters and beings out there to command." Rin said worriedly.

"He promised us if we brought you all to him he would finally end our enslavement with him. He kept us in the darkness for so long, used us to bring him so many warriors and monsters…we were so scared. We just wanted to be free again." Ran said sadly.

"Oh my…I'm sorry." Moka said softly.

"Who the hell is this creep anyway?" Yukari said with annoyance.

"Yes, just who exactly thinks he can just take us all to use as his own pawns in his war?" Dark asked with narrowed eyes. The sisters looked to each other then to the group.

"We don't know, we never saw him personally. He was always shrouded in the darkness." Rin said with a bit of fear.

"His magic allowed him to control us without ever having to personally be near us. We only ever heard his voice, never saw him ourselves." Ran said softly.

"Well you're safe now, we won't let him take you back for his own twisted game." Rason said kindly. The sisters smiled and nodded at him.

"Thank you." Ren said with a smile.

"I don't like how he can open that rift up like that, that looked just like the same void that was inside of the time stream." Kurumu said worriedly.

"That's because that gateway goes through the time stream." Rin said. The group looked to her as the sisters nodded.

"You know what it is?" Ruby asked.

"Well, not exactly what it is, just how it worked for us before." Ren said.

"Yes, our old master could create gateways through the time stream so he could go anywhere and send us to any area where suitable warriors were for him to steal. Whatever he is…his magic…it's so powerful. But he only really seems to send us to do his work outside of his castle. He managed to connect one here because we started to process by signaling him, but I'm not sure if he can just form another gateway at any time." Ran said.

"Why didn't he send any of his monsters or warriors in here to capture us since you failed to bring us back?" Ahakon asked.

"If he knows we took down Alucard then he knows we're not so easy to go against. He may have warriors at his disposal, but he would lose too much if he sent them here with us standing against him." Rason said with a nod.

"Plus it sounds like this guy's a coward, hiding at his home and sending out his slaves to do his work." Kokoa said with discontent.

"Trying to use underhanded tactics to recruit his army, definitely a coward." Yukari said with a growl.

"No, that's not why he stopped." Dark said looking to the sisters. The group looked at him curiously then to the sirens.

"Yeah, we have three sirens here. If he sent any warriors here they could take control of them easily." Mizore said coolly. The sisters blinked then looked to each other.

"Yeah…that's right." Ren said.

"With our shackles removed…he can't control us anymore." Ran said with a smile.

"He sends any warriors here and they're as good as lost with them here." Ahakon said nodding in agreement.

"I guess this means you're the school's protection from his army until we get this sorted out." Tsukune said crossing his arms with a smirk, the boy looking at the sirens carefully. The sisters looked to each other then up. It made sense, if their old master sent anyone after them, they could easily just charm him into being on their side. Once their shackles were removed, the rift was closed to keep them from coming back to free his charmed army.

"I need you three to come with me to see the headmaster." Ruby said looking to the sirens. They looked at her worriedly.

"We're in trouble…aren't we?" Rin asked nervously.

"Well…perhaps. However you can atone for what you've done by telling him all you know. If somebody's after our students, or any monster with this much power, we need to know everything." Ruby said in a professional tone. The sisters nodded and looked down with worry. Ruby smiled a bit then glanced around.

"The festival will likely resume again soon, after you tell the headmaster everything you're welcome to come back to it, with me as your chaperone." she said. The sisters looked to her with surprise.

"Really? You'll…let us stay?" Ran asked with wonder.

"I can still see the fireworks?" Rin said hopefully.

"You'll trust us still?" Ren said curiously.

"This is a school for monsters. Things like this…can happen. However if you show the headmaster you're not bad students, you're welcome to stay here. Besides, if my friends say you're ok, then I'll trust them." Ruby said looking to the others. The sisters looked to them with small smiles and eyes of wonder.

"Really?" Ren asked.

"Didn't I tell you before Ren? There's always a brighter side to life." Rason said gently. The sirens smiled and nodded, all of them looking at the group with relief. They were finally free from their oppressive master, and with their freedom came a chance at a new life. Although the group was still targeted by the mysterious monster they were, for the time being, safe. With three sirens here at the academy, no monster or warrior could come for them without being charmed into submission.

The girls looked to their boyfriends with loving eyes. Kurumu held Rason around the waist, the girl resting her head on his chest as she was held closely. She felt the bond flow through them once again, the girl relishing the feeling and determined to keep it going strong for all time. Mizore held her demon once again, the boy holding her close as he kissed her forehead. Her husband was back, the girl thrilled that her beloved shadow demon was back to his normal self once again. Yukari hugged Ahakon tightly, the boy jumping a bit then holding her as well. She had her boyfriend back, the young girl crying bit out of relief as she still had her loved one in her life. Kokoa sighed happily as Gin held her from behind, the girl holding onto his arms and looking back up at him. She had her mate again, the girl knowing for a fact they would always be together. And Moka held onto Tsukune's arm, the vampire looking up at her boyfriend with loving eyes. He was back to his normal self again, the vampire relieved that the love they shared was still as strong as ever. Even her inner self was breathing out in relief that she still had her mate and couldn't wait for her time to be with him again.

All the girls felt relaxed again as they were comforted by their boyfriends. There may be another battle approaching as somebody has shown himself to be after them for his own dark purposes. There may be more perils and troubles coming their way. There may be more dangers and threats on the horizon for the monster and human worlds.

But for now, they just wanted to enjoy the time they had with their loved ones; the boys that they knew, without a shadow of a doubt, were made for them perfectly.

* * *

Inside a dark castle screams and cries of anguish echoed down the halls. Only a few rays of faint light shined in through open windows in the wall. Down the halls of the shadowy castle a figure was seated in his throne, the man looking out over his courtyard as he normally did. He was obscured by shadows as he gazed over the courtyard at the cloudy skies that swirled above and below his domain that was built into a dark mountain. He chuckled and glanced down as a figure approached from the courtyard. Although covered in shadows his wings were seen extended out behind him as he kneeled before his master.

"What do you have to report for me?" the dark voice asked his winged minion.

"We have found the one you seek, she is in the human world. As soon as we are able we shall try to capture her." the second figure said with a dark manly tone.

"Good, make sure you secure this one with caution, she could be problematic until brought here." the dark voice said with a laugh. The minion nodded and stood up. A flame was seen briefly as the dark figure in the castle sent out a small object, the red fire shifting into a piece of paper. It floated down to the minion who caught it and looked at it curiously.

"There is another I want you to procure for me. She too will be a valuable asset for us, send a scouting party to find and retrieve her as well." the dark figure said with a chuckle. The minion nodded and looked at the paper as the information was seared into it from the fire.

"I see. As you wish master." the minion said with a bow.

"She will be a priority, be sure to find her before anyone else does. Our guest can wait a bit longer for her family reunion." the dark voice said as he heard a girl's screams and cries echo out in the palace. He chuckled and looked down at the minion.

"Make haste, and do not fail me." he said with a cold tone. The minion nodded and walked off as he held the paper. He knew very well his master would not accept failure, and he knew that he had to capture his target at all costs if he wanted to be spared any wrath by his superior. The winged minion walked towards the edge of the courtyard, the body still being obscured by a passing cloud. He looked again to the paper and reviewed his assignment, and the name of his target who was living in the human world.

Sun Otonashi.


	11. Hunger

Inside the headmaster's room the man himself was looking at his assistant and three girls that she had escorted to his chambers. Ruby was standing calmly behind Ran, Rin, and Ren as the man with the glowing eyes slowly looked from one sister to the other.

"So I hear these three caused quite a scene outside. Care to explain Ms. Tojo?" the man asked curiously as he leaned back in his chair, his smile staying constant while the three sisters looked down ashamed.

"Yes, however they had their own reasons for acting as such." Ruby said looking to the sisters carefully. They nodded and glanced back up at the headmaster with worry.

"Oh? Please do explain what their reasons for charming the entire school would be then." the man said calmly.

"Hey, we didn't charm the entire school. Just all the boys." Rin defended with. She blinked then looked up thoughtfully.

"And all the male guests as well. And the male teachers. And for some reason that girl's pet bat." she said curiously.

"Way to defend us." Ren said flatly while rolling her eyes.

"We only did what we were told to do by our old master, we just wanted to be free from his control." Ran pleaded.

"Your old master?" the headmaster said tilting his head a bit.

"Seems they were sent here to recruit all the male monsters to be used by their master. I'm still not sure on all the details myself however." Ruby said crossing her arms.

"I see. Well, care to explain ladies?" the headmaster said looking at the three sisters.

"We don't know who he is or what he is, only that his magic is extremely powerful. He used us to capture soldiers and warriors for him from all around the monster and human worlds." Ren said worriedly.

"So that's why he wanted the boys here. Just how many 'soldiers' have you three brought to him?" Ruby asked cautiously with a raised eyebrow. The sisters glanced to her then looked down with worry.

"I lost count long ago." Ran said softly.

"I think my count was at 500 last I bothered to keep track." Ren said shaking her head.

"500?" Ruby said with surprise.

"Yeah, I was over that much easily as well." Ran said with remorse.

"Me too." Rin said glancing to the witch with worry.

"That's…a lot." Ruby said with disbelief.

"He kept sending us out again and again, and whenever we weren't doing that he kept us in the darkness." Rin said as she trembled a bit.

"When he offered to set us free if we brought back those that defeated Alucard of course we agreed to do so with haste, anything to free ourselves from being his slaves." Ren said softly. The headmaster nodded slowly then looked to Ruby.

"There's no telling how many warriors he has under his control now then." he said with a bit of concern in his tone. The witch nodded worriedly then looked to the girls.

"Girls, you said that he used the time stream to send you around to capture your targets. How…does he know how to use such magic? Is he a chronofly?" Ruby asked carefully. The sisters just shrugged.

"We don't know. We never saw him ourselves. He's always surrounded by shadows." Ran said worriedly.

"So he wanted Mr. Aono and his friends as his warriors. And just what does he need such a force for anyway?" the headmaster asked curiously.

"He wants to rule all the worlds as the one and only king." Ran said with a bit of discontent. Ruby nodded then looked to the window with a calm gaze.

"Tsukune and his friends already freed them from this stranger's control. When they did so he closed the rift to wherever he is, presumably because they would be able to charm anybody else he had that would come after them." she said glancing to the girls. The headmaster held a hand to his chin and examined the three sisters carefully.

"Tell me ladies, does he possess any others like you in his…army?" he asked curiously. The sisters shook their heads.

"No, we were the only sirens he had. Although he did have others helping him, we were the only ones that could charm our targets and keep them under complete control for him." Ren said simply.

"Tsukune and his friends are enjoying a break with the festival and from being freed from the little disturbance brought on by their charming magic. However I'm sure that they will be interested in finding out more about this new threat as well." Ruby said in a calm tone.

"As I would imagine they would. For now allow them to enjoy the day, sounds like they've been through enough for one morning. If you ladies would excuse me I have something to look into. Ms. Tojo, I trust you'll keep an eye on these girls for now?" the headmaster said standing up. Ruby nodded as the sisters trembled a bit.

"Are we in trouble still?" Rin asked worriedly. The headmaster looked to her and shrugged a bit.

"If Mr. Aono and his friends saw fit to rescue you from your enslavement, they must trust you to some degree. For now you three are to stay in Ms. Tojo's sight at all times until we can be sure you are indeed friendly. And while you're here, it would be very kind for you to apologize to all those that you manipulated with your magic, as a show of goodwill." the man said calmly. The sisters nodded then looked down with worry.

"I'll take you three to the festival. You may enjoy your time there while you apologize to those you charmed." Ruby said with her arms crossed before her.

"So…does that mean I can see the fireworks still?" Rin said hopefully. Ruby smiled a bit and nodded. The siren jumped with joy while Ran smiled amusingly at her sister. The headmaster noticed Ren looking down with worry still and tilted his head a bit.

"Something else troubling you my dear girl?" he asked gently. The siren glanced up to him then back to Ruby.

"Will the students here…will they…" she asked hesitantly.

"If you make amends for what you have done, hopefully that will keep the waters calm between you all. Come, I'll be with you to make sure nobody tries to harm you either." Ruby said kindly. Ren nodded then looked down with a sigh.

"If Mr. Aono and his friends have forgiven you, I'm sure the others will do so in time." the headmaster added. Ruby nodded then led the girls out of the office. As she was about to leave she looked back to the headmaster as he walked towards the window.

"Sir…we're not prepared to fight such a powerful force. If he really has so many under his control…" she said worriedly.

"Don't worry about that for now my dear. Just keep an eye on those three and try to straighten out the school's uneasiness with them. Report back here at the end of the day." the man said calmly. Ruby nodded then walked out, the witch closing the door behind her. The headmaster looked outside the window with a calm smile.

"Enjoy the day Mr. Aono, we have rough seas ahead of all of us." he said to himself.

* * *

As the commotion with all the boys being brainwashed and nearly taken away as potential soldiers by a mysterious force died down the school was starting to resume the festival that was taking place. All throughout the grounds and school couples were reuniting as the boys were returned to their senses. Many had witnessed Tsukune and his friends fight to free the three new girls from some strange force after they were set free, although before anybody could say much more to them they were taken away by the headmaster's assistant. The group had also split up as each couple was relieved to be reunited once again. They were aware that danger was again looming on the horizon, but at the moment they just didn't want to deal with that. Mizore and Kurumu had left to run their own events for the festival along with Dark and Rason while Gin and Kokoa were walking around together. Yukari had her own event setup as well with Ahakon staying by her side.

"Tsukune…" Moka breathed out as she was held down in her bed by a boy.

However one couple had left the grounds, with the girl no longer feeling like running her goldfish scooping stand.

"Moka." Tsukune said before he pulled her into a kiss, the boy laying on top of her and holding her closely.

All they had on their mind was each other, and as soon as the three siren sisters were escorted back to the academy Moka had taken her newly freed boyfriend back to her room with haste.

"Tsukune." Moka said as she rolled over and sat atop him, the girl holding him down with a passionate kiss.

The world around them seemed to melt away as the two were lost in their love, the couple laying naked in the vampire's bed after they had ripped, more or less literally, each other's clothes off before giving in to their lustful urges. Moka sat up and looked at her boyfriend with loving eyes, the girl's rosary dangling around her neck a bit as he looked up at his goddess. She leaned in closer to him as he held her from around the waist.

"I'm so glad you're back to yourself Tsukune, I was so worried about you." she said softly. He gently brushed her hair away from her face and held her close by the back of her head.

"Thank you for coming after me Moka." he said before pulling her into a gentle kiss. The vampire sighed happily as he held her close, the girl's mind relaxing and focusing only on her mate.

_Tsukune…my Tsukune…_

**_Don't be greedy, I didn't even get any time with him last night for my punishment or whatever. Hey! Are you listening to me?_**

_Wait your turn._

The vampire broke free from the kiss and looked at her boyfriend's eyes. They were brown now because of his seal, though should it be removed they would turn crimson and black, along with a full vampiric aura that came with his true self. The boy looked into the emerald eyes of the girl he loved as she looked at him with a loving smile. If somebody would have told Tsukune weeks ago that this would be happening he would have likely thought they were crazy, yet now it was a reality that he had come to love. The girl sighed and laid next to him with her head resting on his chest.

"I just knew nothing could keep us apart Tsukune. I just knew it." she said softly. The boy chuckled softly as he looked up at the ceiling with a calm gaze.

"Nothing could ever take me away from you Moka, I promise." he said softly. She sighed happily and looked up to him. After a moment she smiled coyly.

"Say Tsukune…do you think you could…maybe…" she said glancing to his wrist. He looked to the seal then smirked a bit.

"Are you interested in me being a bit rougher?" he asked playfully. She giggled then looked up at him with a wink.

"I think I can handle it." she said with a purr. The boy chuckled as he stood up from the bed and faced his girl, the vampire looking with loving eyes at her mate. He looked at her with a cool smile and reached for his seal.

"If you insist lover." he said as he grabbed the seal. Moka licked her lips in anticipation, the vampire eager to see her mate's true power and self. The boy looked at her with a cool smile as she sat up, the girl's long pink hair flowing down behind her as she gently held the sheet up to her chest. She had a timid smile and a small blush as she waited for what was about to happen to her. He then suddenly saw the world around him darken as the girl's veins lit up, the blood flowing through her and her heart illuminating brightly for him to see. He watched with unblinking eyes as her blood seemed to light up before him, and a strong hunger within started to build.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked softly as she saw her mate just stare at her with a deep gaze. She looked at him curiously as he just stood there holding his seal. He stared at the girl as her blood seemed to glow brightly, the veins at her neck and wrists being bright as he saw the blood flow through her body. He shook his head and looked again, the boy still seeing the image of her blood flowing before him.

_What is this? Why…why am I seeing this?_

He shook his head harder then looked again, this time he was seeing Moka looking at him with worry as she stood up next to him.

"Tsukune? Are you ok?" she asked softly. The boy looked at her cautiously then slowly looked to his seal. He slowly retracted his hand from it and held a hand to his head.

"Yeah…just…" he said unsurely. Moka looked at him worriedly as he looked to the window with a tired glance.

_Something's been off with him lately._

**_Perhaps he still feels guilt for hitting us like that under the sirens spell. Assure him that he is not at fault._**

"Tsukune, if you're feeling bad about what the sirens made you do, don't. We know you boys weren't in control." Moka said reassuringly. Tsukune nodded and looked down.

"Yeah, I know. It's not that…it's just…" he said as he looked back to the girl. She looked at him curiously as he stared at her. After a moment she smiled softly and let the sheet drop to the ground. The boy looked at her statuesque body as she held a hand to his cheek.

"It's ok. If it's about their former master we'll deal with it together. We took down Alucard remember? Or rather you did. There's nothing we can't handle Tsukune." she said gently. He looked at her with a bit of wonder as she giggled softly. She winked then went back to the bed, the girl crawling onto it and looking back at her mate with a coy smile.

"Take your seal off Tsukune, and don't hold back." she said as the boy saw his girlfriend ready for him on all fours. He blinked then smiled softly. Then he jumped a bit as the world around him shifted to a darker color as her blood illuminated again, the girl's veins and heart lighting up for him brightly. He gulped as he felt a hunger within start to build again.

"Go on Tsukune, please?" Moka said as she wiggled her rear, the boy just eyeing her as he felt his throat dry up. Slowly his hand reached for the rosary seal over his wrist as Moka gave a low purr.

Moka giggled softly as she watched her mate look at her body, the girl smiling lovingly at him as he reached for his seal. She then saw him twitch a bit as his eyes seemed to be unfocused.

_Tsukune?_

She blinked then looked to see the seal still over his wrist, his hand having stopped short of grabbing it. Looking back to him she saw his eyes twitch a bit as they darted around her body. His aura spiked suddenly then vanished as he let out a low growl.

"Tsu…Tsukune?" she said as she turned to look at him worriedly.

_What's wrong with him?_

**_Something's not right here. I know he likes it when we're in this position, but it doesn't usually make his mind snap._**

Moka stood back up and looked at her boyfriend worriedly as she held him by the waist.

"Tsukune? Tsukune what's wrong?" she asked. She jumped a bit and looked down to see the boy holding her around the waist securely. She smiled nervously then looked back to the boy as his eyes were locked onto her intently.

"Tsukune?" she asked softly. She then stared with a bit of surprise as his eyes flickered black and crimson, his aura spiking as he growled a bit. His grip around her hips tightened as his mouth twitched at the edges a bit. He shook his head and backed away, the boy breathing heavily as he held his sides.

"Tsukune what is it? What's wrong?" Moka asked worriedly. Tsukune looked to her with a bit of a frightened expression, his face showing twisted glare for a moment before returning to normal.

"I…don't feel right…" he said shakily, his eyes twitching a bit as they remained locked onto the vampire. He could only see her blood flowing through her as the world around him was darkened. He felt a hunger build up inside of him, the sensation becoming madding as Moka walked up to him with a worried expression.

"What is it? Tsukune?" she asked as he looked down and shut his eyes, the boy growling and shaking his head. His aura spiked again, the vampire staggering before dropping to her knees. Her face flushed as her mind went blank for a moment as the massive burst of power overloaded her.

_Dear lord…_

**_I can't…even think straight…_**

_How…did he…_

She shakily looked up to see the boy still looking down, his eyes locked onto her as his teeth were bared. Another burst of power blasted around him, the vampire's room shaking and rumbling as Moka screamed out in pleasure. She dropped down to the ground as her body shook, the girl looking up at the boy with glazed eyes as her world around her blurred. She saw Tsukune shakily stumble around while growling, the boy's aura flaring up and dying down again repeatedly. Each time the wave washed over she screamed out a she felt her body light up inside.

"Tsu…ku…ne…" she breathed out as her mind was swimming.

Again his aura flared around him sending the vampire into a spasm on the ground, the girl shaking and crying out as the massive amount of vampiric energy washed over and through her. Tsukune growled a bit then shook his head, the boy then holding his head with his hands as he staggered away.

_Something…is wrong with me…I can't…think straight…_

He felt the hunger within grow. His eyes shifted into a cold glare. Slowly he looked back to the girl lying on the ground, the vampire who was breathing heavily as her senses were completely overloaded. Her blood lit up for him as the world around was dark, the bright light traveling through her veins as she slowly shifted around on the ground. He shakily walked over, then dropped to his knees next to her. She watched with unfocused eyes as he slowly lifted her up into his arms, the girl's hair hanging down as he had one hand behind her head and another holding her around the waist.

_Tsukune…what…are you doing…_

He growled as his eyes traced along the light that shined from her body, his fangs being seen as he trembled a bit. She tried to move but her body was unresponsive, her muscles seeming to be drained of strength as her heart was racing from his aura.

"Tsukune…what…" she breathed out as she leaned closer to her. He could smell her blood, he could feel the beat from her heart, the pulse from the current of blood in her veins, the warmth from her lifeforce within.

And the hunger that spiked within him to its limit.

* * *

Outside in the festival grounds Ruby was walking with the three siren sisters in tow. As they walked through the area all around them students were giving the three new girls harsh looks and glares. The sisters glanced to each other worriedly then to Ruby. The witch sighed and looked back to them.

"Well, don't expect them to just forgive you because Tsukune and his friends saved you. You need to make things right." she said simply. The girls nodded then looked around. Ren walked off to the side towards a couple of boys and their girlfriends, the siren getting dirty looks and glares from all of them.

"Excuse me, but I would like to apologize for-" she started before one of the girls spat at her, the siren jumping back as the spit hit her feet.

"Don't give us that crap. You think you can just steal my boyfriend with your dumb magic then say you're sorry?" the girl hissed. Ren looked at the couples then down with remorse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you-" she started before another scoffed at her.

"Save it girl, you three try to charm all of us like that and expect forgiveness just like that?" a boy said with discontent. Ren showed frustration as she glanced away.

"Hey, they were being used by another, one who was after all of you from the start. Don't blame them for being used as tools of war." Ruby said shaking her head.

"Hey, give those back to her!" Ran's voice cried out. Ruby looked to see a boy holding Rin's headphones back as the blonde haired siren looked around with a confused expression. The boy scoffed at her then threw the headphones down the path as others around him glared at the sisters. Ran chased after them while Rin looked around with a worry as she saw all the students glaring at her.

"What's going on? Why is everybody looking at me like that?" she asked worriedly.

"Hey, stop that. They're trying to apologize." Ruby called out.

She looked back as the sound of Ren's scream was heard, the pink haired siren being knocked to the ground by a slap from a female student. A few others surrounded her as she looked up with worry.

"You little bitch, you have some nerve to charm my boyfriend like that." a girl said cracking her knuckles.

"You shouldn't have come here girl, you're not welcome." another barked out with anger.

"What do you think you're doing? Leave her alone." Ruby said walking up to her.

"Ahh!" Ran cried out. Ruby looked over to see a boy pushing her to the ground as a few others surrounded her.

"So you wanted to make us fall for you like that did you? You think you can just control us and get off with a simple apology?" a boy said with anger. Ruby looked to see a girl pushing Rin into another group of students, two of which grabbed her and held her as she started to cry in fear of what was going on.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?" Rin said as she cried a bit.

"Knock it off, leave them alone!" Ruby called out as she readied her wand. A girl kicked Ren in the face and sent her to the ground while a boy kicked Ran in the gut, the siren coughing out as she was kicked back down. A girl punched Rin in the gut as another slapped her across the face, the siren crying and looking around with confusion and fear.

"HEY!" Kokoa's voice roared out. Everybody nearby looked over to see her and Gin walking towards the group with discontent, the redhead vampire having her fists clenched as her pet bat was on her shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing? Leave them alone!" Kokoa yelled out with fury. The students around looked to each other then back to the vampire with surprise.

"After what they did? No way, they're not getting off that easily." a girl said with discontent.

"They didn't mean to cause such problems, they were used by their old master. I don't bear any grudge against them for that." Gin called out.

"If my boyfriend says they're ok then they're ok!" Kokoa yelled out with her arms crossed before her. Kou glanced to Gin with a raised eyebrow then looked around again.

"They're not ok, they tried to use us all!" a boy called out.

"In case you didn't notice they chose to free you all to spite their master. They didn't want to steal you away for themselves." Gin said shaking his head. Kokoa ran over and pushed the boys away from Ran as she glared around her.

"Back the hell off now!" she yelled out. Gin walked over and pulled Rin away from the other group, the siren looking at him with teary eyes as the boy glared over towards the group surrounding Ren.

"Leave her alone now." he said sternly.

"Are you…my boyfriend?" Rin asked softly. Gin looked to her with a weak smile and shook his head.

"No, just a friend." he said gently. Rin nodded slowly then tilted her head.

"Can you be?" she asked gently. He chuckled a bit then shook his head.

"Sorry, already taken." he said. Rin nodded slowly then tilted her head the other way. After a pause she spoke up again.

"How about now?" she asked. Gin smiled with a tired expression then looked over to see Kokoa helping Ran up.

"Are you ok?" the vampire asked. Ran nodded as she adjusted her glasses.

"Yes, thank you." she said softly.

Ruby walked over towards the students around Ren and held her wand out towards them.

"These three are under the protection of the headmaster, do you understand?" she said with a professional tone. The students nodded slowly as Ren was helped to her feet by the witch.

"Hopefully the waters will calm between us huh?" the siren said flatly as she held her side. Ruby looked at her with remorse then around the area with discontent.

"Listen up, they were used by their old master. They are not evil in any way, and are welcome here by the headmaster. They are trying to apologize to you all for what they have done." she called out. The students around the area looked to each other with concern then to the sisters. Kou grabbed the headphones from the ground then flew them over towards Gin, the boy taking them then putting them back on Rin's head. She blinked then looked around as she wiped her tears away.

"Oh…not again." she said softly. Ran and Kokoa walked back over to them as the sirens looked around worriedly.

"We are sorry. Really." Ran said nervously.

"We just did what were told to be free, we never wanted to harm anybody." Ren said looking down.

"We're not bad…really." Rin said worriedly.

"I understand if you all don't feel the need to become their friends after what happened, but please keep in mind that they are here as students of Yokai Academy and only want to live peacefully here. Please try to understand." Ruby called out. Slowly the crowd of students parted and walked off, all of them whispering among themselves as they glanced at the sisters. After they left the three girls looked down with worry.

"They hate us." Ran said softly.

"We can't blame them." Ren said shaking her head.

"Now what do we do?" Rin said worriedly.

"Just give them time to see you're friendly. I'm sure they'll see reason eventually." Ruby said gently.

"Yeah, don't worry about them even if they don't, you're safe here." Gin said reassuringly.

"Are you three ok?" Kokoa asked. The sirens trembled then started to cry. They looked away as they wiped their eyes and shakily nodded. Ruby looked at them with sympathetic looks then glanced to Kokoa and Gin.

"Where are the others at right now?" she asked.

"Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari are at their stands right now with their boyfriends. Big sis and Tsukune left for the dorms I think." Kokoa said with a shrug. Kou nodded and squeaked in agreement.

"I see. Well let's go check out the others then. You three girls are still welcome here at the festival after all." Ruby said looking to the sisters. They nodded and looked down as they sniffled a bit.

"C'mon, just give the students here a chance to cool off, it'll be ok." Kokoa said with a smile. The group then started to walk through the festival, all while students around the area were glancing to the three sisters with discontent.

* * *

Moka blinked then sat up, the girl having her senses return gradually. She shook her head and then looked around. Her room was a bit messy as everything was in disarray from the power surge earlier. Looking over towards the wall near the window she saw Tsukune sitting against the wall with his hands holding his head, the boy looking down as he trembled.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked worriedly as she shakily crawled over to him. He slowly looked up to her, his brown eyes seeming frightened as he trembled a bit.

"Tsukune? What happened to you?" she asked again as she looked at her boyfriend with worried eyes.

"I don't know…I couldn't control myself…I couldn't…" he stuttered as he shook his head. Moka held him close and looked at her boyfriend with concern as he trembled a bit more. He calmed his breathing a bit then looked at the girl with worry.

"Moka…something's wrong with me." he said softly.

"What do you mean?" she asked with concern.

"I don't know…it's just…lately I've been seeing things…and…" he said as he looked at his girlfriend, the girl's veins again lighting up as the hunger within spiked.

"And I keep seeing…blood." he said as he shook his head quickly. Moka looked at him with caution as he gripped his head and looked down with closed eyes.

"Blood?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know why…but…lately I've been so hungry. And thirsty…and it's not going away. And…I keep seeing everybody's blood. It's like I can see all the blood in their bodies as its flowing through them." he said shakily. Moka looked at him cautiously then slowly glanced down to her body.

"It's becoming…hard to keep in control. I drink tomato juice and it does nothing to stop this thirst. Even food doesn't make the hunger go away. I…I don't know what's happening to me." he said worriedly. Moka looked at him cautiously then with worry, the girl biting her lip a bit as she shook her head a bit.

_Oh no…_

**_Looks like he really is a full blooded vampire now. But…what he's describing…_**

_He can't have that…it's not possible…is it?_

**_How should I know? I don't recall ever hearing about a human being completely changed into a vampire before. Tsukune's the first of his kind like this._**

"Tsukune…" Moka said softly.

"Is this part of being a vampire Moka? Do you…see and feel this as well?" Tsukune asked worriedly as he looked at her again. Moka shook her head slowly and looked down to his seal.

"No…" she said softly. She looked down with worry then back to Tsukune.

"Tsukune…do you…see my blood now?" she asked. She watched as Tsukune eyed her over slowly then nodded nervously.

"I'm so thirsty Moka…is this what it's like to be a vampire? To crave blood…like this?" he asked worriedly. Again Moka shook her head.

"No. Tsukune, vampires may have a thirst for blood, but…over generations we've surpassed that primal desire to keep in control. My family and I…as well as other vampires, we don't have overbearing urges like yours. Not anymore anyway." she said worriedly.

"Then what is this? Why am I seeing this everywhere I go?" Tsukune asked worriedly.

"Tsukune…" Moka said softly. Tsukune cringed as he gripped his head, his aura spiking again as he growled a bit. Moka looked at him with worry as he trembled and shook his head.

"I can smell it…it's so potent…" he said shakily. Moka's eyes widened as she watched her mate growl again. He shook his head and banged his fist against the wall behind him, the wall cracking bit from the hit as he breathed heavily through his teeth. His fangs were seen clearly as Moka looked at him with worry.

"Why…why is this happening to me?" he said shakily as she shook his head.

"What you're experiencing Tsukune…it's…it's a vampire's bloodlust." Moka said quietly. Tsukune looked to her as she had a tear forming in her eye. The image of her blood flickered in his sight as she wiped the tear away.

"What? Bloodlust?" he asked softly.

"Yes, vampires used to be primal, hunting down prey and drinking their blood like wild animals. What you're seeing…is your monster's nature not being suppressed. It's something we've gradually learned to control and resist Tsukune, both for our own safety and others." Moka said softly. Tsukune looked down to his self then back to the girl.

"But what…what does that-" he started before he felt a powerful pull within. Without even thinking he tackled Moka to the ground and pinned her down. Her hands were held above her head as she looked with surprise at the boy above her. He growled and tried to control his body as his hands kept the vampire pinned down. He arched back and roared out, his aura surging around him. Moka screamed in sheer ecstasy as the power washed over, and felt her body heat up instantly. He growled then looked down to Moka with a wild look in his eye. She trembled then looked at the boy with a flushed face.

"Tsukune…" she said softly. Tsukune growled and shook his head, the boy trying to be rid of the hunger that was racing through his body. The girl looked at him then shuddered a bit as the aura flared through her. Tsukune let out a feral roar as he held Moka down, the girl screaming and squirming around as her body felt like it was on fire from the inside. She shakily looked up at the boy as her world started to spin wildly.

"Tsukune…fight it…don't let the hunger control you. Please." she said shakily. Tsukune twitched as his eyes darted around the girl's body, the blood lighting up within her brightly.

"Moka…" he said with a strained voice. He felt his body yearn for the girl's blood. It didn't matter if she was a vampire, her blood smelled too good. He felt compelled to drain her dry to quench his thirst.

_I can't…focus…_

"Tsukune…I love you…" Moka said as she trembled in his grip. She looked at him with eyes that couldn't focus on anything, her world blurring around her from the boy's aura that flared around him. He shakily looked to her neck, the veins near it lighting up and smelling of fresh blood.

"Moka…" he said shakily as he tried to back away. He trembled then roared out, the boy's aura flaring around him wildly. The window blasted open as the light above shattered. Moka screamed out as she thrashed in his grip, the girl's mind going off the rails as his power washed over her. He looked to her as her blood was illuminated, the girl's body shaking around then trembling in place as he had her pinned down.

"Please…" she breathed out as she tried to move.

"Moka…I can't…I can't…" he said before he lunged down and bit into her neck. She screamed out as he sank his fangs into her, the girl's eyes wide as she was held down. She could feel her blood being sucked right out of her, a sensation not often felt by vampires themselves. She trembled a bit as her mouth was open from shock, the girl feeling her strength leaving her as the boy held her down. He growled loudly as she tried to kick and thrash out of his grip, the girl still being held down firmly by the boy's growing strength.

"Tsukune!" she cried out as she kicked about, the girl struggling to free herself from his hold.

_No, he's lost control!_

**_Tsukune! Don't give in to it!_**

_I can't…I can't get him off me…_

"Tsukune…" she breathed out as her legs slowly stopped kicking. Her hands relaxed as the boy held her down forcibly. Her mouth slowly closed as her eyes started to feel heavy. He let out a growl as his aura flared around him again, the vampire twitching a bit as her blood was sucked quickly from her.

_Tsukune…don't let the hunger…consume you…_

Slowly her eyes closed as the boy shook a bit, her mind starting to go blank. Tsukune glanced to her with worry as he tried to stop himself. The taste of her blood, the feeling of her warm blood running down his throat was intoxicating to him. Overwhelming even. He wanted more. He wanted it all.

_Moka!_

Tsukune trembled and growled as he held the girl down, his fangs dug into her neck, and his mind struggling to gain control. Try as he might his body refused to let the girl go, his fangs dug into her neck as he drank her blood. He held her tightly in his grip, the girl twitching a bit as she lost consciousness. He saw the bright light of the blood flowing through her as he held her down forcibly.

The light that slowly started to fade.

* * *

Ruby and the three sirens were walking through the festival accompanied by Gin and Kokoa, the siren sisters looking around to see every student they passed glaring at them and talking about them with hushed tones. Ruby glanced around and sighed, then looked back to the sisters with worry. Gin and Kokoa glanced to each other then to the sisters. Before anybody could speak up they heard a familiar voice.

"Yahoo!" Kurumu cheered out. The group looked over towards a large crowd of students. There was a splashing sound and cheers from dozens of boys.

"What's going on there?" Ren asked. They all walked over and weaved through the crowd, with the sisters getting elbowed and pushed roughly by the other students. They got to the front of the crowd, with Gin and Kokoa looking around with glares at students that were too close to the sisters, then looked to see what was the crowd was watching. It was a dunking station setup, with a large glass tank filled with water and a bull's-eye target off to the right side. And in the water was a blue haired girl surfacing, her pony tail flicking back as her chest bobbed with great force in a white t-shirt. Kurumu shook her head and smiled playfully at the crowd as she waved, the girl wearing the t-shirt, a black bra which was easily noticeable, and a black swim bottom. She climbed the ladder at the back of the tank and sat on the board which sprang back up, the girl laughing a bit as she waved to the crowd.

"Of course she would be doing this." Ruby said with a tired smile.

"She's just showing off on purpose." Kokoa said looking down to her chest with a pouty face, the vampire cursing that everybody but Yukari was more endowed than her. Even the siren sisters had larger breasts than she did.

"Is Rason ok with his girlfriend being seen like this?" Gin asked curiously. Ruby glanced over to the side and smirked.

"I'd say so, isn't that right Rason?" she said playfully. The group looked over to see the angel chuckling and waving to his girlfriend. He had a bright smile and bit of a blush as he had a good view of his soaked girlfriend. He looked over and smiled at the group.

"Hey, care to take a shot?" he asked.

"How can you be ok with every guy ogling your girl like that?" Kokoa asked as they walked over to him.

"I think a few girls are looking too." Gin commented as he glanced around. Rason shrugged and looked back to the succubus as she looked at him with dreamy eyes.

"She was rather insistent on doing this, so why not? Besides she loves to show off, it's part of her nature." he said simply. He looked to the sisters as they were staring down at the ground with worry.

"Are they ok?" he asked.

"Yes, although the students here so far haven't been too accepting of their apologies." Ruby said looking to the girls. Rason nodded then smiled gently at them.

"It'll be ok. They just need time to recover I'm sure. Here, take a shot, might cheer you up." he said as he casually tossed a white ball to Ren. She caught it and looked at him curiously.

"Go on, she loves doing this, don't worry about getting her wet." Rason said with a laugh. Ren glanced over and saw Kurumu laughing and waving to them.

"She loves showing off, that's for sure." Kokoa said shaking her head. Ren nodded slowly then walked towards the stand. She looked to the bull's-eye then to Kurumu. The girl nodded and bobbed up and down on the plank. Ren glanced to the target then took aim. Before she could throw the ball a rock hit her in the back of the head, the girl crying out and grabbing her head in pain. The crowd started to laugh as the others looked at the siren with surprise.

"Bull's-eye!" a boy in the crowd cheered out.

"What the…who threw that?" Ruby yelled out looking around. Rason walked over and looked at the girl worriedly as she tried to keep from crying.

"Ren? Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded shakily then looked away. Kurumu looked at the girl with pity then around the area with a glare.

"Who threw that?" Gin yelled out as he and the others scanned the crowd. Students were laughing and pointing at the girl holding her head in pain as Rason looked at her with remorse.

"Ren?" he asked gently. She choked back a sob and shook her head shakily.

"It's ok…it's what I deserve." she said softly.

"No, you don't deserve that. You never did." Rason said as he rested a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to him with teary eyes before another rock struck her in the face, the girl yelping and dropping down to the ground. Rason looked with surprise then knelt beside her as Kurumu looked with surprise. She growled then jumped out of the tank, the girl running over to Rason and Ren.

"Hey, I saw that. Hold it right there!" Ruby called out as she walked up to a male student. The boy shrugged with a smirk as Ruby stared at him with discontent. The others ran over to Ren as she was helped up by Rason and Kurumu. Her nose was bleeding bit as she sniffled. Kurumu looked at the girl with remorse as her sisters ran up to her with worry.

_The poor thing…Apoch and Astreal were forgiven after being used by all of us…why can't the school forgive them?_

She growled then looked to the crowd with anger. After seeing firsthand that they were enslaved for that purpose, the succubus and other girls felt pity for the sirens much like they did for Apoch and Astreal having been originally used by their first master.

"What the hell is your problem? They're not doing anything bad!" she shouted out.

"They tried to steal my boyfriend away, just like with yours!" a girl shouted back.

"Those three don't deserve any kindness from anybody." a boy scoffed.

"They were used by their master before, don't blame them for his actions." Rason said with discontent at the crowd.

"They charmed my boyfriend, it was all their fault. I saw them!" a girl yelled out.

"Yeah, get them out of here, they're nothing but trouble." a boy said with a scoff.

"C'mon, I want a turn at the dunking booth next." a boy shouted out.

"That's it, the dunking booth is closed, beat it!" Kurumu yelled out at the crowd. The students shook their heads and walked away as the boy Ruby scolded ran off with a laugh. Ruby growled then looked around with annoyance.

"Sister." Rin said softly as Ren wiped the blood away from her nose.

"Maybe we should just go." Ren said softly.

"You don't have to go anywhere, you're not doing anything wrong." Rason said gently.

"I'll be sure to report that student to the headmaster later. Are you ok Ren?" Ruby said waking over to the girl. She examined the girl's face as Ren sniffled a bit.

"I'll be fine." she said quietly.

"They're not going to accept us." Ran said worriedly.

"Maybe they just need more time to see reason." Gin said with a smile.

"And if they don't see reason on their own we'll beat it into them. Don't sweat it. C'mon, let's see what the others are doing. We're not going to let some stupid students stop us from enjoying the festival." Kokoa said motioning them to follow. The sisters slowly nodded and the group started to walk further into the festival. Rason and Kurumu followed with, the succubus still wearing her outfit from the dunking station.

"Um…don't you want to get changed?" Ruby said glancing to Kurumu. The girl giggled and held onto Rason's arm with a coy smile.

"Nah, I think my angel likes this look on me." she said as she wiggled her chest a bit. The boy blushed and smiled nervously at her as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…I'd be lying if I said I didn't…" he said as she batted her eyelashes at him. Ruby rolled her eyes and looked ahead to see a small rounded tent set up, and inside the opening was Yukari sitting behind a table. Ahakon was sitting next to her and looking at the table curiously as she had some tarot cards laying on it. They walked up to the stand as Yukari waved at them.

"Hey you guys. Um…why is Kurumu dressed like that?" Yukari asked looking at the scantily dressed succubus. Kurumu posed a bit and fluffed her hair, and in doing so made three male students behind them drop to the ground with nosebleeds.

"Just showing off for my angel of course. Nothing wrong with that." she said confidently. Yukari rolled her eyes then looked to see the three siren sisters looking down worriedly.

"What's wrong with them? Hey, is she bleeding?" she asked looking closely at Ren.

"Yes, the students here so far haven't been too…forgiving for what they did." Ruby said remorsefully.

"Why? We forgave them easily enough, they weren't doing anything to be bad on their own." Ahakon said puzzled.

"Yeah, that creep in the darkness was using them, it wasn't their fault." Yukari added.

"Yeah well the students so far haven't realized that yet and are treating them harshly." Gin said rubbing the back of his head.

"I admit I was upset about what they did myself, but they _were_ just used for that purpose. They don't deserve to be treated like outcasts." Kurumu said glancing to the sisters.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Here, I'll give you a free future reading." Yukari said as she motioned to her cards. The siren sisters looked at it curiously as Yukari laid a few cards out face down on the table.

"Future reading?" Ran asked as she walked up and adjusted her glasses.

"Yeah, it's something we witches can do. Here, I'll read your future Ran." Yukari said happily.

"Um…you do realize that your readings are always off right?" Kokoa said flatly. Yukari twitched then growled at the vampire.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing here." she barked out.

"Right, I'm sure. Don't listen to her girls, she can't read anybody's future." Kurumu said with a laugh. Yukari gave her a dull glare then flipped a card over. She looked at it then smiled brightly.

"Sure I can, I can see your future Kurumu." she said sweetly. Kurumu looked at her curiously then down to the card she flipped over.

"Oh? And what might that be?" she asked simply.

BANG!

The succubus dropped to the ground from a golden washtub knocking her out.

"You're going to get a much needed jumpstart to your brain." Yukari said flatly as the group watched Kurumu lay dazed on the ground. Yukari switched the cards around and looked to Ran with a smile.

"Here, it's ok, try it." she said assuredly. Ran nodded slowly then walked up to the table. Kurumu jumped up and tried to rush the stand before Rason held her back.

"Whoa, easy Kurumu. Let's see if she can do it." he said gently. Kurumu blinked then looked back to the angel that was holding her close.

"Ok." she said softly as she felt her anger just melt away. He never failed to calm the girl down with the bond flowing through them.

Ran looked at the three cards placed faced down curiously then looked to Yukari. The witch giggled then shifted the cards around then laid three more down on top of them. She traced her finger along one with a calm gaze then flipped it over. Ran looked at the card curiously then to Yukari.

"So…what does it say?" she asked. The group looked at Yukari as she stared at the card. She blinked then flipped the card back over.

"Um…let me try that again." she said as she shifted the cards around. Ran looked at her worriedly as Yukari did the same thing to another card and flipped it over. Again she stared at it without saying anything.

"Yukari?" Ahakon asked worriedly. The witch glanced to him then smiled nervously.

"Um…one more time." she said quickly as she shuffled the cards and quickly set out three more face down. The others looked to each other worriedly as Yukari set three more down. She flipped over another card and looked at it with worry.

"Yukari?" Kokoa asked softly. The witch looked at the card then glanced away.

"Well…the good news is that I can definitely read the future…because it's the same each time I do it for her." she said nervously. She sighed then looked to the card.

"And the bad news is that it says they're going to be all alone." she said softly. The group jumped a bit as Ran stared with surprise. She looked back to her sisters as they looked at the cards with worry. Yukari looked around then down with remorse.

"All alone?" Ran said quietly.

"Yukari what the hell? You're just making this worse." Kurumu said shaking her head.

"Don't listen to her girls, she's always off with her readings." Kokoa said with a worried smile. Kou nodded eagerly on her shoulder in agreement.

"She's right, that can't be true. Right Yukari?" Ruby said, the witch glancing to Yukari with a stern tone at the end. Yukari looked at the cards with worry then glanced to the sirens.

"Um…right. It has to be a mistake." she said quickly.

"It's ok…I knew being freed was too good to be true." Ren said quietly while looking down.

"We're going to be all alone wherever we go." Ran said closing her eyes and looking down. Rin sniffled a bit as she wiped a tear away while the others looked at them with worry.

"That's not true, really. I mean, we're your friends. So that means you're not alone." Ahakon said assuredly. The sisters looked to him as he smiled at them.

"You're not alone, and you never will be." he said gently. Ran looked at him with a bit of wonder then down. Yukari put her cards away then hopped over the table.

"Um…I think my stand is a bust after all. Haha." she said nervously. She looked at the sisters worriedly then to Ruby with a shrug.

"She's right, you girls aren't alone. We're your friends, even after all that happened." Rason said assuredly.

"Yeah, don't listen to what the pipsqueak said, she's so full of it." Kurumu said gently in agreement.

BANG!

She dropped to the ground from another golden washtub as Yukari growled at her.

"Don't call me that you dumb milk cow!" Yukari yelled out as she lowered her wand. She blinked then looked to the sisters with a nervous smile.

"But I'm sure that reading is off, it just has to be. Ahakon and Rason are right, we're your friends, so you're not alone. Just a bad reading for some reason, don't pay attention to it." she said quickly. The sisters nodded a bit then looked down with worry.

"Come, let's find the others and see what they're up to. It'll help take your minds off of all this, you'll see girls, it's ok really." Ruby said gently. The group then all walked off into the festival as the sirens looked to each other worriedly. As they walked through the festival grounds Yukari was looking down with worry.

"What was that about Yukari? Was that really their future?" Ahakon whispered to her. She glanced to him then looked down again.

"I hope not." She said softly.

They walked a bit more into the festival before they heard a crowd cheering. Looking over they saw a large gathering of spectators around an event.

"What's going on over there?" Kurumu asked curiously. The group walked over and weaved through the crowd, with Rason, Gin, and Kokoa keeping between the sisters and the students around them that glared and scoffed at them. As they got to the front they saw the cause of the gathering. There was a shooting gallery set up, with a few guns laid out on the counter of the event. They ranged from handguns to rifles, all looking realistic although they only had small cork pellets in buckets next to them. Inside the gallery were moving bull's-eye targets on a rail a good distance away from the front counter. Standing inside the stand was Mizore, the snow girl watching with dreamy eyes as a boy with dark hair and earbuds was holding a handgun.

"Wow that looks kinda fun actually." Ahakon said with a smile.

"Figures he would be here." Gin said as he watched Dark load a few more cork pellets into the handgun. The boy took aim with a keen eye then fired repeatedly, each shot hitting a target with a quick dinging sound. The crowd cheered and clapped while Mizore sighed happily as she watched her demon.

"He really is a good shot." Ruby said with an impressed smile. Dark fired off the entire clip of shots, each hit striking a target dead on, then glanced behind him.

"Sup." He said simply.

"Hey, we just can't keep a gun out of your hands can we?" Rason said with a laugh.

"Nice shooting there." Kokoa said with a smile.

"Amazing, he made every shot perfectly." Ren said as she watched the demon reload the gun casually.

"He hasn't missed once since he got here." Mizore said with a giggle. She glanced to Kurumu with a smirk.

"He really is just that good after all." She said coolly. Kurumu narrowed her eyes and growled a bit.

"Seriously, he's not _that_ great." She muttered.

A male student walked up and picked up a single-shot rifle, the boy taking aim and firing few times. He hit a few targets, but missed the majority of the clip.

"Aw c'mon. This thing must be rigged. What a rip-off." The boy said with frustration. Dark took the rifle from his hands then reloaded the clip quickly with one hand. Everybody watched as he took aim with a keen eye then fired repeatedly. Again the repeated 'ding' sound from the targets was heard as each shot hit a bull's-eye dead on. After he fired all the pellets Dark set rifle down then glanced to the boy.

"Working fine for me." He said simply. The boy just looked at him with disbelief while Mizore giggled. She glanced to Kurumu and smirked again, the succubus only growling again in frustration. Rin walked up to the stand as the other boy walked away, the girl looking at the rifle curiously. She glanced to Mizore with a timid expression.

"Um…can I?" she asked. Dark casually picked up the handgun again as Mizore nodded.

"Sure, go for it." She said softly. Rin nodded then picked up the rifle. She wavered a bit then took aim, the rifle swaying around a bit. She fired off two shots, each time the girl recoiling a bit and missing the targets. The crowd started to laugh and point as Rin trembled a bit. She glanced to the side to see Dark firing again, the boy hitting each target with pinpoint precision. Mizore glanced around at the crowd then to Ruby. The witch shook her head with a remorseful expression then looked around at the crowd. Rin fired again and missed, the girl wavering a bit as the rifle recoiled.

"Haha, look at that stupid bitch try to fire that thing." A girl in the crowd laughed. Rin trembled and looked down as Dark glanced to her, the demon setting the handgun back down on the counter.

"Hey, knock it off already." Kokoa barked out as the others looked around with discontent. Rin fired again and missed, the girl trying to keep the rifle steady as the crowd around the area laughed and pointed at her. Ran and Ren watched their sister with worry as the others looked around with glares.

"I shouldn't be here…" Rin said quietly to herself as she looked down. She gasped and looked to see Dark standing behind her, the boy holding her hands with his and helping her aim. She looked with wide eyes then to her hands as he helped her steady the rifle.

"Hold it like this." He said simply as he steadied her aim. Rin looked at the rifle then glanced to Mizore with worry.

"Don't look at me, he's trying to help you after all." Mizore said with a shrug. Rin looked back to the gun then glanced to Dark with wonder.

"Relax your mind Rin, and breathe calmly. It will help you aim." He said gently.

"That's cheating, he's taking aim for her. What a loser." A boy in the crowd laughed. Rin trembled as Dark glanced to her.

"It's ok Rin, tune out the world around you, and only focus on your target." He said calmly. The girl slowly nodded and looked ahead at the moving targets.

"That bitch doesn't deserve help from that guy." The boy in the crowd scoffed again. Rin tried to steady her breathing as the group glared at the loudmouthed student.

"Would you shut up already?" Kurumu yelled at the boy.

"Just relax Rin." Dark said calmly. The siren aimed at the targets as she heard the crowd laughing behind her, the girl trembling slightly.

"Just get out of here already, nobody wants you girls here!" the boy in back shouted out again. The crowd yelled out in agreement as Ran and Ren looked down with remorseful eyes. Rin's eyes started to water up as she sniffled. Dark glanced to her then to targets again.

"Hey, they're not bad, really. Why are you all being so mean to them?" Ahakon said looking around. Rin choked back a sob as Mizore looked at the girl with sympathetic eyes.

"Are you kidding, they brainwashed all of us like sheep. They don't belong here!" the boy in back yelled out again. Rin cried softly as Dark held her, the boy glancing to her with a calm expression still.

"They apologized for what they did, give them a chance here." Yukari pleaded looking to the two sisters near her. They were looking down with remorse as the crowd was yelling at them.

"Rin." Dark said softly.

"I'm sorry…but I shouldn't be here." The girl said as she closed her eyes.

"Yes, you should." The boy said simply.

"Why?" she sobbed out as she looked to him.

"Goddamned sirens!" the boy yelled out again from behind. While keeping his eyes on her Dark grabbed a handgun from the table then aimed back at the loudmouthed student, the boy holding the gun towards the kid while his other hand helped steady Rin's hand under her rifle.

"Because you're safe here." Dark said gently.

"Haha, you think I'm scared of a pellet gun?" the boy in back laughed.

BANG!

The gun fired and a bullet shot out, the loudmouthed student jumping as a hole shot open between his feet. The crowd stared with shock then looked back to Dark. Rin looked at him with surprise as the group stared with wide eyes.

"Wha…that shot was real!" the boy in back yelled out with fright.

"Whoops, must have slipped a few normal bullets into his ammo bucket. My bad." Mizore said simply with a shrug. The crowd and group jumped with surprise then looked to see Dark pulling back the hammer of the gun.

"What do you mean whoops?" Ruby yelled at the snow maiden in disbelief.

"Take aim and fire Rin, you can do it." The demon said calmly. Rin looked at him with wide eyes then ahead at the targets. Dark nodded then glanced back to the student who was looking with fear at him.

"I heard you over my music, keep quiet or else I'll silence you myself." He said coldly as the gun aimed for him. The boy nodded nervously as the group looked at him with wonder.

"Why would you give Dark _real_ bullets?" Rason said in disbelief.

"I like it when he fires the real thing." Mizore said with a shrug and an innocent smile.

"He's going to kill that kid!" Yukari cried out.

"He had it coming." Mizore said simply.

"This is a school event, you can't use live ammunition! Are you crazy?" Ruby cried out.

"I'm not using live rounds, he is. And he's expertly trained remember?" Mizore said coolly. She looked to Rin and nodded.

"You're learning from the best Rin, listen to him well." She said softly. Rin nodded slowly then looked ahead at the targets. She took a keen aim as the demon held her rifle steady for her. She took a breath then slowly breathed out, the girl then firing the rifle. Each shot hit the targets, although not dead on, as the crowd watched in silence. Rin smiled brightly then looked to Dark.

"I did it." She said softly. He nodded and smiled at her for a moment then looked back to the other student with a glare. Rin set the rifle down then walked back to her sisters, the girls smiling at her softly.

"I hit them, did you see that?" the girl said happily.

"Yes, nice shot." Ran said softly. Ren nodded in agreement. Dark looked around at the crowd as he kept the gun pointed at the student.

"I despise those that don't treat women right." He said coldly.

"I love it when he says that." Mizore said with a purr.

"Maybe we should tell Dark about the student that hit Ren in the head with rocks." Gin called out looking around. In the crowd a boy jumped a bit and started sweating out of fear as he turned pale.

"Hey c'mon, they used us. They tried to use you too man, remember?" the student said nervously as he watched Dark aim the loaded gun at him.

"They were used by their master, they were not malicious. I know a thing or two about being used as a weapon of war, and I bear no grudge against them." Dark said simply. The students looked to the sisters with worry as the girls glanced around.

"If anybody deserves your hate, your anger, your fury it's the one that controlled them and sent them here to take us all away." Dark called out. He then aimed back at the targets without looking and fired a round, the live bullet striking and blasting away a target with a loud bang.

"And we'll deal with this monster accordingly, you can rest assured. We will make him pay for what he has done." The demon called out. Mizore sighed with loving eyes as she saw her demon standing there while the others looked around with at the crowd.

"They're not our enemies, they were used like puppets by that bastard. Don't hate them for what they were forced to do." Kurumu said looking around as she stood by the sisters. The three girls looked around worriedly as students were glancing to each other then back to them.

"As I've said before, the headmaster himself has allowed them to stay here, so have those that have fought against Alucard and Fairy Tale. Please trust us, they mean you no harm." Ruby called out. Slowly the students around the crowd looked to each other then back to the sisters.

"We trust them even though they charmed us, can't you all do the same?" Ahakon said looking around. The sirens looked to each other then down with worry.

"If anything they're protecting you all now. With them freed from his control he can't send anybody else here without them being charmed by their magic." Yukari pointed out as she looked to the sisters.

"So would you all quit acting like assholes and go easy on them? They've finally been freed from their nightmare and they don't need this horseshit from you." Kokoa yelled out looking around her.

Ran, Rin, and Ren looked around worriedly as the crowd was just looking at them with caution. A long silence dragged out as nobody moved or said a word. After a while a boy from the crowd walked towards the sisters slowly. The group eyed him cautiously as he looked at the girls carefully. The sisters looked at him worriedly then down.

"We're really sorry." Ren said nervously. Rin and Ran nodded as the boy looked at them carefully. After a moment he glanced to Ruby then looked back to Ren.

"I'm sorry…for throwing those rocks at you." He said softly. The girls looked at him nervously as Dark raised his eyebrow.

"What?" he said simply. The boy jumped a bit and waved his hands around a bit in front of him.

"But I'm sorry, really!" he said nervously. Dark narrowed his eyes at the boy then glanced to the others.

"I admire how that boy has the courage to admit that while Dark has a loaded gun in his hands." Rason commented with a raised eyebrow.

"He must really be sorry…or stupid." Kokoa said simply. Dark growled then looked back to the boy who was trembling a bit with fear. The siren sisters looked at the boy with wonder then around at the crowd. Other students were nodding and looking down with a bit of shame. After a pause Dark walked over and put the gun down on the counter, with many in the crowd breathing out in relief at the sight, then walked over to the group.

"You are safe here, all of you." He said calmly. The girls looked around to see the group nodding with gentle smiles at them.

"Really?" Ran asked worriedly. The girls looked around at the crowd as the other boy stepped back away from them.

"Really. We won't let that guy take you back, we promise." Gin said gently.

"Does this mean…I can still see the fireworks tonight?" Rin asked hopefully.

"Of course." Ruby said kindly. The siren smiled brightly and looked around. Ren and Ran looked around as the crowd just watched them carefully. Slowly a few girls walked up to them.

"So…you're not here after our boyfriends?" one asked with an accusing stare. The sisters shook their heads worriedly.

"Is that true…that you're protecting the school now?" another girl asked curiously. The sisters glanced to each other then nodded.

"I suppose we are." Ren said softly. The other girls looked to each other then to the sisters with wonder.

"If the ones that took down Alucard say they are safe then I believe them." one of the girls said with a small smile. Everybody looked to each other curiously then back to the sirens.

"That's true, our heroes trust them. Even after they were charmed by their magic." A boy said looking at the sisters curiously. Slowly the crowd smiled gently at the three sisters as they looked around in wonder.

"Does this mean that we're forgiven?" Ran asked curiously. A few students walked up to them and looked at them curiously.

"Hey, we were going to go to the food court for a bite to eat. Um, would you want to join us?" a girl asked.

"You…want us to go with you?" Ren asked slowly.

"Yeah…if you'll forgive us for what we said. Sorry about that, really." A boy said looking down with a weak smile. He blinked then looked to Rin.

"And…sorry about taking your headphones away earlier." He said nervously. The girl looked at him curiously.

"You did? When?" she asked puzzled. The boy blinked then glanced to the others.

"Um…anyway, let us get you a bite to eat, as our apology to you." He said simply.

"Seems like they're going to be ok now." Ruby said as the sisters smiled at the other students, with more of them walking up to them with wonder. One by one the surrounding students smiled and started talking to the three sisters.

"Yeah, and all it took was a heartfelt speech from us and a death threat from Dark." Rason said with a small laugh. The sisters looked to each other then to Ruby. The witch nodded and walked towards them, then looked back to the others.

"I still need to stay by their side for the headmaster, but I'll find you later to discuss our future…plans regarding their old master." She said calmly. The group nodded as the witch and sirens walked off with other students, the boys and girls asking the sirens numerous questions about what they are and where they came from.

"At least they'll be happy now." Gin said simply.

"Yeah, looks like they're making friends pretty quickly." Ahakon said with a chuckle.

"A word from all of us goes a long way after all." Kokoa said arrogantly.

"Still thinking it was mostly Dark and a live gun that did the trick." Rason said glancing to his silent friend. Mizore giggled then walked up to her demon, the girl holding onto his arm with a soft smile.

"My Dark is-"

"Oh shut it frosty, he's not that great." Kurumu growled with annoyance. Mizore looked to her and smiled coolly. Kurumu growled as she clung to her angel's arm, the two girls having lightning shooting between their eyes. Kokoa looked between the two then smirked.

"You do realize that I'm the only one here with an S-Class boyfriend, right?" she said with a laugh. Kurumu and Mizore turned to glare at her while Yukari raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to speak before Ahakon wrapped his hand over it.

"Don't get me involved, please." He begged under a whisper. She glanced to him curiously as Kurumu, Mizore, and Kokoa started to bicker while their boyfriends just watched.

"Well…glad we're all getting along again." Rason said simply. Dark just watched his girlfriend yell at the other two girls while his music played. Gin just watched his vampire defend him with an amused smile while Kou glanced back to him quickly. Yukari looked around then tilted her head curiously.

"Hey, where are Tsukune and Moka?" she asked. The group looked to her while the three girls shot each other one last glare.

"They went back to the dorms for some alone time." Gin said with a shrug.

"I'd imagine they'll join us later on. Besides big sis seemed eager to have some quality time with Tsukune, they likely don't want to be disturbed right now." Kokoa said with a giggle.

* * *

Inside Moka's dorm room the pink haired vampire was groaning and slowly coming to. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, the girl looking around weakly as her world came into focus again. She was laying on the ground naked next to Tsukune, the boy trembling and holding a hand over his mouth. He had his eyes shut as he shook a bit on the ground. Moka looked over to him and tried to move, her body feeling heavy and weak.

_Tsukune…he stopped it…_

**_He stopped feeding…good thing too, any longer and we might not have woken up._**

Tsukune turned the other way and threw up, the boy coughing out the vampire's blood with a choking sound. He trembled as he groaned a bit, blood dripping down from his mouth as he shook. Moka slowly sat up and looked at her boyfriend with worry.

"Tsukune…" Moka said under a whisper. Tsukune shuddered on the ground as he seemed to be in a daze, his hand flinching as he growled softly every now and then. Moka looked at him with worry then laid next to him, the girl holding him from behind and around the waist. She held a hand to her neck and felt where he had bitten down, the boy's bite being more rough and noticeable than hers were in the past.

"I'm sorry Tsukune…I didn't think you would have such a desire for blood now. I thought that if you were immune to water, you kept your human traits still. I'm sorry." Moka said as she closed her eyes and held her boyfriend close. He seemed unresponsive as he growled softly between breaths, the boy having his eyes closed as he twitched a bit.

_He's going to crave blood just like an ancient vampire did, it's going to come back again._

**_We have to help him control his urges, we have to help him through this._**

Again Tsukune coughed out Moka's blood, the boy coughing wildly before laying still again as he seemed out of it.

_His body is rejecting my blood, he can't take mine and quench his thirst. His body won't allow it._

**_That must have been what snapped him out of his bloodlust for the moment. That means he's going to go after others for their blood soon._**

_Our friends…_

**_We have to watch over him, we'll figure something out I'm sure. But…he's going to need to feed when he gets his strength back. If he doesn't…he'll go out of control again._**

"Tsukune…it'll be ok. We'll get through this, I know we will." She said softly as she held her boyfriend tightly. Tsukune growled softly as his body shivered a bit. The hunger within wasn't going away. Moka's blood may have set off his urges, but his body couldn't take the vampire blood and was getting rid of it. And with his thirst still going strong the boy felt his mind slip out of control as his body craved blood like vampires did long ago.

"Moka…" he breathed out as his eyes remained close. She looked at him worriedly as he growled softly.

"Tsukune?" she asked gently.

"I'm so…thirsty." He said weakly as he growled softly again. Moka nodded then looked to the sky outside with worried eyes.

"I know Tsukune…" she said softly. She looked back down to the boy she loved with all her heart, the boy that was suffering a vampire's bloodlust. She gently stroked her fingers through his hair and looked at him with a deep gaze.

"I'll help you take care of it."


	12. Monsters For Classmates

With monsters being known worldwide now in the human realm it was understandable that some people, actually a lot, were a bit on edge and fearful knowing that things that used to be in their nightmares actually existed. Granted, these dark beings did help avert a global catastrophe by destroying the legendary destroyer Alucard, however not every human was trusting of these strange beings just yet. As a sign of goodwill towards humanity the dark lords of the monster realm have been meeting with the human officials in their world to discuss matters of peace and coexistence. Although the talks were progressing slowly because of humanity's skepticism about monsters being 'friendly', some strides have been made.

For one, three monster girls were allowed to publically attend a human high school to show that the dark beings did indeed want to learn to live with humans peacefully. However, the dark lords of the monster world declined the addition of human students to their monster schools because, just as some humans were leery about monsters, some monsters weren't so trusting of humans either. And being surrounded by students that could literally break you into pieces without even trying was a bit risky at the moment.

Another step was that certain monsters in the human world that were living in disguise came forth, and being recognized as living peacefully for quite some time by their human neighbors and friends, showed that they truly did mean to live in peace with the current residents of the world. Needless to say some, actually a lot, of people were surprised to find that their best friends and colleagues were actually monsters in disguise. Still it wasn't unheard of that some people turned their backs on them after learning the truth, or even confronted them with violence out of fear.

Even after all that happened it was more than apparent that there were some people in the world that still thought of monsters being…well monsters, and saw no reason to trust them.

In a large building in the human world another meeting was taking place regarding the trustworthiness of monsters, which was a heightened topic at most meetings. At the top of the large manmade structure overlooking a human city a dark lord and his two daughters were seated in a large conference room. The room had a fine oak conference table with the three monsters seated on one side and four human officials on another. Sunlight was shining in from the windows behind the humans as a few guards were standing at attention behind the monsters and near the double doors leading into the room. There was a table set off to the side with water and snacks, as well as tomato juice for the monsters to drink. Lord Issa Shuzen was seated between the two eldest daughters as he waited for the meeting to start. He was wearing his usual outfit of black dress shoes and pants, along with a black fine silk dress shirt with golden trimmings and buttons. He had a red shirt seen underneath as he wore a black cape around his shoulders. His red eyes calmly looked ahead while he, as he always had the habit of doing, twirled one of his bangs with one of his fingers. To his left Akua was seated, the eldest daughter wearing her normal attire of a black Chinese cheongsam with knee high combat boots. She had short black hair with two strands help up in pigtails and red eyes that glanced to the other side of her father curiously. Sitting next to him was his other daughter Kahlua, the vampire dressed in her usual outfit of a white dress with snow white gloves and boots. The blonde haired vampire had a tiara on her head holding back her long hair, her tan skin a stark contrast to her white clothing and bright hair. Her red eyes were looking at the humans across from the table curiously as the four men glanced from one vampire to the other. One was an older man with a large bald spot and gray hair, another was a younger man with sleek black hair and a calm smirk, the third was a more heavyweight man with a large belly and a thick brown beard matching his combed brown hair, and the fourth was a man with dark hair and a thin mustache. They all had black eyes that watched the vampires and were all dressed in formal business attires with black suits, white shirts underneath, and dark colored ties.

"Thank you for meeting with us again Issa Shuzen. Before we begin the meeting would you care for a drink or something to eat?" the older man asked kindly.

"No thank you, I'd prefer if we get down to business here. I do have other matters to attend to back in our own realm afterwards." Issa said simply.

"Very well. As you know there has been a lot of talk in the media and countries about the proposed 'Coexistence Treaty' being formed between our two worlds." the larger man said with an uplifting tone.

"And with that talk there are people who are all for it, and others that are against the idea of…living with monsters." the younger man said with a shrug.

"Yes, especially after one of your kind nearly destroyed everything in our world." the fourth man said with a bit of a bite and narrowed eyes.

"Now hold on, yes a monster was trying to annihilate this world, but it would have done so to ours as well. And we _did_ put an end to it before it could go on to do so." Akua said shaking her head.

"Yeah, we fought really hard against that thing. We killed it so it wouldn't destroy any world." Kahlua said worriedly.

"And we appreciate that, really we do. I for one couldn't thank you enough. It's just-" the older man started before the fourth man started talking again.

"It's just that we lost hundreds of innocent lives that day, and all because of a monster going on the loose. Who's to say that won't happen again?" he said firmly. Issa glanced to the man with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't recall meeting you before with these gatherings. What part of the human world do you work for?" he asked calmly.

"My name is Jenner Rythmore, and I'm in charge of the Human Defense Agency." the man said bitterly.

"The HDA, I've heard of that organization. They're the leading group boycotting the Coexistence Treaty." Akua said with a bit of discontent.

"And rightfully so. If one of you monsters went on a rampage like that what's to stop you from doing so again? We could let you all walk right into our world and then you would attack again from inside. No no, the human governments formed my organization to-" Jenner said before the older man spoke up again.

"To make sure that monsters could safely live in our world. I do apologize for Mr. Rythmore's…disrespect. I assure you that the rest of us here do not share his…fear of you." the man said solemnly.

"Fear? More like-" Jenner started before the younger man spoke up.

"Now now Jenner, don't forget we're here to talk about peace, and that aside from this…Alucard was it? Beside that thing's rampage there haven't been any reports of monsters attacking since then. We've even had monsters that were living in disguise in our world stop forth because-"

"Living in disguise in our world. Isn't that just lovely? They've been snooping around in our world all this time, and they have the nerve to talk about wanting us to trust them? If that was the case why not come forth from the start? Why wait until _after_ your little pet there failed to wipe us out?" Jenner barked out. The other three men sighed and shook their heads as the vampires sisters looked at the HDA official with narrowed eyes.

"Pet?" Issa said with a bit of annoyance. All eyes turned to him as he narrowed his eyes at the human.

"That…_thing_ was no pet human." he said sternly. Jenner smirked and leaned back in his chair.

"Right, attack dog then. Whatever." he said with a scoff.

"That thing was a nightmare to our world as well, we had no control over it at all." Akua said firmly.

"Really? Then tell me girl, what was it doing in our world? Hmm?" Jenner said inquisitively.

"It was sealed long ago, your human city wasn't there at the time. We had it buried and erased what we could from our history of it." Issa said simply.

"Buried in our world? How fascinating. Sort of like a ticking time bomb wouldn't you say?" Jenner said with a grunt.

"It was buried there because that's where it was sealed at the time. It tried to go on a rampage long ago in the human world, and where it was sealed was where we managed to stop it. Trying to move it could have undone that effort so we locked it away the best that we could." Issa said calmly.

"Sealed? Why not just kill the damned thing? If it was such a problem for you that _you_ wanted to correct, why just leave the job half finished?" Jenner said with an accusing stare.

"Because we could not kill it then. We had no power or weapon that could destroy it. We could only seal it away." Akua said regrettably.

"Well looks like your seal failed to do its job, perhaps just like you planned." Jenner said with an accusing at Issa. The vampire looked at him with a bit of discontent as the other three men exchanged looks.

"Do you honestly believe that I wished for that thing to reawaken? Is that what you're implying human?" the lord said with a stern tone.

"No no, that's not what we're saying at all." The younger man said waving his hands around in front of him.

"That's exactly what I'm implying vampire." Jenner said bitterly.

"Goddammit Jenner." The younger man said looking down and covering his eyes with a hand tiredly.

"How do we know you didn't? I'm only stating facts here. A gigantic monster was buried under our human city and laid waste to it before a few _kids_ stepped forth from your world and somehow stopped it. I honestly don't know what you're playing here vampire, but with the death count from that thing's little spree I don't trust your kind around our world at all." Jenner snapped.

"Watch your tongue human. We risked our lives to save you and your kind along with our world." Akua said with anger.

"Yeah, we helped you when you couldn't do anything to stop it." Kahlua said with a nod.

"They're right Jenner, they stopped it before that death count could go any higher. And we do have reports of humans and soldiers being _saved_ by these unique kids you speak of. Saved from other monsters, witches I believe the reports said." the larger man said with a curious glance to Jenner.

"Oh well then let's just roll out the red carpet for them since they had their teenagers save our world. My point still stands vampire, if that thing could go on a rampage what's to keep us safe from another monster doing the same? Or two? Or twenty? We let your kind come into our world and we're handing our world over on a silver platter." Jenner said with anger.

"You have nothing to fear human, I assure you." Akua said looking down.

"Oh? And why should I believe that?" the man snapped back.

"Because there's a reason we were hiding from you." Kahlua said softly. The men glanced to her as the sisters looked to their father.

"We are no strangers to human technology and your numbers in this world. We've been hiding in our realm not because we wanted to, but because we had to. To survive from _you_." Issa said firmly. The men glanced to each other then back to him.

"Those kids you saw, the ones fighting Alucard, they are students at a school called Yokai Academy in the monster world." Akua started, the men looking to her cautiously.

"It's a school where monsters learn to live and coexist in the human world, to blend in and forge a life for themselves out here." Issa said calmly.

"A school teaching monsters to slink around in our world undetected. Well doesn't that just make me feel better." Jenner said bitterly.

"You speak as if we're the monsters human, and yes maybe we are different and often scary at first glance. But the truth is that humanity is capable of being monsters themselves. Don't speak as if your kind has never fought or killed each other out of spite and anger. Don't act as if you are all angels in the world and we are the only sinners. And don't assume we all think humans are ants compared to us." Issa said sternly. Akua and Kahlua glanced to each other and nodded slowly. They finally understood what Moka and Kokoa were being taught at their school, how a life is a life no matter what it is.

"I'm not going to defend our little mistakes in the past, but that has nothing to do with your kind and the obvious threat you pose to us." Jenner said with a bite.

"Really? Because those students that learned to value life proved their teachings by standing up to Alucard for you and your kind. They were under no obligation or in light to gain any personal benefit by attacking the destroyer, yet they chose to. They chose to save lives that day human, a choice that many in the monster world agreed with." Issa said with a raised eyebrow. Jenner growled a bit then sat back in his chair.

"Our sister once attended a human school. She was harassed, picked on, bullied, and scared out of there before the year ended. And it wasn't because that she was a monster, but because humans can be cruel in their own right." Akua said with a bit of anger.

"She was also one of the fighters who took down Alucard, all to save those that once bullied her." Kahlua added. The men glanced to each other then back to the vampires.

"I understand your need for security regarding our kind in your world, but do not assume that we are all hostile. Just as with humans, there are monsters that are good and those that are bad. The ones that are bad are dealt by us in our world, just as you deal with the humans that are bad in yours." Akua said.

"Really? Interesting. I should make a note here that in a report from our inquires, an organization by the name of 'Fairy Tale' used to exist in _our_ world. And wouldn't you know it, it was run by monsters. Monsters that wanted to wipe out humanity with some twisted magic and bioweapons. How do you explain that?" Jenner said with a scoff.

"Granted that organization was also wiped out by the same students that destroyed Alucard." the larger man added.

"Isn't that just a coincidence? I mean how much free time do these school kids have anyway? Taking tests and going on dates, and saving the world again and again. My my." Jenner said with a forced laugh.

"Fairy Tale is no more because we took care of those that were truly malicious, just as I said we would." Akua commented.

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you two in that little club?" Jenner said glancing between the sisters. They looked down with remorse and nodded.

"Yes." Kahlua said regrettably.

"We made a mistake in our lives, we were used and mislead by the real monster running that organization. But we did correct it with our friends help." Akua said softly.

"A mistake? Well glad to see you learned your lesson then. I guess we can all be friends now can't we?" Jenner said with a bite.

"Hey, we publicly admitted it during the hearings and apologized. We're not hiding anything and we're not causing trouble now." Akua defended.

"Yeah, we already atoned for what we did." Kahlua said worriedly.

"Atoned for it? And just what did you do that could make up for trying to kill every human on earth?" Jenner asked firmly.

"We were Tsukune's slaves for two whole days." Kahlua said softly. The men blinked and looked at her puzzled.

"What…slaves?" the older man asked shaking his head. Issa just shook his head while looking down, the vampire holding a hand over his eyes as he tried to ignore his daughter's…phrasing.

"Two whole days? Oh my, you poor things." Jenner scoffed.

"It was harder than you think, you wouldn't believe how much we had to go through during that time." Akua commented. Issa rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"My daughters made a mistake and are working off their debt by helping with the Coexistence Treaty. And in all fairness, what teenage girl hasn't had a problem or outburst in their life?" he said simply.

"Slaves?" the younger man asked again looking at the attractive girls with a bit of confusion. He pictured them being chained to a brick wall with skimpy clothing and pleading eyes as whips cracked in the background along with moans of girls. He shook his head and looked around nervously.

"Um…I think we're getting a bit off track here." he said tugging the collar of his shirt.

"You're right. How about this for our topic, how we're actually letting three of their kind attend a school in our world without any damned guards!" Jenner yelled out.

"I don't believe those three girls need any protection. They too were fighting Alucard and quite admirably as well." Akua commented.

"I don't mean to guard them, I mean to guard our students!" Jenner yelled at the girl.

"Enough!" the older man yelled out. Jenner looked to him as the man shook his head with discontent at him.

"Now I know the HDA is responsible for making sure monsters remain peaceful and follow the laws of our world, however that does not include attacking them during this meeting with accusations and belittling them during our talks for peace. We've read all the reports regarding Fairy Tale and Alucard, as well as the reports regarding this Yokai Academy. They have kept nothing from us and are trying to coexist with us peacefully, we should make the same effort." the man said with discontent.

"But-" Jenner started before the younger man spoke up.

"And as the head of the HDA you surely must know that Issa here is a 'dark lord' in their monster world, a high ranking official in his own right. And as such you _will_ treat him and his daughters with respect, especially while they are here to talk about peace. Has one dark lord harmed a human since they came here? No. Have they harmed anybody? No. Could they tear us apart with their bare hands? I'm willing to bet those two men over there with handguns wouldn't be able to stop them. Yet here we are, talking about peace." he said waving his arms around.

"You've voiced your concerns about trust and issues with their kind, however the governments of the world have agreed to give them a chance. Your division may have been created to keep the peace, but it by no means you have the right to claim that humanity does not want peace between these two worlds." the larger man said crossing his arms before him. Jenner growled then sat back in his chair with a scoff. The larger man shook his head and looked to the vampires.

"I do apologize for his outburst. Teenage girls aren't the only ones that do that it seems." he said with a chuckle looking to Akua and Kahlua. They smirked and narrowed their eyes at Jenner as Issa nodded once.

"We do know about you two working with that 'Fairy Tale' organization and how you helped put a stop to it. We are also well aware that you two personally had a hand in helping defeating that large destroyer as well. Nobody in this room, aside from Jenner obviously, is blaming you for anything, I assure you." the younger man said with a smile. The vampire sisters nodded slowly as the older man glanced to Jenner.

"We know we made a mistake in our past and are working to correct it. Although we have been given forgiveness from friends and family we still feel we need to do more to truly clean our slates." Akua said calmly.

"Yeah, and we're working hard too." Kahlua added.

"Do you have anything _constructive_ to add to this conversation Jenner? Or can I assume that you're done talking now." the older man asked flatly. Jenner glanced to him then looked to the vampires with an accusing glare.

"Very well. I do offer my…_apologies_ for what I said. However my organization as well as humans everywhere are still leery about another outburst happening like this…Alucard thing. Just answer me one thing _lord_ Issa, what guarantee do we have that another outburst will not occur like that one?" he asked firmly.

"I cannot guarantee anything. Monsters, just as humans, do have what is called freewill remember?" Issa said simply.

"There's just as much chance of a monster causing harm as a human could." Akua said plainly.

"That does nothing to calm neither my nerves nor the public's about monsters in our world. We have three of your kind with our students as we speak, are you saying they are in danger? Because although humans may be able to harm one another, I'm sure it's safe to say that those three students of yours are capable of far more damage than any other human student in their school." Jenner said crossing his arms.

"Those three monsters students were accepted into our world under a watchful eye. Although they are not escorted around like criminals we do have the city they are in under watch by trained personal. Aside from a strange T.V. incident in their home, nothing out of the ordinary has been reported. If anything the students at their school are actually excited to have them joining them." the larger man said with a chuckle.

"We know those girls, they are kind hearted monsters. You have nothing to fear from them being in your school. If anything that school is safer with them there." Akua said with a calm smile.

"Safer with them?" Jenner asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, if anything I'm sure they would help keep the peace at the city. You're right, they are capable of more 'damage' than a human student, but that also means they're capable of stopping fights and trouble with greater ease. With those three at that school, I doubt any problems will arise." Akua said with a confident smile. She blinked then looked down as the phone in her pocket vibrated. She calmly took it out and flipped it open as the men glanced to each other curiously at her statement.

"Now if that is all you had to open with, perhaps we can start our actual meeting regarding the treaty." Issa said simply. Akua glanced to her father then to her phone.

"Excuse me, but I must attend to a family matter." she said as she stood up and bowed politely to the humans.

"What's wrong?" Kahlua asked. Issa glanced to Akua as the vampire looked to her phone again.

"Nothing worth interrupting the meeting with. Please excuse me father, but Moka needs my assistance with…a personal matter." she said calmly. The lord eyed her carefully then nodded.

"I'll have one of our men escort you out, do you need a ride anywhere?" the older man asked kindly. Akua shook her head and started walking towards the door.

"No thank you, I'll be fine on my own. Good day gentlemen." she said simply. She walked out as one of the men opened the door for her, the girl then walking down the hall looking at the phone with a puzzled expression. She received a text from her sister, but couldn't figure out what it was about.

It's Moka. This is an emergency, bring transfusion blood packets here right away. Don't tell father yet. Please hurry.

"Moka…what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Akua said softly as she put her phone away and walked down the hall with a blank gaze.

Back inside the conference room Jenner was looking at the vampires with discontent.

"I do have another thing I feel I need to ask. Like we said we've had reports of monsters that were in disguise in our world showing themselves. Just how many of them are there in our world?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'd image quite a few, we've been learning to coexist in your world quietly for some time." Issa said simply.

"Quite a few? So they could very well be monsters in this building, near my home, anywhere is what you're saying." Jenner said with a bit of a bite. Issa and Kahlua merely nodded. Jenner shook his head and looked at the two with a bit of discontent.

"And why should we be comfortable with that answer Issa? Do you think that doesn't cause a little red flag to pop up for us? If they're hiding still then that means they have a reason to hide. What if they choose to remain hidden now thanks to your school's _training_? What if your little attempt at teaching kids to be nice only gave them the means to sneak into our world for more devious purposes?" the man said with an accusing glare. He growled then slammed his hands down on the table.

"What if they're right under our noses plotting something behind our backs as we speak? What then? How can we trust you when you have covert agents that could be very well anywhere?" he demanded.

"Agents?" Kahlua said shaking her head.

"Although I don't agree with his hostile accusations, that is a good point. If a monster is personally foul in nature we should know about them." the younger man said.

"You've been training your students how to sneak into our world and penetrate the core of our society and military structure!" Jenner yelled out.

"That wasn't what I was implying." the younger man said shaking his head. The older man held his hand up to silence them then looked to Issa.

"If there are monsters hiding in this world still that will bring some discomfort to the human race. It will hinder the notion of trust and coexistence if they are indeed hiding for other purposes. Is there a way to make them reveal themselves or at least know if they are monsters?" he asked curiously.

"The only way you'll know is if they show themselves on their own accord. Perhaps if they weren't met with hostility and violence more would see less reason to hide." Issa said plainly.

"Oh that's just great, we'll never see them coming now because of the preparation you gave them. What's to stop them from appearing in our military stations? In our government buildings? In our police force? Or even in our own schools?" Jenner barked out.

* * *

Inside a human classroom Apoch, Astreal, and Falla were listening to their teacher during the class. They had been accepted into a school in the human world to show that monsters could coexist peacefully, and were publicly known to be from the other realm. Even so that didn't stop the school from welcoming them with open arms, much like the friendly town they were staying in. The girls were met with a warm welcome on the bus and in their first class by their classmates, one of which was Kyouko. However there were three students that weren't really paying much attention if any to the new girls. One was a boy in the front sitting before the girls, the boy known as Ceal Erres. He didn't seem interested in the new girls, actually he didn't seem interested in anything as he just stared ahead with a bored look in his eye as his gloved hand gently drummed its fingers on his desk. Two other boys weren't paying the new girls much mind at the moment as they had other things taking their focus as well. Render and Leon were eyeing Ceal carefully while trying to pay some attention to the lecture going on.

"Why do you suppose he keeps coming to class anyway? It's obvious he doesn't care about any of this useless crap." Render whispered to Leon.

"Right, and you so obviously do. Anyway I would assume he's after us since we have the keys, but he's been in our class before we even got one of them so maybe not." Leon reasoned quietly.

Across the isle from them the three new monster girls were busy taking notes on the lecture with calm smiles. Apoch glanced to her side to see the other girl student to her left who was smiling curiously at her. Apoch smiled softly and waved then resumed her work again. She could tell the girl was still staring at her and glanced back to her.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hello." Apoch whispered back.

"So you're a monster right? What kind of monster are you?" the girl asked quietly. Apoch blinked then looked up thoughtfully. It was against the rules at Yokai Academy to reveal your monster identity, but as far as she knew it wasn't against any rules in the human school. In fact everybody knew already that the three girls were monsters of some form anyway. She looked back to the girl and winked.

"A witch." She said with a soft giggle. The other girl just sat there with wide eyes of wonder and mouthed out 'Wow…' as she stared at the witch. Apoch shrugged then resumed her notes while the student remained fixated on her. Next to Apoch her sister was looking from the board to her notes as she smiled calmly. She casually flicked a few strands of her long hair over her shoulder as she tried to remain focused in class. She, like the other two monster girls, was trying to put their past relationships behind them, but was having a bit of difficulty doing so. Her mind kept wanting to think of her old boyfriend and angel, and she felt her heart yearn for him still. She sighed and glanced towards the window to her right, the girl looking at the sky with a slightly saddened expression. The thoughts of flying through the air at night, and even engaging in love making high in the sky drifted through her mind. Falla looked over to her side to see Astreal looking at something with a bit of sadness then looked at the window as well. She looked back to Astreal as the witch shook her head a bit and resumed her work.

"Astreal, are you ok?" she whispered. The witch nodded and glanced to her with a soft smile.

"Yes, just daydreaming Ms. Falla." She said quietly. Falla smirked and raised an eyebrow, the witch blinking then giggling softly.

"I mean Fa…Falla." She said with a slightly strained voice. Falla shook her head amusingly then looked back to her work. She was guilty of daydreaming a bit as well, the girl still thinking of her old boyfriend and first love Tsukune. She sighed quietly and smiled a bit, the girl remembering the times they sat together under the tree in the courtyard of the academy together.

Before she could drift further into her dream a girl's voice snapped her back to reality.

"That's so COOL!" the girl next to Apoch cheered as she jumped closer to the witch, and by closer I mean face to face. Surprised by the sudden outburst Apoch shot back and pushed into her sister, the blonde haired witch then being shoved over and knocking Falla out of her seat and into the isle with a crash. The class looked with surprise as Apoch was leaning back against her sister with wide eyes while the girl next to her was staring at her with stars in hers. Kyouko looked at the girls then over to Falla.

"Falla? Are you ok?" she asked worriedly. Render looked down and tilted his head.

"She seems fine, she's giggling." He said simply. Apoch and Astreal blinked then looked over to where they heard Falla giggling as she lay in the isle.

"Giggling?" Apoch asked worriedly. Render helped the girl up and looked at her curiously.

"You ok?" he asked. She was smiling and laughing to herself as her eye twitched. Render looked at her puzzled as the girl slapped a hand over her mouth. She looked up and then around franticly.

"Ms. Cii, are you alright?" the teacher asked as he watched the girl laugh into her hand. Apoch and Astreal looked at the girl worriedly then jumped in surprise.

"Her headband!" Apoch cried out as they saw Falla was no longer wearing the silver band around her head.

"Headband?" Render asked tilting his head. Falla looked around then down towards the bottom floor of the class, the girl seeing the band spinning around before dropping down onto the ground. Astreal looked to it then lunged towards it, the girl flying over a surprised student before dropping down and grabbing the seal. She threw it over to Apoch who caught it then slid it on Falla's head. The girl blinked as she slowly stopped laughing, then looked around to see everybody staring at her.

"Um…sorry about that." She said softly. Apoch and Astreal breathed out in relief while Kyouko looked at the band curiously. Falla adjusted it then looked to the teacher.

"Sorry, I have a bit of a…condition. This band keeps it in check." She said with a shrug. The teacher nodded then looked at a paper on his desk.

"Hmm, yes I see here. There is a note about that condition in your papers. Must wear special headband at all times, doesn't explain what the condition itself is though." The teacher said scratching his head.

"What condition is controlled by wearing a headband?" Render asked curiously. Falla glanced to him then downward.

"Um…just a slight mental one. It runs in the family." She said softly. Render nodded then smiled amusingly.

"Maybe I should get one too, I've been told I'm rather crazy myself." He said with a laugh.

"You _are_ crazy." Leon said flatly. Falla looked around nervously while Astreal walked back to her seat. Kyouko smiled at her friend with relief then sat back down in her seat.

"I see, are you ok now?" the teacher asked. Falla nodded then looked to Apoch and the girl that was leaning _very_ close to her.

"Um…what was that about?" the chronofly asked. Apoch looked to her apparent admirer with nervous eyes. The girl looked around then sat back in her seat with an embarrassed expression. The three girls took their seats again and looked around nervously.

"Sorry about that." Falla said softly.

"Hey no worries. Everybody has their quirks." Render said with a wave of his hand as he sat down. Apoch glanced to the girl next to her who was looking at the witch with a curious smile once again then to Astreal with a weak smile.

"Alright, let's resume then." The teacher said going back to the board. The class resumed as usual while Falla was looking down at her desk with worry.

_A few more seconds and who knows what I might have done. I could have hurt somebody. There must be some way of fixing this dementia, somehow._

* * *

As class came to an end students were walking out into the halls. Kyouko, Apoch, Astreal, and Falla walked out and headed towards their next class while students around the hall were looking with wonder at the three new monster girls. So far nobody seemed to be hostile or scared of them. If anything the school seemed to be thrilled to have them here. Then again they did just appear to be normal schoolgirls, with Apoch and Astreal's looks earning plenty of glances while Falla's was gaining more.

"Well looks like you girls are getting popular quickly." Kyouko said with a laugh.

"Yeah, especially Apoch." Falla said with a smirk as she glanced to her friend. The witch sighed and looked up worriedly.

"Yeah, about that…" she said softly.

"So you have a few fans, that should be expected since you girls are pretty much famous here." Kyouko said with a smile.

"She kept asking for my phone number." Apoch muttered as she shook her head.

"I hope you didn't give it to her. I'd hate to be kept up all night if she keeps calling you to tell you that you're 'cool'." Falla said with a chuckle. Apoch sighed and looked down.

"Why did she act that way anyway?" Astreal asked.

"I told her I was a witch. I didn't think it would make her react that way." Apoch said defensively.

"I was sort of curious what exactly you two were." Kyouko said looking between the two. She looked to Falla and smiled at her.

"I already know you're the queen of time though, that's still so wild. I bet if you told everybody here that you would be class president in no time." She said eagerly. Apoch and Astreal blinked and looked to Falla with raised eyebrows.

"Queen?" Astreal asked. Falla chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Um…yeah…" she said weakly.

"Really." Apoch said with an amused smile.

"Um let's not tell anybody that though ok? I'd rather not be hounded all during the school year." Falla said quickly while looking away. Apoch and Astreal smiled slyly, both girls knowing Luna was the true queen of the chronoflies.

"Oh but you shouldn't be modest about telling the _truth_." Apoch said with a smirk.

"Yes, we're not treating you differently, are we? And neither is _Kyouko_." Astreal said with a grin. Falla looked to them nervously and smiled weakly.

"No really, let's just not mention that again, ok?" she said quickly.

"Does that mean your sister is a princess or something?" Kyouko asked curiously. Falla just stammered in response.

"You know I'm not sure, I say we call her later and find out." Apoch said with a smug grin.

"No really, she's busy with that special job now anyway, I'm sure she's not back yet." Falla said nervously.

"We could always call Mr. Tsuku…I mean…TSUkune. I'm sure he could figure that out easily enough." Astreal said with a chuckle.

"C'mon, just drop it. Please?" Falla pleaded.

"Wow, friends with two witches and a queen. Never saw that in my future before." Kyouko said with amazement looking ahead.

"Life is full of surprises Ms. K…I mean KYOuko." Apoch said with a smirk and a slightly strained voice. Falla looked at them worriedly then up. The sisters looked to each other with amused smiles then forward again.

"So that headband is keeping your mind in check huh." Kyouko said softly glancing to the silver band around Falla's head. The girl nodded and held a hand to it with a soft expression.

"Yes. Our magic to bend time takes a hefty toll on the mind. I pushed myself too far during Alucard's battle. Luckily it didn't escalate much further otherwise not even this band would help me. It's ok though, it was worth the battle scars to put an end to that thing's existence." She said softly. Kyouko nodded and looked ahead with a saddened smile.

"I'm sorry to hear you hurt yourself doing that." She said softly.

"I'm alright. Not like I need to use my magic here in the human world anyway right?" Falla said with a soft laugh.

"You can't even use your magic now either?" Kyouko asked curiously. Falla merely shook her head.

"No, the band suppresses all my magic to keep my mind stable. I'm powerless just like when you met me…or rather the _other_ me for the first time." She said softly. Kyouko nodded and looked at her curiously.

"I'm sorry." She said gently.

"It's alright. At least I can still have somewhat of a normal life." Falla said looking to her with a soft smile.

The three girls walked down the hall and entered their next class. It was set with tables to seat two students each facing the front board and teacher's desk. There were windows along the far wall that showed daylight outside. No other students were in class yet as the girls walked in. Apoch and Astreal sat together at a table next to the windows while Kyouko and Falla sat at a table next to them in the center of the room.

"So what class is this?" Apoch asked looking to Kyouko.

"Math class." Kyouko said casually. The three girls shuddered a bit at hearing that.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked curiously as she saw them tremble.

"Nothing…just…remembering that class from our school." Apoch said softly.

"Was it difficult?" Kyouko asked.

"…in a way." Astreal said worriedly.

"Was the teacher difficult or something?" Kyouko asked.

"You could say that." Falla said a bit nervously.

"Well don't worry, the teacher here is friendly. I'm sure it'll be much better for you." Kyouko said assuredly. The three girls nodded slowly and hoped to the Almighty that was true.

From the doorway Leon walked in and stopped, the boy blinking and glancing back to the door as he heard his friend's voice.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HELP ME!" Render cried out as his hand grabbed onto the doorframe. The girls looked curiously as Render was seen trying to pull himself into the class while being yanked hard from behind by something. Leon rolled his eyes and looked back to his friend.

"Don't just stand there, do something!" Render cried out.

"Render!" a girl's voice called from the hallway.

"Where are you going cutie pie?" another said with a loving tone.

"Come back, class isn't starting yet anyway." another said with a cute purr.

"Again?" Leon asked flatly.

"What's going on?" Falla asked.

"That's Render Asaga. He's a bit of a ladies man I hear." Kyouko said with an amused smile.

"They're going to tear me apart, why are you just standing there?" Render cried out as Leon watched his friend struggle to free himself from a few overzealous girls.

"Must I always help you with your girl problems? What did you even say to them this time?" Leon asked plainly.

"I didn't say anything, I don't even KNOW them!" Render pleaded. The girls looked to each other curiously then back to the two boys.

"Why aren't you helping me?" Render barked out as he started to loose his grip.

"Don't know. Always wanted to throw somebody to the wolves before, sounds kind of fun." Leon said flatly.

"Would you knock it off and help me already!" Render yelled out. Leon sighed and grabbed his friend's hand, then yanked him into the classroom, the boy then shutting the door quickly. The girl's cries of admiration and clawing on the door echoed out as Render jumped away from the noise. He breathed heavily for a moment then regained himself.

"Honestly, everyday with you." Leon said simply as he walked past him and took a seat in front of Apoch and Astreal.

"Oh c'mon, how is that my fault? I don't even know those girls." Render groaned as he walked over to the seat next to him. He blinked then noticed the four other girls in the room.

"Oh, hello again." He said simply.

"Hello. You ok?" Falla asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah, still alive, so that's a plus right?" Render said as he walked over and sat next to Leon. He glanced to his friend with a dull stare.

"And by the way, thanks so much for walking away while I was screaming for help back there." He said dully.

"Sure thing buddy." Leon said simply. Render sighed and put his head on the table.

"Seriously, no other guy in the world has to deal with this problem, I just know it." He said dryly.

"Most guys don't consider it a problem to have girls chasing after them." Leon said with a shrug.

"It is when those girls would tear me apart! Seriously though, who were they? I've never even seen them before." Render said shaking his head while keeping it down on the table.

"If it makes you feel better, my cousin had the same problem you have." Kyouko said simply. Render looked back to her with wonder as she nodded.

"He did? How did he get it to stop?" he asked curiously.

"He picked one as his girlfriend." She said with a shrug. Render blinked then looked up thoughtfully. After a moment he looked back to Leon with a curious expression. The boy glanced to his friend and raised an eyebrow.

"There are four girls in this room, and you look to_ me_ when she tells you that?" he asked flatly. Render twitched then looked down with a grunt.

"That wasn't what I was getting at." He said. The girls glanced to each other curiously then back to the boys.

After a while the two boys were just looking ahead with bored expressions while the three monster girls looked at them curiously. The boys didn't seem impressed or shocked or even interested in the fact that the girls were monsters.

"Um, so Falla, what was it like fighting Alucard like that?" Kyouko spoke up. She glanced to the boys and looked at them with puzzlement as they didn't even move at that comment.

"What do you mean? We already told you what we went through last night." Falla asked curiously. Apoch and Astreal were watching the two boys, both noticing that they weren't giving any reaction to hearing that.

"What I mean is…you being a _monster_ and all, and a powerful one too, did you feel scared or anything when you…were…" Kyouko said before she trailed off, the girl looking at the two boys curiously as they weren't reacting. Apoch and Astreal glanced to each other then back to the boys.

"I was scared for my life yes, what are you getting at?" Falla asked shaking her head. She then looked to see the witch sisters watching the boys carefully.

"Did you do the assignment by chance?" Render asked Leon without really looking around.

"I skimmed through it. Late night last night and all." Leon said simply.

"I hear that." Render said dryly.

"Did you hear me though?" Kyouko said in disbelief. The two boys looked back to her to see her waving towards the three other girls.

"How…how can you two just act so casual?" she asked.

"Well…for starters this is math class, and it isn't very exciting to us. Not sure how you feel about the subject but still." Render said plainly.

"I don't mean that, I mean with them being here!" Kyouko cried out waving to the three other girls. The two boys looked to the girls then back to Kyouko. She stared at them with expecting eyes then shook her head in disbelief when she got no further reaction out of them.

"They're monsters, ones that fought against that giant destroyer that was wrecking havoc." She said with puzzlement.

"Yeah, we heard about that. I'm pretty sure the entire school is aware of that fact." Render said with a nod.

"And?" Kyouko said with bewilderment.

"And what?" Leon said simply. The girls looked at him with disbelief then to each other.

"You're not…surprised that we're here at all?" Falla asked. Render and Leon looked to each other then back to the girls.

"Um…should we be?" Render asked simply.

"I would think so, how can you act so nonchalant with monsters in the same room as you? Aren't you a bit curious? Or excited? Or scared? Or…something?" Kyouko said shaking her head. Render looked up for a moment then clapped his hands together.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." He said with a look of wonder. The girls looked at him curiously as he sat there for a moment then he looked back to Leon.

"What was the name of the villain in that monster movie we watched a few nights ago? It's been killing me thinking about it." He said curiously. The girls staggered a bit while Leon thought about it.

"Dr. Insanito." Leon said with a nod.

"That's who that was. Man that was driving me up the wall." Render said with relief.

"Hey, we just watched that movie the other night." Apoch said curiously. The boys looked back to her as the sisters nodded.

"Yes, that…was rather scary actually." Astreal said looking down timidly.

"Scary? It seemed kind of lame actually. I mean I heard it was good but the special effects…so cheesy." Render said with a smirk.

"Waste of a rental if you ask me." Leon said shaking his head.

"Told you." Falla said flatly as she glanced to the two girls. The sisters glanced to her then looked down again.

"It seemed scary to us." Apoch said softly.

"I'm sorry but could we forget about the crappy movie here for a moment?" Kyouko barked out.

"I wish I could, but it was so goddamned awful it's kind of engraved into my memory." Render said with a shrug.

"I can understand that." Falla said simply.

"That's not what I meant!" Kyouko yelled out.

Before anybody could say another word the door opened and a man darted into the classroom. He looked back into the hall as he quickly closed the door then over to the boys.

"There you two are. Listen up you-" Razico started to say with annoyance. He stopped walking towards them as he glanced over and saw the other occupants in the room.

"Razico?" Falla said in surprise. Render and Leon looked to her as the girls looked with surprise at the warlock.

"Falla? Apoch? Astreal? What are you doing here?" Razico said with surprise.

"We go to school here now, what are you doing here?" Apoch said with bewilderment.

"You know these girls Razico?" Leon said looking back to the warlock.

"You know each other?" Falla said looking to the two boys.

"What's going on here? Hey, aren't you that guy that was with Tsukune during that fight with Alucard?" Kyouko asked. Render and Leon looked to each other then back to Razico.

"You fought against Alucard too?" Leon asked with a bit of surprise. Razico just nodded as he looked at the familiar girls in the human classroom.

"Wait…" Render said standing up. He stared at Razico intently as all eyes turned to him. After a pause he jumped in surprise.

"Who's watching over our car?" he cried out. The group blinked then looked back to Razico.

"What are you doing here Razico, and how do you know these two?" Falla asked. Razico looked from one group to the other with surprise then shook his head. He walked towards the two boys with discontent.

"You two can't just leave me out there all day while you go to your classes you know. I have better things to do with my time." He barked out.

"I gave you some string to play with." Render said softly.

"You wanted to follow us, it wasn't our choice to have you come with." Leon added.

"I wanted to keep you from destroying the world." Razico snapped.

"Destroying the world?" Astreal asked looking to the two boys.

"Um…what is going on here?" Kyouko asked nervously.

"Would you give that a rest man? Nothing bad is going to happen alright?" Render said with a relaxed smile. Razico grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close to his eye line.

"I'm not playing games here Render. If you want to play schoolboy here that's fine, whatever. But I'm not leaving without those keys!" he yelled.

"Keys?" Apoch asked.

"I told you they're safe didn't I? Until I bring them out of the magical ether they're safe and sound from anything or anyone." Render said holding his hands up defensively.

"Magical ether?" Apoch and Astreal said in surprise.

"Wait…you're not human are you?" Falla said looking to the two boys. They glanced to the girls then back to the warlock.

"That's why you're not intrigued by our visit here, you're one of us." Apoch said in wonder.

"You're a monster too?" Kyouko said with surprise.

"Well great, secret's out now. Thanks a lot Razico old buddy." Render said flatly.

"I don't give a damn about your secrets Render. Now hand over those keys." Razico said as he pushed the kid back towards his friend.

"What's going on here?" the sisters asked in unison.

"What keys?" Falla asked.

"Well well well." A voice said from behind. Everybody looked to see Ceal walking into the room with a raised eyebrow.

"What the hell, he's here too?" Razico shouted as he turned to face the kid, the warlock getting into a defensive stance. The girls looked from him to Ceal cautiously.

"You know him too Razico?" Falla asked.

"So the hunter decided to tag along after all." Ceal said plainly as he walked over and took a seat next to Kyouko and Falla at a table. He glanced to the warlock as the caster glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Razico said as he kept on guard.

"Math class." Ceal said simply. He glanced to the girls then back to the warlock.

"Friends of yours Razico?" he asked. The warlock jumped a bit and growled at the boy as his arm glowed a black hue.

"That's no concern of yours. Hand over the key you have, I'm making sure none of you open that thing." He said sternly. The boy chuckled and leaned back in his chair as the girls eyed him carefully.

"And why would I want to listen to a low rate warlock such as yourself?" he said with an amused tone. He drummed his fingers gently on the table with his gloved hand as Razico watched him with a bit of frustration.

"Razico?" Falla asked cautiously as she looked from one group to the other.

"Hey buddy? You might want to get out of here before you cause a scene." Render said as he and Leon took their seats again.

"What? I'm not going anywhere." Razico said firmly.

"Yes, you are. Otherwise school security will make you and then we'll have an even bigger mess to deal with." Leon said looking to the clock.

"He's not going to hurt us bud, he needs us alive just as you do. I'm the only one that can bring those keys back after all." Render said glaring at Ceal. The boy merely watched him out of the corner of his eye. Razico looked around then to the girls who were looking at him with confusion still.

"Just wait in our car and we'll come find you at lunch period." Leon said simply. The warlock lowered his arm as the glow faded. He glanced to the boys then to the door. If he was caught here like this that would only complicate matters more for him, and cause trouble for monsters in the human world.

"Razico?" Falla asked.

"Sorry, but this doesn't concern you girls. I don't have time to explain, just forget about it ok?" Razico said glancing to her. He looked to the door then back to the girls.

"It was nice seeing you again. Take care." He said as he headed towards the door.

"Razico." Ceal called out. The warlock glanced back to him with discontent as the boy smirked. Everybody looked to him as he chuckled a bit.

"Thanks for the bike." He said simply. Razico growled as he clenched his fists. The warlock then quickly left as all eyes turned back to Ceal.

"You're…a monster too aren't you?" Kyouko asked worriedly. The boy glanced to her as his hand stopped drumming his fingers on the table. He then looked to Render and Leon, the two watching him with narrowed eyes.

"He's not going to help us, you know that don't you? We need to find another." He said simply. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to Ceal.

"Who are you guys?" Falla asked looking between the three boys. Ceal looked ahead again as Render kept a close eye on him with discontent. Other students started to walk into the class as the next period was about to start.

"Well then…" Leon said looking back to the girls. They looked at him as he shrugged.

"Guess we have a lunch date."

The girls looked at him cautiously then to Ceal, the boy just looking ahead with a calm gaze as his gloved hand drummed lightly on the table with his fingers. They had no idea what just happened or why Razico was even here, yet they were getting a very bad feeling about it. Three of their classmates were apparently monsters, and had in their possession keys of some form that supposedly could lead to the world's destruction. The four girls glanced to each other worriedly, all of them knowing that they wouldn't be concentrating on the teacher's lesson very well now.

* * *

"It'll be ok Tsukune…it'll be ok…" Moka said shakily as she tried to hold back her tears.

Inside Moka's dorm room the place was a bit of a mess, with the furniture knocked around and the window blasted open. Clothing and bed sheets were strewn about on the ground from two students as a gentle breeze came in from the open window.

"Don't worry…we'll fix this…I promise…" she said worriedly as she choked back a sob.

The pink haired vampire was still naked as she was holding a boy down on the ground with all her might. Her rosary dangled as she was struggling to hold still, the girl looking with watery eyes at the boy she was holding down on the floor.

"Akua will be here soon…it'll be ok Tsukune…" she said worriedly.

She was looking down at Tsukune, the boy thrashing in her grip as she held his hands down near his head. The boy was still naked as well as he tried to kick the vampire off, the girl straddling him and trying to keep him held down with all her might. His eyes were crimson with white edges and were glaring at her, the boy growling like an animal as he tried to free himself from her grasp.

"I love you Tsukune…it'll be ok…I promise we'll fix this." Moka said as she looked to the open window. She had to keep Tsukune from getting out until his bloodlust could be slated, she had to keep him down until Akua arrived with blood packets for him to drink.

Tsukune growled and snapped at the girl with his fangs, the boy's eyes only showing him the glowing light that was her blood which illuminated to him. The smell of her blood, the pulse of her heartbeat, the sight of her blood was compelling him to charge her. His bloodlust had reached a critical state again, the boy being driven into a frenzy as his mind had only one desire, one thought that drove his body.

Feed.


	13. Magical Music

The sun was shining down on a human city as people were going about their normal routines. Driving to work, walking on the sidewalk, going shopping, coping with monsters possibly being anywhere around you, the usual things really. People were becoming cautious and paranoid that anybody could be a monster since some have revealed themselves to the world after hiding in the human world for so long. Some people welcomed them while others were scared or hostile to the otherworldly beings. It was causing a bit of civil unrest within the world as people couldn't tell who was a monster now and who wasn't. It could be your teacher. The policeman. The nice old lady you bought your groceries from. Your girlfriend. That stranger on the train staring at you with the creepy eyes.

Or even that girl who was racing down the road on her motorcycle. She had a black helmet with a black visor as she drove down the streets with haste, the driver being sure to heed to the traffic laws as not to cause a scene. Being pulled over for speeding was one thing, but committing a crime, even small one, wouldn't be a good thing for the vampire who pulled to a stop at a light. She glanced around with her crimson eyes behind her visor as she waited for the light to turn green at the intersection. As cars and people crossed in front of her the girl sat on her bike dressed in her usual outfit, and fighting off a blush as well. She trembled a bit then shifted around on her bike.

_Damn, I'm never going to be able to ride a bike the same again now…_

She remembered to when she was trying to detect Tsukune's aura while riding on Dark's bike, the vampire being thrown into ecstasy then from the overwhelming aura along with the vibration from the cycle. Even though the powerful aura was no longer smothering her she still found her body heating up from the familiar vibration she felt that day. The thought of holding on tightly to the shadow demon as her body started to move on its own came to mind, along with the effect of the aura causing her to lose all sense of vampire pride when her body went out of control and rode the shadow demon in the middle of the street…in broad daylight…in front of a large crowd of humans…in front of her friends…and in front of a _very_ angry snow maiden and witch.

She was snapped out of her daydreaming when a horn sounded off from behind her. She looked to see the light had turned green then quickly made haste again through the city. She drove towards a smaller building near the commercial district and pulled up in front of it with a screech. It was a two story brick building with multiple windows on the first floor wall. She walked swiftly into the building as she took the helmet off, the vampire shaking her hair a bit and looking ahead with her crimson eyes. Walking up to the counter a man in white clothing looked to her with a smile.

"Welcome to the…oh, Akua. It's you. What brings you here?" the man asked curiously.

"Just need to make a withdrawal, and quickly. I'm in a bit of a hurry." the girl said looking around casually. Other people in the lobby were sitting in chairs while others were talking to other people at the large counter. The man nodded and looked down as he got out some paperwork.

"Anything for the Shuzen family of course. How much do you need?" he asked. The girl glanced to her pocket with her cell phone in it and blinked.

"Good question…" she said to herself. After a pause she looked back to the man with a shrug.

"She didn't specify, but I assume that five would be sufficient." she said simply. The man nodded and jotted down some writing on a sheet of paper. He set it down for the girl to sign then walked back to a room behind the counter. The vampire wrote her signature on the paper then glanced to her pocket again. After a while the man came back with a small carrying case with a handle, the white and gray object being handed to the girl with a smile.

"There you go. The finest we had today." he said kindly. She nodded then slid the paperwork to him.

"Thank you. Good day." she said simply as she walked back out. She slipped the helmet back on and attached the case to the side of her cycle securely. She mounted the vehicle and revved the engine, the vampire holding back a moan a she trembled a bit.

_Seriously…how long is that going to keep turning me on?_

She shook her head and then drove off quickly, the vampire making haste towards the gateway into the monster world. As she raced through the human streets she wondered just what exactly her sister needed blood transfusion packets for in such a hurry. Luckily the Shuzen family had good connections with the blood banks in the human world, for obvious reasons.

* * *

Ruby was sitting at a table outside during the school festival, the witch looking up at the clouds with a calm gaze as she slowly twirled her wand in one hand off to the side. She was lost in thought about her boyfriend, the warlock who _was_ actually a treasure hunter, the caster who _was_ skilled with chains and whips, the man who _was_ her boyfriend after she waited so long for one.

_Razico…I wonder what you're doing right now…_

She looked over to see Ran, Rin, and Ren walking towards her table, the girls looking down with annoyed expressions.

"Hey, what's wrong girls?" she asked as they sat at the table with her.

"Just some students we had the unfortunate pleasure of getting to know better." Ren said with a bit of frustration.

"What? Are they being mean to you again?" Ruby said looking around with caution.

"No, quite the opposite actually." Ran said shaking her head while Rin looked down with an embarrassed expression.

"Then what? What happened?" Ruby asked. The girls just looked to her with small blushes and annoyance as she glanced from one girl to the other. After a pause she leaned back with a tired sigh.

"They hit on you." she said flatly.

"If rubbing my rear, stroking Rin's hair, and holding Ren's thigh while we sat at their table counts as hitting on us, then yes. They did indeed." Ran said bitterly.

"I think I need to shower." Rin said as she trembled.

"Me too." Ren said as she shivered a bit. Ruby shook her head with disappointment for the student body then looked to the girls with a weak smile.

"Well…I guess that's one way of the student body showing they don't _hate_ you anymore." she said worriedly.

"This is a bit worse." Ren said glancing away.

"You just need to stand up for yourselves with creeps like that. Or get a boyfriend, that worked out rather well for my friends…and myself." Ruby said looking down, the witch blushing bit at the end.

"I have a feeling if we fight back now we'll only cause them to hate us altogether again." Ran said worriedly.

"Yeah, we could have charmed them to go away, but if we did everybody would be mad again." Ren said softly.

"Do you think everybody would be mad if I kicked that kid in the balls? That's not crossing the line is it?" Rin asked glancing behind her with a bit of discontent.

"I'll find them and deal with the matter, it is my job after all. Still, aside from them are you enjoying the festival now?" Ruby asked. The sisters nodded and smiled at the witch.

"There's so many different events and clubs here." Ran said looking around as she adjusted her glasses.

"It's a lot better than being in the darkness, even with the perverts." Ren said looking around with a dull gaze.

"I wanna see the fireworks thingy still!" Rin cheered out. Ruby smiled amusingly at them as the girls looked around curiously.

_Tsukune and the others were right, they really are good girls. The poor things, being used and abused by that strange man in the darkness._

"Ruby." Ren said softly looking back to the witch. She looked at the siren as the three sisters looked to her with soft smiles.

"Thank you for trusting us again. I'm sorry…we hurt you all earlier." Ren said looking down.

"We just wanted to be free. So much." Ran said quietly.

"You're not still mad are you?" Rin asked. Ruby shook her head and smiled gently at the girls.

"No, we understand why you did what you did. You know, it's sort of a habit for new monsters here to nearly kill one another before they become friends. Just ask Tsukune, I'm sure he'll have a few tales for you." she said with a slight laugh at the end.

"Really?" Ren asked.

"Absolutely. I myself am guilty of that as well. I was foolish when I first met the boy, nearly killed them all with my magic." Ruby said looking down to her wand. The sisters looked at her curiously as she shook her head with a soft smile.

"Yet they still forgave me. They all did, after how I behaved. So you're not alone. Mizore, Kurumu, even Yukari, we all acted like…well, monsters before he helped us see clearly. Well, him and Moka, but still." she said looking back up to the girls.

"Do you think they'll really forgive us for what we did?" Ren said softly.

"They already have remember? That's why they saved you all. Don't worry, we can all be friends here now." Ruby said with a calm smile as she looked at the girls. The sirens nodded and looked down with soft smiles.

"Relax, that's all behind us now. You can just relax and enjoy the festival in peace now." Ruby said with a confident smile.

Right after she uttered those words Yukari and Ahakon rushed around the corner and raced up towards their table in the food court.

"You three need to come with us right now!" Yukari said with frustration as she grabbed Rin and Ren's hands, the two sirens looking at her with surprise. Ahakon raced over and grabbed Ran's quickly.

"C'mon, you need to put a stop to this!" he said as he pulled her to her feet.

"What's going on?" Ruby said with surprise.

"What are you talking about?" Ren said shaking her head.

"Are we still in trouble?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Ok." Ran said softly as she looked at the young mage with wonder and a small blush. She blinked and looked to see the others looking at her curiously while Yukari was narrowing her eyes at her. She jumped a bit and looked back to the mage again.

"I mean…why?" she stammered.

"Just follow us." Ahakon said as he pulled the siren with him, the girl offering literally no resistance to the caster. Yukari pulled Rin and Ren and ran behind them, the witch looking at Ran with a dull glare. Ruby shook her head with puzzlement then raced after them as well. They raced through the festival grounds then came to a large crowd watching something. They pulled the three confused girls, one of which was blushing a bit, towards the front then pointed to something. The girls looked to see Rason, Dark, and Gin watching something with dull expressions while other students around were pointing and laughing with a bit of amusement. Ruby ran up and saw the crowd was gathered around a large stage with overhanging colored spotlights and a bright backdrop wall. On the wooden stage was a microphone stand, speaker sets on both sides of the stage, and three girls struggling to pull the mic away from the other two. Mizore, Kurumu, and Kokoa were growling as they tried to pry the mic away while it gave off a static like hiss and ring every now and then.

"Let go." Kurumu said with bared teeth.

"Not a chance, you let go." Kokoa barked back.

"I'm going to sing first, wait your turn." Mizore said with narrowed eyes as the girls tried to pull the mic away from each other.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked tiredly.

"They wanted to sing for their boyfriends, and couldn't agree on who goes first. They've been at it for 15 minutes." Yukari said with a sigh.

"Yukari offered to go last but they wouldn't take a noble route and back down from each other." Ahakon added.

"I thought the stage was destroyed earlier." Rin asked tilting her head.

"Yeah, we rebuild fast here. It's a school for monsters after all." Ruby said shaking her head at the three girls on stage.

The three boys were looking at their girlfriends with dull gazes, with Dark still listening to his music since it was apparent no girl was singing anytime soon, Rason sighing at his lover's stubbornness again, and Gin watching his girlfriend while Kou was on his shoulder.

"So…should we stop them?" Gin asked.

"Sure, you try to grab that thing from them and keep all your fingers." Rason commented dryly.

"Ms. Kokoa should go first, it's only proper. It was her idea weee!" Kou squeaked.

"It was all their idea, they all shouted 'Me first!' and rushed the stage at the same time." Rason said shaking his head.

"Yeah…and they kicked the girl that _was_ already singing clear off the stage with no remorse." Gin added. He glanced over to the side of the crowd where a student was glaring at the three girls while rubbing her rear a bit.

"Somehow I'm not surprised." Ruby said dully.

"Um…but what did you want us for?" Ren asked looking to Yukari. The witch was glaring to the side with a small growl.

"Ran…you can let go of his hand now." she said with a stern tone. The girls looked over to see Ran jumping and yanking her hand away from Ahakon quickly. He looked between the girls curiously as he didn't even notice Ran was still holding onto his hand to begin with. And he certainly didn't see that until now Ran was mostly watching him rather than the three stubborn girls on stage.

"Sorry." she said quickly. Yukari rolled her eyes then glanced to the other two sirens she didn't feel like clonking on the head with a washtub.

BANG!

"We want you three to go up there and put an end to this. You're all sirens, you can sing better, get them to stop." she reasoned with as Ran dropped to the ground from a washtub hitting her on the head from above. Ahakon looked at the siren with remorse while her sisters looked with surprise.

"Yukari!" Ruby shouted out.

"Oh c'mon, she had it coming and you know it. Anyway get up there and sing. Make those three shut up already." Yukari said pointing her wand towards the stage. Ahakon helped Ran up, the siren's world still spinning as the two others looked to the stage with worry.

"But…we can't do that." Ren said shaking her head worriedly.

"Yeah, we'll cause a scene." Rin said looking around. Ran adjusted her glasses then looked around worriedly as well, the siren well aware she deserved that hit to the head.

"We just received their trust, if we sing again they'll panic." she said with a bit of fear.

"You can show them that you're good singers and that you won't charm them again." Ahakon reasoned.

"You three sing great, you shouldn't have to stop now. Go on." Yukari said with a confidence.

"But how are we even going to get those three off stage?" Ren asked looking to the three girls that were still wrestling for the microphone.

"Why not use those washtub things on them?" Rin asked Yukari. The witch shook her head and looked to the three stubborn girls worriedly.

"Right, knock them all down and piss them off _along_ with their boyfriends who are watching right now. Just for the record, I'd rather clonk Inner Moka on the head than Mizore." She said glancing to the shadow demon that, if provoked, scared the hell out of her.

"Really?" Ruby said glancing to her little friend.

"Yeah, at least Ahakon can stop a vampire with his magic. Nothing's going to stop Dark." Yukari said nervously. Ruby thought about that reasoning then looked to the stage with discontent.

"This is ridiculous." Ruby muttered as she walked towards the stage. The group watched as she walked up next to the arguing girls and cleared her throat. They glanced to her as she had her arms crossed before her.

"Would you three mind having a little dignity and quit acting like little girls? Seriously, what is wrong with you three? Try to do the mature thing here and settle this like adults." she said with annoyance.

A mere second later she dropped down onto the ground in front of the stage encased in ice with a claw mark on her face and a lump on her head. The boys looked at the frozen witch then to their girlfriends.

"Saw that coming." Rason said shaking his head. Dark and Gin merely nodded in agreement. Yukari and Ahakon looked at their frozen friend then to the siren sisters who were staring with wide eyes.

"Well go on, do your thing." Yukari urged.

"Our thing? What's our thing? Dying by their hands?" Ren said shaking her head.

"I'm not going up there." Rin said nervously.

"Maybe…they'll stop on their own." Ran said worriedly.

"Just hand it over bazooka girl." Mizore growled into the mic.

"Not a chance snow skank!" Kurumu barked back.

"Dark heard that you know!" Mizore shouted back.

"He can't hear anything, are you kidding me?" Kurumu yelled back.

"Both of you let go, I'm singing for my mate first!" Kokoa barked out.

"Like hell you're singing for your mangy wolf when my Destined One is waiting to hear my melodious voice." Kurumu said arrogantly.

"What would you know about music anyway, you think his damned howl is music." Mizore hissed.

"Your boyfriend won't even hear you singing anyway!" Kokoa yelled back.

"At least my boyfriend knows what good music is." Mizore barked back.

The three boys glanced to each other as their girlfriends continued to fight and curse into the mic. Rason just shook his head while Gin sighed tiredly. Dark merely raised an eyebrow at the girls as his own music kept playing for him.

Yukari and Ahakon shook their heads then looked to the sisters.

"Please, maybe they'll listen to you." Ahakon said worriedly.

"No way, I don't want to die now that I've finally been freed." Ren said shaking her head.

"Yeah, if Ruby couldn't stop them we sure couldn't." Rin said worriedly.

"Ok Ahakon." Ran said softly. The group looked to her as she jumped a bit with a blush.

"I mean…we should at least try, right?" she said nervously. Yukari gave her a dull stare then looked to the stage.

"Good, you go first Ran." She said flatly. The siren trembled a bit and looked to her sisters for support, both of which were looking at her like she was crazy.

"Are you crazy?" Ren said with disbelief.

"Yeah, just because you want to impress Ahakon doesn't mean we want to die." Rin said simply.

WHACK!

Rin stumbled around dazed from the hit to the head while Ran was nervously looking at Yukari, the witch glaring at her with narrowed eyes. Ahakon was looking at the girls worriedly while Ren merely raised an eyebrow.

"That's not…true. I'm just trying to help…really." Ran stuttered out.

"Ran…" Yukari hissed out as her wand glowed a bit.

"Really, that's all! I'm not charming him am I? Am I?" Ran said waving her hands around in front of her. Yukari rolled her eyes then pointed her wand towards the stage while staring at Ran with a glare.

"Then get up there now." She said firmly. Ran looked to the stage then grabbed her sisters hands.

"Well c'mon, you heard her." She said quickly as she tried to pull the two with her, with Rin pleading for her life while Ren struggled to pull free using colorful language that most wouldn't assume she would know of. Yukari watched them head off then looked to Ahakon with a curious glance.

"Ahakon…you don't feel anything for her do you?" she asked worriedly. Ahakon looked at her for a moment then smiled.

"You're kidding right? After all we've been through you're going to ask that?" he asked. Yukari nodded then looked down with a nervous smile.

"Sorry, it's just…" she said softly. She jumped and looked to see Ahakon holding her hand.

"She's just a friend now Yukari, and you're my girlfriend. That's the way it's going to stay. You should know that I only love you." He said gently. She looked at him with loving eyes and nodded slowly, the young witch feeling her heart beat faster for the mage. The boy winked at her then looked to the stage.

"But we might want to help them, I don't want to see them die so soon." He said simply.

Yukari and Ahakon walked up to the three boys as they continued to watch their girlfriends struggle to get the mic.

"Um, you guys really should stop this. I mean…they're kind of causing a scene." Ahakon said looking around at the crowd that was now starting to take pictures with their cameras and phones.

"Been thinking about it." Rason said with a thoughtful nod.

"We were actually about to play rock paper scissors to see who would be the first to get mauled by them trying." Gin added.

"We asked the siren sisters to sing instead, they are the best so they should go first." Ahakon said looking to see Ran struggling to push her two frightened sisters up the steps to the stage.

"They don't seem eager." Gin said with a laugh.

"Your girls are a bit scary like that. Think you can calm them down and get them off stage before blood starts flying?" Yukari said simply.

"Ah! You bitch!" Kurumu yelled into the mic.

"Too late." Rason said tiredly.

Ruby had broken free from her icy prison and had crawled back to the boys shivering.

"Ok…seriously, where's Inner Moka when you need her?" she said as she stood back up. She looked to see Mizore had her ice claws formed, Kurumu had her nails, and Kokoa was hissing at the girls with her fists clenched. The siren sisters, including Ran, had stopped and were looking at the fighters with worried eyes.

"You guys have to do something, please!" Ahakon pleaded. Rason and Gin looked to each other while Dark continued to watch the girls stare each other down with glares.

"Ok, enough is enough. Kur-" Rason started before Dark spoke up.

"Mizore." He called out. The snow maiden blinked and looked to see him staring at her. She tilted her head a bit curiously as the other two fighters glanced to him.

"Come down here." He said simply. The snow maiden blinked then glanced to the other two, the girls looking at her curiously. After a pause she retracted her ice claws then hopped off stage, the girl walking back to Dark with a timid expression.

"You're going to stay by my side, ok my little snow bunny?" Dark said as he took her by the belt and pulled her closer. She blushed and nodded while in a trance.

"Ok." She said softly.

"Haha, he's got you by the leash frosty." Kurumu laughed.

"Kurumu." Rason called out. The succubus looked to see Rason smiling expectedly at her.

"C'mon down, the sirens are going to sing instead." He said simply. Kurumu looked at him with disappointment then shook her head.

"But I want to sing for you. Really, my voice is better." She said worriedly.

"I have no doubt that I would enjoy your singing above all else my dear, but you're causing a scene. Besides, are you saying you'd rather be up there than with me holding you down here?" the angel asked tilting his head and putting a hand to his chin curiously. The blue haired girl looked at him with wonder as he glanced to Gin.

"Always ready to take one for the team." the angel said with a shrug. Gin looked at him puzzled before Rason turned back only to be tackled to the ground by a fast moving blue blur. Looking down he saw Kurumu was 'hugging' her boyfriend once again while sighing happily with a dreamy expression.

"Oh Rason you know I'll always take this over anything! My perfect angel I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else but in your arms holding you and loving you for all time. I love you so much my lovely Destined One, so so very much!" she cheered out. The angel shakily gave a thumbs up before passing out.

"What a trooper." Gin said with a nod. He looked back to see Kokoa looking at him with loving eyes while holding the mic.

"This one is going out to my boyfriend." She said confidently.

"Um, Kokoa? You need to wait your turn. The sirens are going to sing." Gin called out. The vampire blinked then looked at him with discontent.

"Are you saying you'd rather listen to _them_ singing than me?" she said tapping her foot expectedly. Gin jumped and smiled nervously at her.

"I'm not saying…that. It's just they know how to sing and-"

"Are you saying I _don't_ know how to sing? Is that it?" Kokoa yelled out. The group, including Rason who was slowly coming to his senses looked from the vampire to the wolf.

"No no, that's not what I'm saying. It's just…um…wouldn't you rather I hold you down here?" he said nervously.

"Way to be original." Rason said simply.

"I'd rather sing for my mate up here, is there a problem with that?" Kokoa asked with anger. The crowd then looked from the vampire to the boy with curious expressions as he stammered a bit out of fear.

"No no, that's not…what I'm saying is…" he said nervously. The siren sisters backed up a step from the stage as the vampire hissed at them, her aura flaring up around her a bit.

"Is what?" Kokoa barked out into the mic, the speakers hissing and ringing from the outburst. The wolf gulped and looked around nervously.

"Psst." Kou whispered into his ear. He glanced to the bat as it nodded at him.

"If you're going to be Ms. Kokoa's mate then act like it. Show some backbone." Kou hushed at him.

"She's a vampire…and one with a bit of a temper." Gin said worriedly looking back to the redhead that was staring at him with narrowed eyes. She may have been smaller in size but there was no doubt in his mind that the girl could cause him serious injury if provoked.

"Yes but…she loves it when a boy is forceful. Show her you're the boss, make her know her place." Kou whispered eagerly.

"Really?" Gin asked curiously.

"Of course. You're S-Class are you not? She's always bragging that you're strong willed. Show it." Kou whispered with a smile. Gin looked up thoughtfully as Kou quietly snickered.

_Then Ms. Kokoa can beat you into the ground for daring to speak to her with such arrogance. Hee hee wee._

Gin then looked to Kokoa with a determined expression as the group watched him curiously.

"Kokoa, come down here now." He ordered out. The crowd jumped a bit in surprise as Kokoa just looked at him with a bit of a surprised expression.

"You've been causing a scene and you knocked the previous singer clear off the stage. You're done for now." Gin said crossing his arms before him. Kokoa dropped the mic, hopped down from the stage, the marched towards the boy with a loud growl.

"What…did you just say to me?" she yelled out as she got close to him. The group, minus Dark and Mizore, watched with a bit of fear as Gin shook his head at the vampire.

"I said you're done Kokoa. The sirens are going to sing now, both to show the crowd that they aren't going to do anything bad anymore, and so you three girls can cool it and stop all this fighting." He said firmly. Kou snickered as he flew up while Kokoa looked at the boy, the vampire taken aback a bit by his nature.

"Dude…are you crazy?" Rason said worriedly as he and Kurumu got back up and backed away from the couple. Mizore slid behind Dark a bit as the demon watched the vampire closely. The siren sisters were watching with frightful eyes while Ruby merely raised an eyebrow at the couple.

"Gin…" Kokoa growled loudly. Gin showed a look of discontent and shook his head.

"You're. Done." He said firmly. The vampire looked at him with surprise while Kou flew overhead, the bat squeaking with laughter.

"Ok Ms. Kokoa, I'm all ready when you are wee!" he cheered out.

Everybody watched the vampire as she stared at the wolf. She saw him standing before her with his arms crossed, the boy looking at her with a determined expression.

_Gin…_

And she also saw something in his eyes. The same thing she first saw in Dark's when he showed he wasn't afraid of her at all.

_Gin…_

The same thing in Tsukune's eyes when he gained confidence and strength. The power within that she was drawn to before.

_Gin…_

The same confidence and willpower that she admired in the boys before. And now Gin was showing it firsthand, the wolf standing proud in the face of possible death by a fiery redhead.

"Oh this is going to be bad." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"Gin…" Kokoa said softly.

"Kokoa?" Gin asked with a firm tone.

The vampire looked at him for a moment then down.

"Ok, I'll stop." She said softly. The group jumped a bit while Kou froze in midair, the bat then looking down with wide eyes at the vampire as she timidly glanced up to her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry." She said gently.

"It's ok Kokoa, I know you can get a little carried away. How about you stay here with your mate and cool off a bit?" Gin asked gently. The vampire looked up at him as he smiled at her calmly.

"I already know your voice is the best out there, you don't have to worry about that. You can go after them if you still want." He said. The girl's eyes widened a bit as he held her close. Kou just stared in disbelief as the vampire buried her face into his chest, the girl sighing happily and nodding. The wolf looked up to the bat and gave a thumbs up, the bat then just looking at the couple with bewilderment.

"Ms…Kokoa?" he squeaked out slowly.

"Well now I've seen everything." Rason said with a raised eyebrow. He then looked over to see the siren sisters just looking at the group.

"Go on, the stage is all yours." He called out. The girls jumped a bit and looked to each other worriedly. The group looked to them as they slowly walked up towards the mic. Ren walked up and grabbed the mic while her sisters walked to her sides. They looked around nervously as the large crowd was watching them with anticipation.

"Go on, it's what you were born to do." Ruby called out with a smile. The sisters looked to each other then to the crowd with wonder.

Dark removed his earbuds and nodded at the girls. Mizore glanced to him then smiled at the sirens as well. She knew of course her boyfriend would like the music, but she no longer felt threatened by that fact. She held onto his arm and smiled at the sirens, the snow maiden eager to hear their singing as well. Kurumu held onto Rason's arm as the couple watched with interest. The bond relaxed her greatly, and she wanted to hear their singing again as well. Yukari held Ahakon's hand and watched with wonder as Ruby glanced around. So far nobody was panicking, although some students were showing a bit of caution. Gin held his girlfriend from behind, the vampire holding onto his arms with a timid smile as she watched the sirens. Normally she would have beaten anybody that spoke like that into the ground, but with Gin's confidence and just plain attractiveness to her, she felt her anger vanish as she melted in his arms. Kou landed back on her shoulder and looked between the couple with disbelief that his mistress would actually allow some wolf to handle her like that. The sirens glanced to each other then to the crowd again with soft smiles.

"Well…ok then." Ren said as she closed her eyes. The crowd watched as the sirens stood there in silence for a moment, then Ren started to sing a gentle melody. Her voice echoed out through the speakers as the crowd watched with awe. Her sisters then joined in, the three singing in perfect harmony with one another.

"Wow…" Ruby said with amazement. The world around the crowd seemed to melt away as everybody felt at peace and relaxed. Even Dark had a slight smile on his face as the music was heard by the three sirens. Their voices and their song, although not understood with their foreign tongues, were uplifting to everybody's spirits. Ren's voice was gentle and calm while Ran's was more pronounced and clear. Rin's was energetic and lively as the siren bobbed a bit with a smile on her face.

"They really can sing." Rason said in wonder.

"We told you. It's unreal isn't it?" Kurumu said watching the girls with awe.

"I've never heard such music before." Ahakon said with a smile.

Boys in the crowd were watching with awe as the three beautiful girls sang their song perfectly.

"Wow, they're really good." one said with amazement.

"Are you feeling ok now?" his girlfriend asked worriedly. He nodded and smiled at the stage.

"Yeah, I'm still me." He said assuredly.

"They're not charming us this time." a boy said waving his arm in front of him curiously.

"Their voices…they're so beautiful." a girl said in awe.

The three girls sang their gentle song then looked around as the crowd was staring at them speechless. After a long pause the group started to clap, followed by the claps and cheers of the crowd. The girls smiled and looked around as everybody was cheering for them.

"That was incredible." Mizore said with wonder.

"Vey nice." Dark agreed with.

"It's nice being able to hear their voices and not lose all control." Gin said with a laugh.

"I gotta admit, that was impressive." Kokoa said clapping with wonder. Kou merely nodded and squeaked in agreement.

"They like us." Ren said with a smile.

"They really do." Rin said waving around. Ran waved a bit to the crowd then looked to the group, all of them smiling at them and clapping as well.

"They really have forgiven us." She said with relief.

"Again! Again!" a boy's voice cheered from the crowd.

"Keep going!" a girl's voice called out.

"Sing something with some kick! Yahoo!" Kurumu cheered out. The sirens looked to each other with smiles then to the crowd.

"Encore! Encore!" Rason called out.

"More, keep going!" Ahakon called out. Ran blushed a bit at him then looked to her sisters.

"Well, you heard them." She said with a shrug. The girls nodded then faced the crowd with smiles again. They started to sing again, their voices carrying through the speakers as the crowd grew quiet to listen. Again the words were unknown yet they resonated with those that listened to it nonetheless. Their song was faster and had a lively beat to it, the girls singing in unison as they moved a bit to the music. Their voices traveled across the crowd as everybody watched with amazement. The song made them feel energetic a bit and seemed to make any fears or worries they had vanish.

"It's like their music affects us…I feel so…ready for anything." Kokoa said in wonder.

"Their voices really are magical. I feel like I could take on Fairy Tale again single handedly." Ahakon said with amazement.

"Well they are sirens, maybe their songs naturally have some charm to them." Yukari said with a curious smile.

"That's right. When they sang before to cheer themselves up in the restroom…it made us feel so calm and relaxed as well. It really got to us too." Kurumu said in wonder. The group glanced to Dark who had a small smile on his face.

"Dark's smiling, it _definitely_ has magic to it." Rason said simply. The demon glanced to him and shrugged.

"It sounds good to me, that's all that I care about." He said calmly. The group smirked a bit then looked back to the stage as the sisters continued to sing. The entire crowd was watching with amazement at the three new girls, all of them captivated by their song. As the sirens sang their melody Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, and Kokoa glanced to their boyfriends. The boys were enjoying the song, and it was pretty clear that the new girls had more talent when it came to singing. But the girls didn't feel threatened. So what if Dark smiled at them, he appreciates good music, so of course he would like their singing. So what if Rason called out for an encore, he was a nice guy and only wanted to be friends with the girls. So what if Gin opted for them to sing instead of Kokoa, he only wanted the girls to calm down and not break out into a brawl after how they behaved. And so what if Ahakon was smiling weakly because Ran kept looking back to him with a soft smile, well…actually that was bothering Yukari, but still. The girls knew their boys were truly loyal, and nothing would be taking them away. They all sighed happily and held onto their loved ones, the couples enjoying the music along with the crowd. Well, Yukari not as much since her eyebrow was twitching as she caught Ran's looks towards Ahakon, but she smiled forcibly and tried not to get overly jealous again.

"I think they'll fit in just fine here." Ruby said looking around to see the crowd smiling at the performance.

"Yeah…although Ran isn't getting the hint." Yukari said as she held up her wand. Ruby grabbed her hand and pulled the stick back down.

"Wait until they're done at least." The elder witch said with a weak smile. Yukari sighed and nodded as she lowered her wand. Ahakon chuckled nervously then looked back to the new girls singing on stage, the sirens of Yokai Academy who felt safe and sound once again.

* * *

Inside a classroom students were listening to their math teacher as he explained the lesson for the day, the man pointing to the board where several equations were written out. As he did a few students weren't paying much attention to the lecture as they kept glancing to each other. Apoch, Astreal, Falla, and Kyouko were looking between three of their fellow students after they had learned that they were actually monsters in disguise. Render, Leon, and Ceal apparently had met Razico at some point and caused a bit of panic with the warlock, the caster going on about something involving keys and the destruction of the world. Normally such talk would just be waved away as crazy talk, but since they knew Razico and Render even admitted he had keys stashed away in the magical ether, the girls were cautious and thinking there may be something to the story after all.

"What do you think that was all about?" Kyouko whispered to Falla. The chronofly merely shook her head slowly as she looked from the two mysterious students sitting in front of Apoch and Astreal to the other one sitting across from Kyouko. So far Ceal had been staring ahead of the class with a bored look as his gloved hand slowly drummed on the table with his fingers. Render and Leon however were glancing from the girls with curious expression to Ceal with cautious ones.

"Alright class. I'm going to hand back your papers from the other day. Most of you did very well. Others I expected better of." the teacher said as he started walking around the class. He stopped at Render and Leon's table and put their papers down in front of them.

"Mr. Asaga and Mr. Takeda, I know you're both capable of solving these problems as you've done so before. However, these papers were certainly not your best work." he said with discontent as he put them down. The class chuckled as the boys glanced down to them.

"Sorry about that…we were out late last night." Render said glancing back to Ceal. The girls looked at him carefully as Leon shrugged.

"Won't happen again, just a…little snag." he said simply.

"Good, see that it doesn't. I know you two have been trying to keep ahead of the work here and were doing well, I'd hate to see you fall behind just for some late night parties." the teacher said walking away. Render leaned back and sighed while Leon just held his pendant around his neck with a gentle touch. The teacher walked around passing out papers to the students then stopped at Ceal's desk.

"And Mr. Erres." he said putting the paper down on his desk. The girls looked at him carefully as the boy continued to look ahead uninterested.

"While I'm glad to see you know the material and have once again done excellently, I'd appreciate you _not_ providing colorful commentary on the bottom of your assignments." the teacher said with narrowed eyes. Ceal calmly took the paper and looked at it while his gloved hand continued to drum away.

"Just providing you an honest perspective sir." the boy said simply.

"Now listen up Mr. Erres, just because you ace the assignments doesn't mean you can speak with such disrespect about my teachings." the man barked back.

"I only spoke the truth sir. Are you condoning honesty?" the boy said glancing to him.

"Honesty? You need to learn some manners about speaking to your elders." the teacher said with discontent.

"Being honest is good manners am I right?" the boy merely replied with. The teacher growled then walked towards the front of the class glaring at the boy.

"I want no more of that crap, you understand me?" he said with anger. Ceal merely looked at him for a moment without saying anything.

"Well?" the teacher barked out. Ceal glanced to the paper and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, but I don't believe I could wake up in the morning with a bright smile on my face knowing I chose not to be honest about the fact that you're an incompetent failure of a teacher that struggles with the simplest of formulas and would be absolutely lost without his precious teacher's guidebook sitting on his desk." the boy said looking back to the man with a calm expression. The class just looked at the student with surprise while the teacher growled loudly. Before anybody could say anything else the bell rang to signal the end of the period. The teacher slammed his hand down on his desk and pointed to the student.

"I have a mind to report you to the principal Mr. Erres!" he yelled out.

"Go ahead. I'm sure he'd be interested in knowing what you're doing during all your 'cigarette breaks'." the boy said with narrowed eyes. The teacher jumped a bit and looked at him with surprise while the class looked to him puzzled.

"What…what are you talking about?" the teacher stuttered. Ceal smiled coldly at the man and tilted his head.

"Shall we talk about that with the principal?" he asked curiously. The teacher looked at him with frustration then growled quietly to himself.

"No? Good. Now get." Ceal said simply. The teacher took his book and papers then left, the man glaring at the student as others stood up.

"What…what was that about?" the boy next to Ceal asked.

"Nothing that concerns you. Get out of here, I have matters to discuss with my 'friends'." Ceal said looking to Render and Leon. The other students filed out while looking at Ceal with puzzlement while the four girls were still looking at him cautiously. After the last student left Ceal held out his gloved hand towards the door. The girls watched with surprise as a black tentacle appeared out of a rift on the wall and closed the door quickly, then flipped the lock. As it vanished the girls looked to the student with wide eyes as he stood up.

"Now then." he said looking at Render and Leon. They stood up and looked at the boy with cautious expressions as the girls looked between them.

"What…what are you?" Kyouko said looking at Ceal.

"What are all of you?" Falla said looking between them all. The witch sisters glanced from one boy to the other with a careful eye.

"I have to ask, just what does the teacher do during his cigarette breaks?" Leon asked carefully.

"He peeps into the changing room of the girls." Ceal said simply. The others looked at him with surprise as he showed no emotion to that.

"He does what?" Kyouko said with shock.

"Wow, didn't figure that guy to be a perv." Render said looking down in thought.

"And why haven't you told the faculty about that?" Leon asked.

"Leverage." Ceal said simply.

"I see. Use that dirt to keep him out of your hair. Is that how you ace all your works here? Do you have all the teachers blackmailed?" Render accused while pointing to the boy. Ceal chuckled and smirked a bit.

"I do have dirt on nearly every teacher here yes, but I ace my work because unlike you idiots I know this simple garbage. I merely use what I know against those simpletons if they get in my way." he said calmly.

"Ok, what is going on here? Who are you and what was Mr. Razico talking about?" Apoch said standing up. Astreal stood and looked between the boys with an accusing glare.

"We just got done saving the world, this had better be some sort of joke about you all about to destroy it again." Falla said as she and Kyouko stood up, the human girl looking nervously at Ceal now. The boy glanced to her and chuckled.

"Scared?" he asked with a slightly amused tone.

"No. Not at all. My friends are stronger monsters than you are anyway." she said nervously.

"Oh? Is that a fact?" Ceal said looking to the three monster girls. Falla stepped back with her arm shielding Kyouko while Apoch and Astreal kept their hands at the ready to attack.

"Ok, let's keep cool here. They're not a part of this Ceal, no need to harm them." Render said cautiously.

"You want us to help you, then you'd better back off." Leon said firmly. Ceal glanced to Render as the boy chuckled.

"Remember, I have two of those keys in the ether, and only I can bring them out." he said confidently.

"You need me as well, don't think you're in the position to make threats." Ceal said simply.

"Alright enough!" Apoch said as she formed her sword, the glowing blade manifesting in her hand as she whipped it to face Ceal. Astreal aimed her hands at the two other boys as light raced along her arms towards her palms, the glow building up as she narrowed her eyes. Falla narrowed her eye as she kept Kyouko behind her.

"I don't know what's going on, so start from the beginning." Apoch said with a glare at Ceal.

"Razico didn't seem too happy to be dealing with you, I doubt you're friends of his. Now start talking." Falla said sternly. Ceal looked to Apoch with a slight smirk as Render and Leon just glanced to Astreal.

"You really…don't want to do that." Leon said shaking his head.

"We're not your enemies, don't be foolish." Render said gently.

"Don't move, and start explaining." Astreal said with a commanding tone.

"Put your weapon down, or I'll make you." Ceal said coldly. Apoch narrowed her eyes at the boy as she kept her blade at the ready.

"You're in no position to tell me what to do." she hissed.

"Talk!" Falla yelled out. Ceal chuckled as his hand glowed a black hue. Suddenly from the ground several black rifts appeared as dark tentacles whipped out. In a flash all four girls were bound as their hands, legs, waists, thighs, and arms were ensnared. The girls were dropped down to their knees as they looked with surprise. The powerful limbs from the otherworld kept them held down tightly as they struggled to move about. Although they were posed with the bindings that their breasts and hips were more pronounced the boys didn't take the time to really notice at the moment. Render and Leon looked at Ceal with frustration as the boy walked up towards Apoch. He held her chin and tilted her gaze up to him.

"You were saying?" he asked simply. She growled as she struggled to move. The boy chuckled and looked to Render and Leon, the boys looking at the girls worriedly.

"You're making a big mistake here!" Kyouko yelled out at the boy. He glanced to her as he smirked a bit.

"I doubt that." he said simply.

"Ceal stop!" Render yelled out. Ceal looked to see Render and Leon glaring at him. The girls looked to the two other boys as they growled a bit.

"Don't you dare hurt them. They're not involved in this." Render said through bared teeth.

"Oh? And why should I comply with that request? Not that it matters to me if they live or not." Ceal said with a shrug. Leon looked to the girls quickly then back to Ceal.

"Because we need their help." he said quickly. Ceal laughed a bit as the girls looked at him cautiously.

"Help?" Ceal asked with a jest.

"Yeah, you were right. Razico won't help us. He's too scared by the legends. But maybe one of them can." Leon said looking to the girls worriedly. Ceal chuckled and looked to Kyouko.

"Really? You think one of them would be any better?" he asked with a smirk.

"Why not? We need a fourth person Ceal, you know that. Why couldn't it be one of them? They were involved in Alucard's destruction, surely they are capable of the task." Leon said quickly. Ceal looked to the girls with a raised eyebrow as they looked at the three boys.

"What…what are you all talking about?" Falla cried out.

"Interesting." Ceal said looking at the chronofly with a careful eye. She felt a cold chill run down her spine as the girl was held down with the boy's necro magic. Render glanced to Leon quickly then back to Ceal.

"He's right Ceal. Give them a chance. We need a fourth remember? And if Razico really won't help us then why not one of them?" he said. Ceal glanced to the boy as he pulled off his glove, the girls looking with wide eyes at his black reptilian hand.

"What…what the hell are you?" Kyouko cried out.

"Ok, maybe she can't help, but still." Leon said with a sigh. Ceal looked to Falla and held her chin up to face him. The girl trembled as she was bound down as his cold blue eyes stared down onto her, his monstrous hand holding her chin as she shivered with a bit of fear.

"We do need a fourth." he said to himself. He smirked then glanced to Render and Leon.

"Tell me then, which one did you have in mind?" he asked. The boys jumped a bit and looked to the girls as they glanced to him worriedly.

"Well…" Render said slowly.

"This one doesn't seem to powerful. Neither does her human friend." Ceal said looking back to Falla. The girl trembled as she couldn't move or fight back at all, her body being held down by the powerful long limbs that bound her. The boy chuckled and glanced to the other two monster girls.

"So tell me, which one shouldn't I kill?" he asked simply. The girls jumped a bit in shock as the boys looked to him with frustration.

"If you lay a hand on any of them…" Render said with fury. The girls looked to him as he seemed to give off a blue aura. As it rippled out the girls felt something briefly from him, the same confidence that Tsukune always had in battle before. He seemed to shine in a different light in their eyes for a moment. Leon clenched his fists as the girls looked back to Ceal. After a moment the boy chuckled and shook his head, then slipped back on his glove with a calm expression. He snapped his fingers and in doing so the tentacles vanished instantly. The girls dropped down as the caster looked down at them with a smirk.

"What…what are you doing?" Kyouko asked worriedly.

"Like I said, I don't care if you live or not. You're nothing to me. However, you seem to mean something to those two, enough that they would actually suggest having one of you help us to save you. And I would imagine even Razico wouldn't want anything to happen to his 'friends' should he be presented with such an ultimatum." the boy said with a chuckle. He looked to Render and Leon and nodded.

"He'll help us now. I have a feeling he'll see reason." he said simply. Render and Leon glanced to the girls then to Ceal with narrowed eyes.

"You're going to blackmail him with their lives?" Leon said with anger.

"Leverage my dear friend. Leverage." Ceal said with a chuckle. The girls stumbled back to their feet and backed away from the caster as Render and Leon watched him with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, I'm not up for harming the innocent here. We're not going to force him to help us like that." Render said shaking his head.

"Fine, then talk to them. Convince one to take his place." Ceal said looking to the girls. They jumped a bit and looked to the two boys. Render and Leon looked to them then to Ceal.

"We need a fourth right? Well we have five candidates now." Ceal said. He glanced to Kyouko, the human jumping a bit and hiding behind Falla.

"Well, four anyway. Personally I don't care who you choose, so no pressure on your part." Ceal said with a shrug.

"If you didn't already have one of the keys with you…" Leon said with frustration.

"You would what?" Ceal said with an amused grin at him. Render and Leon glared at the boy as he stood there. After a pause Ceal laughed a bit then walked towards the door.

"Four possible 'fourths' for our little game. I thought you would be thrilled at that opportunity." he said as he opened the door. He glanced back to them and smirked a bit.

"I'll leave the selection up to you, otherwise I'll have a little talk with Razico myself at lunch. And ladies, it was nice to meet you after all." he said with a cold smile. He walked out as the girls steadied their breathing. Kyouko watched him vanish then bit her lip nervously. The girls then looked over to see Render and Leon looking at the door with narrowed glances.

"Great, just great." Render muttered as he shook his head.

"You were the one that gave out that first key early. It's your fault he has it." Leon said simply.

"Don't get mad at me! That other guy was trustworthy until Ceal ripped him to bloody pieces!" Render cried out.

"And you opened your mouth about your magic to these girls. He nearly tore them to pieces right here. You could have played it off like Razico was crazy or something." Leon said shaking his head.

"Oh I'm sorry, I was just trying to calm down our paranoid partner in-"

THUMP!

The boys looked back to see Kyouko passed out on the ground as the other girls were looking down at her with worry. Slowly they looked back to the two boys as they looked at them with a bit of remorse.

"So, um…sorry about that." Render said rubbing the back of his head.

"Are you girls ok?" Leon asked gently. The three girls looked to each other then back to their friend at their feet.

"Ok…what is going on here?" Falla asked looking back to the boys.

"Who...what…" Astreal said shaking her head.

"Ms. Kyouko." Apoch said worriedly. The two boys sighed and walked over to them, both looking down at their unconscious friend. The girls looked to them as they glanced around.

"We'll explain everything…I mean we sort of have to now. First things first, let's get her to the infirmary." Leon said tiredly. Astreal picked the sleeping girl up as the three new girls looked at the boys carefully.

"What was he anyway?" Apoch asked cautiously. The boys looked back to the door with narrowed eyes.

"He's a nightmare, brutal, powerful…and unfortunately we're stuck with him in a common goal." Render said bitterly.

"Don't worry girls, we won't let him harm you or your friend. We promise." Leon said with a bit of a glare. The girls looked at them then to each other worriedly. Ceal had revealed himself to be a true monster, one that was resourceful and powerful in the arcane arts. He also was apparently needed by Render and Leon for something involving keys, something that could potentially cause the world's destruction. However at least they did see that Render and Leon were not evil as they did try to spare them from any harm.

"C'mon, I'll show you where the infirmary is." Leon said looking to Astreal. She nodded then followed him out carrying the sleeping human that passed out from the thought of somebody getting ripped to pieces by that student. Render sighed and looked to Apoch.

"Alright. We'll explain everything to you girls. Just try not to freak out or anything, ok?" he said simply. She looked at him with a bit of wonder as he walked out. She wasn't sure what that aura he gave off earlier was about, but now it seemed to be gone. After a pause she followed quickly after. Falla watched them go then looked down with a tremble. The way Ceal had her detained with what seemed to be no effort made her realize how weak she was now with her magic sealed. She sighed with worry then followed after her friends, the girl worried about what was happening around her.

"Luna…I wish you were here." she said softly as she walked out of the classroom.

* * *

The group was gathered at the school festival, all standing off to the side of the stage where just a little while ago the siren sisters performed for a cheering audience. Their voices, which were laced with a magical power from their monster energy, were a hit with the students who watched with amazement. Each song that was performed had a few things in common. For one they were all in a foreign tongue, with the words being unknown to everybody but the sisters themselves. Secondly each song seemed to affect the crowd, with happy songs making the crowd joyful while gentle and calm songs made them feel relaxed. Even faster songs with a heavy beat got the crowd cheering with energy. It seemed each song seemed to resonate with all those who heard it. And three the sirens were met with applause and cheering after each one, the student body loving each song completely. They weren't charmed, they weren't cheering out of pity, they really liked the singing. And who could blame them, everybody loved their songs.

Well, almost everybody.

"Um…did you have to do that?" Kurumu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ruby said I had to wait, so I did." Yukari said flatly as the group was looking down at Ran, the girl lying on the ground dazed with a golden washtub spinning around next to her.

"Why did you hit our sister?" Rin cried out.

"Because she kept staring at Ahakon." Yukari said as she firmly held the young mage's hand.

"Yeah…I kinda noticed that too." Kokoa said simply. The blue haired siren slowly sat up as her world stopped spinning then looked up with worried eyes.

"Um…sorry." she said softly.

"So she was looking at him, what's wrong with that?" Rason asked puzzled.

"She kept staring at him, it's pissing me off." Yukari said with annoyance.

"Yeah, she does keep looking at him a lot." Ruby said as Ran got up and looked down embarrassed.

"Sorry, I couldn't control myself." she said softly.

"How come you like Ahakon that much? Isn't he a bit young for you?" Mizore asked curiously.

"Yeah." Yukari said with a growl and bared teeth, the witch not liking the attention her boyfriend was getting from the siren.

"That's exactly why she likes him." Ren said flatly. Ran jumped a bit and looked down with a big blush.

"Stop picking on me! I wasn't going to try anything, honest!" she cried out.

"What do you mean that's why she likes him?" Gin asked. Ren glanced to Ahakon with a raised eyebrow.

"Remember her manga?" she asked. The boy looked up thoughtfully, blinked, then looked down with a weak expression.

"Oh…yeah." he said.

_Now I remember…not that I wanted to._

"Her manga?" Kokoa asked.

"She likes younger boys." Rin said with a smirk and a giggle. Ran trembled and looked to her with frustration.

"I just like…the stories. I can't help it if…they're cute too." she said as she looked down with defeat.

"The boy on boy stories? Really, that's why you like Ahakon so much? You know he's straight right?" Kurumu said with a laugh.

"I know that!" Ran cried out. Ahakon laughed nervously then looked to Yukari with a bit of fear. The witch narrowed her eyes at the siren as the group watched the girl cover her eyes and look down with embarrassment. She peeked to the mage and hid her blush.

"It's just he looks like some of my favorite characters from the stories." she said softly.

"Well…that's flattering I guess." Ahakon said nervously. Ran looked to him with worry and shook her head.

"I promise, I won't charm you or do anything. I know you have a girlfriend. Honest." she pleaded. Yukari looked at her with a dull gaze then down with a sigh.

"Is this what Kurumu and Mizore put up with before with Luna and Felucia?" she muttered.

"Um, I'm _still_ putting up with it, what are you complaining about?" Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow.

"She admitted she's not going to try anything, she's just seeing a resemblance from her stories." Mizore said with a shrug. Yukari paused then looked to Ran.

"Fine. I'm sorry Ran." she said simply. The siren nodded and looked down.

"You used to read those stories when you were held captive by that strange man?" Ruby asked.

"No, I read them before he took us, and whenever I could during our little…missions for him." Ran said softly. Yukari looked at her with a bit of sympathy then down as she held her wand in front of her gently in her hands.

"Mother and father weren't too thrilled when they found them at first." Rin snickered.

"That's because you ratted me out!" Ran yelled out at her. Rin giggled and looked up innocently as the group looked at her with a bit of amusement.

"I'm not the one with the strange tastes." Rin said with a laugh.

"No, you're the one that curiosity got the best of!" Ran yelled out. She gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth as Rin looked at her with heartbroken eyes.

"I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean…" Ran said as Rin started to cry.

"What the hell Ran?" Ren said with worry as she looked at Rin. The blonde haired siren looked down as she trembled.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, really." Ran pleaded.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked as the blonde haired siren backed away from the group as she broke down, the girl holding her headphones over her ears tightly.

"I…I didn't know then…I didn't know!" she cried out loudly.

"Rin she didn't mean it, really." Ren said worriedly.

"Yeah, it just slipped out. I'm sorry." Ran pleaded. Rin sobbed a bit then ran off into the crowd. Ren looked with worry to where her sister vanished then over to Ran with a glare.

"How could you even mention that to her like that?" she snapped.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, it just came out." Ran said with worry. The group looked at them with concern before the two girls ran off after their sister.

"What was that about?" Rason asked.

"I'm not sure, let's go make sure they're ok." Kurumu said as they took off after them.

Rin was running aimlessly through the crowd, the girl crying as she shook her head with a pained expression. She held a hand to her headphones as the music quietly played for her. The magical item was the only thing keeping her memory working for her, the only thing that kept her mind mostly focused. The magical item that was needed to reverse a mistake in her past.

_I didn't know then…I didn't know what I was doing!_

She sobbed as she ran through the crowd quickly, the girl running as tears dropped down to the ground below. She was so busy crying that she didn't see somebody in front of her, the girl crashing into a larger boy and taking them down to the ground.

Ren and Ran weaved through the crowd with worried eyes as the group was following closely behind. After a while they came to a small clearing in the crowd of students walking around where they saw Rin laying on the ground shaking her head, the girl's hand over her ear as her blonde hair flowed behind her. She blinked then looked up with curious eyes as a few tears still dropped to the ground. The larger boy was getting up with a growl as he looked back to the girl.

"What's the big idea, watch where you're going." he barked out at the girl. The group caught up to Ran and Ren as the two sirens were looking down at the ground, at the headphones of their sister that was lying on the ground next to her.

"What? Where I'm going?" Rin asked confused.

"You stupid bitch." the boy said raising his foot. Ran and Ren gasped as the group looked with surprise. The boy then stomped down and crushed the headphones into the ground, the blonde haired siren looking at him with a bit of fear as she had no idea what he was talking about. Ren and Ran looked with shock at the broken headphones then shook their heads.

"No…no…" Ren said with fright.

"Oh…my…god…" Rason said as the group slowly looked to the two sisters. Ran shakily held her hand out towards Rin and trembled, the girl staring with wide eyes at the destroyed headphones.

"NO!"


	14. Rin's Fall

Inside the girls dorm building a loud commotion was coming from one of the rooms that had a destroyed window on it. Inside Moka was struggling to hold down Tsukune, the two still naked after their love making as Moka was crying softly with a weak smile and Tsukune was growling loudly and snapping at her with his fangs. His eyes were crimson yet the outer edges were still white, the boy's full vampire power still being repressed by his seal over his wrist. Moka had him pinned down by straddling him and holding his arms to his sides, the girl struggling to keep him still as he proved to be quite strong even with his power sealed.

"Tsukune…it's going to be ok…it'll be ok, I promise." she said as she cried a bit, the girl seeing her boyfriend succumb to a vampire's bloodlust. The boy growled and snapped at her as his legs thrashed about, his eyes only showing the illuminated and brightly lit blood that flowed through her veins. All conscious thought was gone as all he desired was drinking blood. It didn't matter if his body couldn't take in the girl's vampiric blood, his cravings were blinding him to all reason as he desired any blood he could sink his fangs into.

_I can't hold him like this for long, he's too strong now._

**_Just be thankful he didn't take that seal off when you asked him to, otherwise he would be unstoppable._**

_What are we going to do? I can't hold him like this until Akua arrives._

**_We'd better think of something fast, he'll stop before he drains us dry, but he won't stop if he gets his fangs into somebody else._**

"Tsukune…Tsukune calm down!" Moka pleaded as she tried to hold the boy down. Her strength wasn't extreme, and fatigue would likely settle in long before Akua arrived from the human world. She looked over to the side and saw the handcuffs and other toys her mate used on her earlier.

_Maybe-_

**_There is no way some cheap sex toy is going to hold him down like this._**

_It held us._

**_That's because with his aura we weren't able to break free, not like we even wanted to. Think of something else._**

Moka looked around her room worriedly as she saw nothing that could possibly keep Tsukune pinned down with his immense strength.

_We don't have anything to hold him with here._

**_I could have told you that._**

_Think of something fast then, I can't hold him forever._

**_Then let me try._**

Moka looked at the hands of the boy she was pinning down, the girl shakily holding one of his wrists tightly as she brought it up to her rosary. She snapped the seal off then pinned him down as her power released through the area. Her eyes turned blood red as her hair turned silver. Her bust and hip size increased as well while she held the boy down with a bit more of ease.

**"Tsukune…try to fight it. Don't let the hunger consume you."** Inner Moka said as she tried to hold the boy down. He growled and snapped at her like a wild animal, the girl looking at her mate with a pained expression.

**"Oh Tsukune…I'm sorry…"** she said softly. With her increased strength she was able to hold the blood crazed vampire down with a bit more stability, but he still proved to be lively as he kept trying to break free.

**_I hope I can hold him long enough. If he gets close to anybody else in this condition…they're finished._**

As she tried to hold the boy down she didn't hear the screams of a few girls outside her window, mostly due to her own struggle with the boy that was growling and snarling at her with a dark glare in his eye. Outside a group of students were racing towards the boys dorm building with haste.

_"NO!" Ran screamed as she saw her sister's headphones crushed into the ground by a larger male student. The group watched with horror as the kid twisted his foot and grinded the device into the dirt while Rin watched him with frightened eyes._

_"Next time watch where you're going." the boy scoffed at her. Rin scooted away with fear as she had no idea what he was talking about, but was scared of his anger nonetheless._

_"But…I don't know what you mean." she said worriedly._

_"Rin!" Ren cried out as the two sisters ran up to her. She looked back to see a large group of students running up to her, which only scared her more._

_"What…what's going on?" she cried out as she held her hands over her head and curled into a ball. Her sisters kneeled down beside her and looked at her with devastation then over to the headphones._

_"No…dear god…NO!" Ran cried out as she scrambled over and looked at the destroyed remains. The other student backed up as he saw everybody glaring at him._

_"What? She ran into me. Besides they're just some dumb headphones." the boy said shaking his head._

_"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Ren screamed out at the boy as Rin continued to cower on the ground, the girl looking up at the large group of angry students with confusion and fright._

_"Why is everybody yelling?" she whimpered._

_"What's the big deal?" the boy said with a puzzled expression._

_"You…you…you monster!" Ran screamed out as she glared at the boy, her wings appearing behind her. Unlike Rason's hers seemed to shift right through her clothing like Kurumu's and didn't tear her shirts apart. The boy backed up as the siren growled with furious rage._

_"What? I told you she ran into me, it's her fault." the boy scoffed._

_"Rin? Rin it's me, your sister." Ren pleaded at the blonde haired girl. Rin looked at her confused as she shakily sat up._

_"What? I have a sister?" she asked. Ren looked at her with devastation then to the destroyed headphones._

_"No…no no no no NO NO NO!" she cried out holding her head with fright. Rin looked at her puzzled and tilted her head._

_"I don't have a sister?" she asked._

_"How could you? Those were one of a kind! ONE OF A KIND!" Ran screamed, her voice causing the ground around her to crack as the air around her rippled away towards the student. He backed up as the group looked to Rin with concern._

_"Oh god…you don't have any more of those things?" Rason asked worriedly. Rin looked around then to Ren who was staring at her with watery eyes._

_"Rin…" she said as she shakily held her hand towards her. Rin looked at her puzzled as she tilted her head._

_"Rin? Is that my name?" she asked simply. Ren choked back a sob and nodded, then looked down to the headphones._

_"You…" Ran growled loudly narrowed at the boy. The group looked to her as Ren shakily looked towards the boy, the girl then standing as her wings sprang forth behind her as well. Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she trembled with fury._

_"You…" she hissed as she walked towards the boy with clenched fists._

_"What…what's wrong with you people?" the boy asked shaking his head._

_"You…took our sister from us." Ran said with hatred._

_"What? She's right there, I never laid a hand on her." the boy pleaded pointing to the girl._

_"Oh dear lord, Rin…" Ruby said looking to the blonde haired girl. She looked around at the group with confusion as she slowly stood up._

_"Why do you keep calling me that?" she asked._

_"That's your name. Rin, we just said that remember?" Kokoa asked worriedly. Rin looked at her puzzled then tilted her head._

_"You did? When?" she asked._

_"Oh no, her memory really is gone without those things." Kurumu said looking to the destroyed device. The plastic around it was cracked to pieces as wiring and small connections were seen ripped apart. Yukari tried to pick them up but they only fell to pieces in her hand._

_"No…no no no." Yukari said shaking her head as she looked at the pieces with shock. Rin looked down to them and blinked._

_"What's that?" she asked simply as she pointed to it._

_"What's wrong with you girls?" the boy asked worriedly as the two pissed off sirens advanced on him. They stopped and pointed a hand towards him each, their nails giving off a gleam as sheer anger was seen in her eyes._

_"You took our sister from us." Ren said with hatred._

_"No I didn't she's right over there!" the boy cried out._

_"No…she isn't anymore…thanks to YOU!" Ran yelled as the two girls flew towards him in a flash. The group looked to see Ran and Ren hacking at the boy with their nails, the girls slicing and cutting his face and chest repeatedly as he screamed and flailed about. The girls shot into the air as he yelled out and shifted into his form, a large black humanoid figure with a giant eye and muscular arms. He roared at them as they flew around, the girls then diving down and slicing at his back. Their nails seemed to cut him, although not to the degree Kurumu's could, yet still drew blood. The monster roared as it thrashed around while Rin watched with fear._

_"What's going on?" she asked worriedly._

_"Ruby, Yukari, can you fix it? Somehow?" Ahakon said looking to the witches._

_"I couldn't put that back together if my life depended on it." Ruby said looking to the broken pieces of the headphones._

_"Yeah, I can't just make it reform again." Yukari said worriedly._

_Ran and Ren flew down on opposite sides of the large monster, with Ran landing down next to the group. She started singing a quick and dark song as her voice echoed out, the girl singing with her sister who was doing the same. The one-eyed monster looked around at them as the group looked to Ran._

_"What is she doing?" Kurumu asked._

_The sirens kept singing, and as they did the ground around the monster started to shift and crack. Dirt and rocks started to swirl around the monster as the wind started to pick up._

_"What…how are they…" Rason said as the group watched the girls sing quickly._

_Ran and Ren started to sing louder, and in doing so the wind around the monster started to pick up. The torrent of wind spun faster and faster as rocks and debris were tossed into the air._

_"What is this?" the monster cried out as the wind started to howl and screech. Suddenly a slice razed across his chest, the monster howling in pain. The group watched as more started to sear around his body as the girls kept singing their quick and dark song. It sounded like an angry song, the notes seeming erratic yet smooth at the same time._

_"They're casting a spell…with their song." Yukari said with wonder._

_"Arg, hey, knock it off!" the monster yelled as more cuts and gashes appeared on his body._

_"They're using the wind…they're using the sheer force of the wind to attack." Ahakon said in amazement._

_The two sirens hit a high note and held it as the miniature tornado spun wildly around the monster. It roared before several more slices razed around it in a flash. The wind howled and screeched as the monster was tumbled around in the torrent before he flew off into the air with a scream. The sisters stopped singing and slowly caught their breath as the area calmed down, all while students all around were staring with shock at the sight. Ren and Ran retracted their wings then looked back to their sister._

_"No…this can't be happening." Ren said as they raced over to her. Rin looked at them with wonder then up._

_"Wow, what was that?" she asked._

_"Kind of curious myself." Ruby said in wonder._

_"Rin…" Ran said with teary eyes. The siren looked to her with a curious expression._

_"Rin? Is that my name?" she asked. The group looked to her with sorrow as she just stared at her sister with a puzzled expression. Ran broke down crying and hugged her sister, the blonde haired siren looking at her with wonder as she cried._

_"I'm so sorry Rin, I'm so sorry!" she cried out._

_"Sorry? For what?" Rin asked curiously._

_"She can't remember anything anymore can she?" Gin said worriedly._

_"No…Rin." Ren said looking down at the broken pieces of the device. Dark knelt down and started picking them up quickly, the demon having a blank expression still._

_"Mizore, grab them all." he said. The snow maiden nodded and started to grab any piece of plastic or wiring that she could see on the ground. After the demon had most of the bits in his hand he glanced to the group._

_"What are you doing?" Gin asked._

_"I'm not letting the music stop here." Dark said as he took off towards the dorm buildings. The group looked to each other as Mizore glanced to Rin._

_"C'mon, we'll fix this." she said as she followed after._

_"Fix what?" Rin asked tilting her head. Ren and Ran grabbed her hands and started pulling her with them._

_"Just follow them please!" Ran pleaded._

_"What? Why?" Rin said scared._

_"Please sister, you need to come with us." Ren said with tears. Rin looked to her and tilted her head._

_"Sister? I'm your sister?" she asked. Ran and Ren looked to each other with heartache then took off after Dark while pulling their confused sister. The group looked to each other with wonder then followed after, all wondering what the shadow demon had in mind._

Dark ran into the dorm building and raced up the stairs with Mizore close behind. Ran and Ren pulled their sister in, the girl screaming as she was confused and scared after forgetting what the two had told her a few minutes ago. The group followed after as Rin was looking around with bewilderment.

"Where are we going? Who are you guys?" she asked.

"We're your sisters, please just follow us!" Ran cried out as they pulled their confused sister after the demon. Dark ran up two flights of stairs then down a hallway. As he did Mizore was looking at him curiously.

_What are you planning Dark? And where are you taking us?_

The demon rounded a corner and ran deeper into the boys dorms while the group followed closely after.

"What's Dark going to do with that stuff? It's totaled." Gin said shaking his head.

"I have no idea but I hope to the Almighty he can do something." Rason said with worry.

"Oh god, Rin." Kurumu said looking ahead at the blonde haired girl, the siren once again freaking out as she had no idea what was going on or who was dragging her down the hall.

"She keeps forgetting what we tell her almost instantly." Yukari said worriedly.

"Her mind can't keep any memories it seems, old or new." Ruby said with remorse.

Dark ran up to a doorway and opened it, the boy glancing over to see the rest of the group racing up to him.

"What are you doing? Whose room is this?" Gin asked.

"Mine." Dark said as he ran in. The group blinked and looked to each other with wonder.

"Holy shit, he _does_ have a room." Rason said in awe.

"I was starting to wonder actually." Ahakon asked. Mizore looked at the door with wonder, the girl having never known where her beloved's room actually was.

"Wow…" she breathed out in amazement. She had searched, or at least attempted to numerous times in the past, but never could find where his secret dorm room was. Not even Ruby knew, as the boy had seemingly picked one himself and never told the faculty about it. Of course that was likely to keep his presence here unknown while he hid from Fairy Tale's attack dogs upon his betrayal.

"What do you think he has in there?" Kurumu asked curiously.

"Guns? Missiles? Weapons of mass destruction?" Gin said with a shrug.

"A bazillion mp3 players?" Rason said with a shrug.

"No wonder I could never spot him from the windows, his room is deeper inside the dorm, he doesn't have any windows." Mizore said tilting her head.

"I guess he liked the darkness of it." Yukari said with a shrug.

Ran and Ren looked around with disbelief then shook their heads.

"What are you all waiting for? C'mon!" Ran cried out as they pulled the confused siren in after the demon. The group looked to each other then followed them as well. Inside Dark's room they finally saw where the elusive shadow demon slept, when he wasn't with his girlfriend of course.

"Huh, I expected more…stuff actually." Rason said as they looked around. Inside the room was a bed against the far corner, a dresser, a desk with a chair and lamp, a closet, and a private restroom. The carpet was black, there was a single florescent light at the top, there were no windows, no posters; a very bland room by far.

"Wow…um, not what I expected. I mean I thought you would have something here from when you were with Fairy Tale, or something." the angel said looking around. Mizore looked around curiously, the snow maiden also surprised by the lack of…anything related to him in this room.

"Mizore." Dark said, the snow maiden looking to see him putting the pieces of the device on his desk. She rushed over and set down the ones she had.

"That's all I could find Dark. Can you fix it?" she asked worriedly. He looked at the bits of the device then glanced behind him. He walked over to his closet as the group watched while Ran and Ren were watching their sister with worry.

"Wow, a boy's room. What are we doing here?" Rin asked looking around. Ran and Ren looked at her worriedly then to Dark.

"Can you really fix it?" Ren asked as the group looked around his room.

"He can't hear you. He's not facing you." Mizore said simply. She knew his eye line very well now, the girl merely glancing to see Dark opening his closet. Rason looked into it and jumped with surprise.

"Wow!" he said as the shadow demon crouched down and opened a smaller drawer at the bottom. Above it were racks and racks with mp3 players plugged into a collection of wires. Mizore walked over, the girl staring with wide eyes at the large amount of players the boy had in his room.

"What is it?" Ruby asked curiously.

"That's…a lot of players." Rason said softly. Dark grabbed a smaller box out of the drawer and headed back to the desk while Mizore examined the large amount of players. Dark quickly set the box down on the desk and opened it. Inside was a soldering iron, wire, and various other tools. He started taking out the iron and wiring while looking at the headphone bits on his desk carefully.

"Look at all those." Gin said in wonder at the demon's collection of music players.

"There's so many." Yukari said in awe.

"Somehow I shouldn't be surprised, I just know it." Mizore said softly. She and Rason then looked over to see Dark sitting at the desk while taking his earbuds out, the demon setting his player down on the table.

"What's going on here? Who are you anyway?" Rin asked looking around.

"She really can't remember anything now?" Kurumu asked worriedly.

"We're your sisters Rin. Your sisters. I'm Ren, and this is Ran." Ren said as she fought back tears.

"This boy is your friend, he's…going to try to help you." Ran said worriedly.

"Help me? Help me with what?" Rin asked tilting her head.

"I don't understand, why is her memory lost like that?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Yeah, how come those headphones were needed to help her think?" Rason asked.

"What did you mean when you said she did something to herself when she was young?" Yukari asked. Ran and Ren looked to her as she tilted her head.

"Yesterday in the girls restroom, when you comforting her. You mentioned she was young and did something to cause this." she asked.

"What are you talking about?" Rin asked looking around.

"That's a good question." Dark said as she started work on the wiring of the headphones. The small smoke wisp of the iron flowed up from the device as he tried to repair the broken instrument. He glanced over to the sirens then back to his work.

"Mind explaining?" he asked. Ran and Ren looked to each other then to their sister.

"I'm still lost, who are you?" Rin asked looking to Ran. The siren sighed and walked the girl over to the bed, the three sitting down together.

"She forgot your name already?" Ahakon asked with surprise.

"Yes, without those headphones she can't remember anything properly. Her mind can't hold any memories at all, she'll forget as soon as you tell her something." Ren said sadly.

"Who'll forget?" Rin asked puzzled.

"You poor thing." Ruby said worriedly.

"Me? What about me?" Rin asked looking to the witch.

"What happened to her anyway?" Mizore asked.

Ren and Ran looked to each other with saddened eyes then to their sister.

* * *

_Deep in a forest at night the moonlight was shining through the trees as three figures flew through the wooded area. They had feathered wings and were laughing happily, the three small monster children flying around the trees quickly together. They were young girls, all looking to be younger than Yukari was. They were dressed in single colored dresses, with Ran's being blue, Rin's being yellow, and Ren's being pink. Ran had short hair and glasses that seemed a little large on her, the siren weaving around a few trees then glancing behind her. Rin was following close by, the blonde haired siren laughing as she smiled happily. She wasn't wearing her headphones and was spiraling around playfully as they raced through the forest. Behind her Ren was flying while her strange hat somehow stayed on her head, although it seemed a bit big on her._

_The girls flew through the trees then came to a large clearing in the forest. It was a large area that had a few gigantic trees shooting up into the sky above the surrounding forest. Around the trunks of the trees were wooden houses built into the sides, with the buildings having windows and doors that led into the open air. They were made of wooden walls that were well polished and smoothed while the roofs were comprised of wooden shingles that were slanted down. Along the grounds below were several dirt paths and houses along with small fire pits that had blue flames in them. Other winged sirens were seen flying around the village as moonlight shone down from above. The three sisters weaved around the larger trees and flew upwards towards a house that was built above the surrounding trees in the forest. They flew up and landed down inside the front foyer, the three little sirens then running into the home laughing and giggling. Inside was a two story dwelling, with the bottom floor having a living room and a kitchen. Up a narrow staircase was a hallway that led to the bedrooms, with three rooms for the daughters and a bedroom for the parents. Both of which were inside the kitchen smiling as their three daughters ran around laughing. The man was an older siren with dark hair that went down to his shoulders and brown eyes. He was dressed in brown linen pants, a white shirt, and dark shoes. The wife was dressed with a white dress and gray shoes, her long blonde hair having orange colorings at the bottom and her eyes being blue. They chuckled a bit as their children ran around in the kitchen then into the living room where a couch, table, a tall bookshelf filled with books, and a windows overlooking the forest were._

_"My my, you three seem to be in high spirits." the mother said walking in and watching the three girls rolling around on the ground laughing._

_"Of course, we get to sing for the village tomorrow!" Rin cheered out._

_"That's right, are you three ready?" the father said walking into the room with an amused smile._

_"You bet father, we were practicing out in the forest." Ran said happily._

_"I sounded ok, I hope I don't disappoint you father." Ren said softly._

_"Now now my dears, you could never disappoint me. Don't worry, tomorrows festival is a joyous occasion. And you three being picked to sing for the village is a high honor." the man said with a proud smile._

_"Have you decided on what you're going to sing together?" the mother asked._

_"Yeah, we were practicing the Melody of the Forest, I can't wait for you to hear it." Ran said with an eager smile. The father chuckled and rubbed her head playfully._

_"I can't wait either. I know you'll all do great." he said happily._

_"That's such a peaceful and tranquil song, a very good choice." the mother said with a smile. The girls giggled and then ran over to the window, the young sirens looking down at the village below them. The soft blue glows of their strange fires along with the moonlight cast the village into a unique serene glow of blue with yellow and green specs that were seen from fireflies and plant life._

_"This is going to be great, we get to sing for everybody tomorrow." Rin said with anxious anticipation._

_"I hope they like our song." Ren said worriedly._

_"You worry too much Ren, we'll be fine." Ran said adjusting her glasses as she looked around at the sirens flying around down below._

_"Easy for you to say, you have a more pronounced voice than I." Ren said softly._

_"Maybe if you stop worrying so much and just sing with your heart you wouldn't sound so quiet." Rin giggled. Ran and Ren looked to her with wonder. It was no secret around the village, let alone in their home, how talented Rin was with singing._

_"It's hard to compete with you though." Ren muttered as she looked down with despair._

_"We're not competing, we're singing together." Ran commented._

_"This time." Ren said simply. Rin glanced to her with a slightly amused expression then looked down again._

_"You're always so negative, that's probably part of your problem." Rin said with a shrug._

_"I'm not negative, just realistic. You've always had the energetic voice, and even Ran's is clearer than mine." Ren said softly as she rested her chin on her arms while looking down below._

_"Just sing with your heart, you'll do great. I'm sure of it." Ran said hopefully. Ren rolled her eyes while Rin looked around the village with wonder and a soft smile. Their father walked up behind them and rested a hand on Rin and Ren's shoulders._

_"You'll all do great, each of you. I know that without a doubt in my mind." he said calmly. The three girls smiled and looked back up at him, the girls nodding as their mother watched her family with a warm smile._

_The family ate their dinner as the village quieted down for the night, then were getting ready to turn in before the big day tomorrow. Rin was looking out the window of her room with bright eyes as she hopped up and down a bit._

_"I get to sing for the village and for mom and dad. This is going to be excellent." she said with an eager smile. She giggled then hopped onto her bed and jumped up and down on it._

_"I just have to wow them, I just have to." she said eagerly. She dropped down onto her bed and looked down curiously._

_"Melody of the Forest is a peaceful song, but maybe it's too boring. I know we can sing something with more kick." she said in wonder. She blinked then darted off her bed then out into the hall, the girl's door closing behind her. As it did her shelf over her desk rumbled a bit and a pair of headphones dropped onto her desk._

_Rin knocked on Ren's door, then after she got no response she opened it slowly. Inside her sister's room the pink haired siren was asleep in her bed, the girl having a soft smile on her face. Rin tiptoed up towards the bed, being very quiet not to step on anything or knock anything over, then jumped onto the bed with a happy giggle. Ren shot up and screamed a bit then looked to see Rin bouncing on her bed._

_"Hey there sis." she said happily._

_"Rin? What are you doing? Go to bed." Ren grumbled as she pulled the covers over her head. They were immediately yanked back as Rin as smiling at her still._

_"But I need to talk to you." she said with a playful smile. Ren growled then sat up with a dull glare in her eyes._

_"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" she muttered._

_"No, I can't sleep. I'm too excited about singing tomorrow." Rin said shaking her head._

_"Well, good luck going to sleep then." Ren groaned as she dropped back down onto her pillow. She was then immediately yanked up by the arm as Rin bounced a bit on the bed._

_"But I need to talk to you." she said quietly._

_"About what? Can't you see I'm trying to get some sleep here?" Ren complained loudly._

_"About our song for tomorrow." Ren said simply._

_"About our song? What about it?" Ren asked rubbing her eyes a bit._

_"I think it's too dull. It's a children's song after all." Rin said._

_"Yeah. And we're children. Although sometimes I think I'm more mature than you two." Ren said flatly._

_"We should sing something with more power, more energy. That would really wow mom and dad wouldn't you think?" Rin asked eagerly._

_"But we practiced Melody of the Forest all day today. It's what we all know." Ren reasoned with._

_"I know, but we can learn another song tomorrow no problem, I'm sure of it." Rin said hopefully._

_"Maybe you can whiz-kid, but us normal 'children' can't." Ren said dully._

_"C'mon, I know we can sing something better than some children's song." Rin pleaded._

_"Again, we're children. At least you are…" Ren said dully._

_"Please?" Rin begged. Ren sighed and looked up with a tired expression._

_"Like what exactly?" she asked plainly. Rin looked up thoughtfully then shrugged._

_"Um, I don't know." she said quietly. Ren looked at her with a dull gaze then pointed to her door._

_"Get out." she said simply._

_"But maybe father's books will-" Rin started before Ren shook her head._

_"Stop right there Rin, you know we're not to go through father's magic books at all. He would ground us and then none of us would get to sing. I'd rather sing a children's song tomorrow than not at all." Ren said firmly._

_"But Reeeeen." Rin begged while bouncing on the bed. Ren shook her head and then dropped back onto her pillow._

_"How am I the youngest sister here? Honestly." she muttered as she closed her eyes._

_"Fine, I'll go ask Ran to help. She'll be on my side." Rin said with a pouty face as she hopped off the bed._

_"Good, please go and bother her." Ren muttered as she pulled her blankets over her and curled up in bed. Rin stuck her tongue out at the girl then ran out of the room towards her other sister's door. She knocked on it, heard a rustling inside then a quick reply._

_"Come in." Ran said shakily. Rin opened the door and walked in to see Ran sitting in bed, the girl sighing and putting on her glasses again from her nightstand._

_"Rin, what are you doing up at this hour?" she said simply._

_"I couldn't sleep. What were you doing up?" Rin asked curiously. Ran jumped a bit then laid back down on her pillow._

_"I wasn't up. What do you want anyway?" she asked quickly. Rin looked at her for a moment then smiled slyly._

_"You were reading those comics again weren't you?" she asked. Ran shook her head as she pulled the covers over her face._

_"No, I don't know what you mean. Just…go to bed Rin." she said shakily. Rin giggled and then hopped onto the bed with a smile._

_"I don't care, I'm not going to tell on you." she said simply. After a pause Ran slowly peeked out from the covers. She sat up and adjusted her glasses as Rin looked at her with a curious smile._

_"Where do you keep getting them from anyway? Mom keeps taking them away and you keep getting more. How do you do it?" Rin asked. Ran glanced to the door then pulled out a manga book from under her pillow. She looked to it with a soft smile and shrugged._

_"I just sneak them in before dinner sometimes. There's a small human town at the edge of the forest, so I just go there and get some every now and then." she said softly. She looked to Rin worriedly then._

_"So…you're not going to tell on mom and dad?" she asked slowly._

_"Nope, that's not why I'm here. Um, I actually wanted to talk to you about the song we're going to sing tomorrow." Rin said in a hushed tone._

_"The song? What about it?" Ran asked puzzled._

_"It's a children's song Ran, a children's song." Rin complained. Ran nodded with a blank expression._

_"Yes, and last I checked we were still children here. What's your point?" she asked._

_"My point is that we can sing something with more energy than that. Mom and dad are going to be listening along with the entire village, we can't just sing some boring old song." Ran complained._

_"But…we all agreed to it out in the forest." Ran said._

_"Well I changed my mind." Rin said crossing her arms with a determined expression._

_"But we all practiced that song, we don't know others to sing for tomorrow." Ran reasoned._

_"I know, but we can learn one, no problem. We just need to pick something with more kick." Rin said eagerly._

_"Something different? Like what?" Ran asked. Rin looked down with a curious expression then to her sister with a shrug._

_"I'm not sure, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." she said._

_"I don't know anything else that we can really sing that would be better Rin, and even if I did we all can't learn to sing in together by tomorrow." Ran said shaking her head._

_"The performance isn't until evening, that's plenty of time. We just need to pick a song, rehearse it tomorrow after breakfast, and we're good to go." Rin said confidently._

_"First off, I doubt we can get any time to practice tomorrow since we'll be at the festival all day with our parents. Secondly, get real, we can't all perfect a song in that short of time. Well, maybe you could, but not us." Ran said worriedly._

_"But Raaaaan." Rin whined while bouncing up and down._

_"But nothing. We can't change the song for tomorrow's show. We don't have time to practice anything else. We're just going to have to stick with it. Besides, nothing's wrong with that song. Father even said he wanted to hear it from us." Ran said looking back to her book._

_"But he'll be more proud of us if we sing something more difficult or flashy, not some boring song about the forest." Rin said looking down with a pouty face._

_"Well we don't know anything like that so that's not happening. Just go to bed and get some rest, you don't want to mess up tomorrow while singing a 'children's song', do you?" Ran asked glancing to her sister with an amused smirk._

_"You're the oldest of us, how can you be fine singing that song?" Rin asked puzzled._

_"First off, we all agreed to it because it's something that's easy and father would like. Secondly, I'm fine singing anything for our village, children's song or not." Ran said simply. Rin grumbled then hopped off the bed._

_"You're no help." she complained._

_"What did you expect? For me to agree and for us to somehow learn a new song perfectly tomorrow with Ren? Be realistic Rin." Ran said simply. Rin blinked then walked towards the door._

_"I can't help it that I have a passion for music. I just want to use that to my fullest." she reasoned with._

_"We all do, it's part of being one of us. Doesn't change that what you're asking of can't be done." Ran said turning the page in her book, the girl blushing a bit as she read it. Rin glanced to her then forward with a dull expression._

_"Where there's a will sister, there's a way." she said with a determined tone._

_"That's great. Let me know how that works out for you." Ran said waving to her without looking up. Rin walked out into the hall then breathed out. After a pause she took a deep breath._

_"Mom! Dad! Ran's reading those comics again!" she yelled out._

_"Rin!" Ran cried out with a deep blush._

_"What?" the parents yelled out._

_As Rin walked into her room and closed her door the sounds of her parents yelling in the other room could be heard while she walked over to her window and looked out at the stars again._

_"I know I can sing something better than some old baby's song. I just know I can." Rin said as she gazed out at the sky. She blinked then glanced back to her door. Quietly she ran back to it and cracked it open. She could still hear her parents lecturing her sister loudly next to her room as she leaned out into the hall. Glancing over she saw the door to her parent's room still open._

_"Fine, I'll sing that children's song tomorrow, then I'll sing something else on my own." She said with a confident smile. She quietly slinked down the hallway and darted into her parent's room. She looked around then saw the bookshelf over by the wall. The light from the sky was dim and she couldn't read the titles of the books well as she looked around at them._

_"Let's see…which book would have his music in it?" she asked curiously as she held a finger to her lips. She looked to the door quickly then grabbed a book, the girl looking at it with wonder. Turning towards the door she took a step before she heard footsteps outside in the hall. She yelped quietly then darted out the window, the girl flying up as her parents walked in with tired expressions._

_"Where does she keep getting these things from anyway?" the mother asked as she put the book she took from her daughter into a drawer in her dresser._

_"I have no idea." the father muttered as they both climbed back into bed. From the window Rin peeked in to see they were asleep then flew up onto the roof._

_Out in the hall Ren opened her door then started walking down towards the restroom with a tired look in her eyes. As she passed her sister's room she heard a soft whimpering. Rolling her eyes she knocked on the door then opened it to see Ran curled up on her bed._

_"Let me guess, you had more of those manga books didn't you?" Ren asked flatly._

_"What's wrong with reading a good story? They're so unfair." Ran said sadly._

_"I don't think it's the fact that you're reading a story as much as it is the fact the stories are about young boy on boy love making." Ren said with a raised eyebrow._

_"They're so unfair!" Ran cried out as she buried her face into the pillow. Ren just watched her cry a bit then shook her head with a blank expression._

_"Again, how am I the youngest here?" she asked simply. She blinked then looked to the window as she heard a voice._

_"Hey, what's that?" she asked curiously. Ran looked up and wiped away her tears as she heard the sound as well._

_"Is that…Rin?" she asked as she slowly got up and walked over to her window with Ren. They heard their sister's voice from outside, the girl singing a song in unknown tongues._

_"What's she doing out there?" Ran said looking up outside._

_"What's she singing? I haven't heard that song before." Ran asked curiously._

_Up on the roof Rin was looking at the book she had opened with wide eyes of wonder, the girl singing the lyrics of the song she had opened it to with ease and curiosity. As she did the air around her started to light up and swirl around slightly. She smiled with amazement as she looked around to see the air seeming to form light that circled around her. After she finished she looked down to the book as the lights faded._

_"Wow…" she breathed out._

_"Rin?" Ren asked with surprise. Rin looked up to see her sisters flying up onto the roof with her looking at her with wonder._

_"What…what are you doing?" Ran asked. Rin giggled and looked to the book with a curious smile._

_"It was the Song of Light, not bad wouldn't you say?" she said as she turned the page._

_"What is that? Is that…is that father's book?" Ren said with surprise. Rin giggled and nodded as she kept reading through the pages._

_"Yep. I swiped it while he was lecturing Ran again." she said glancing to the blue haired siren._

_"You didn't have to tattle on me you traitor!" Ran cried out._

_"Forget about that, what are you doing with his book? You're not supposed to be reading that." Ren said worriedly._

_"Why not? I can handle it just fine, watch." Rin said as she stood up and held a finger to a page. She started singing again in unknown tongues, her voice seeming to echo out softly yet with energy. The melody was calm yet inspiring, with the song making them all feel more confident and relaxed. Ren and Ran looked to their bodies as all their worries and fears seemed to vanish from them. After a moment Rin stopped singing and looked to her sisters with a bright smile._

_"What do you think? The Song of Confidence. Haha, maybe you should learn that one Ren." she said with a laugh. Ren blinked then growled at the girl._

_"Hey, I don't need some magic to help me with- oh never mind, put that back now before you get into real big trouble Rin." she said sternly._

_"No way, I'm going to find a great song to sing tomorrow and wow mom and dad. We can all sing that stupid forest song if you want, but after that I'm going to sing something on my own." Rin said proudly._

_"You are in so much trouble for taking that book." Ran said shaking her head._

_"Well go on and tattle on me then, see if I care. You'll see, tomorrow mom and dad will love it when I sing something from his book." Rin said with a determined expression._

_"This isn't funny Rin, father said it's dangerous to sing from that book without proper teachings." Ren said worriedly._

_"Haha, I can handle it just fine. Now I just need to find the right song to sing for them." Rin said looking down to the book with eyes of wonder._

_"You can't do that!" Ren shouted running towards her. Rin darted into the air with her wings and laughed as she looked down at her sister._

_"Haha too slow!" she called down to her._

_"This isn't funny Rin, put that back now!" Ren called up._

_"I'm going to tell mom and dad." Ran said with concern._

_"Well go ahead then, that won't stop me from learning a cool song to sing tomorrow. Mom and dad will be so proud of me, you'll see." Rin said flying upwards._

_"Rin!" Ren called out. She looked to her sister as her wings arched behind her._

_"Go get mom and dad, hurry!" she said before she took off into the air after her sister. Ran nodded then flew down towards their parents' room._

_Up in the sky around the large tree Rin was laughing while looking at the book she had, the girl singing a song at random from a page. The tree bark around her seemed to rumble and then sprout out large branches that instantly blossomed with large leaves. She giggled then weaved around them as Ren kept chase._

_"Rin stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Ren called out._

_The two girls flew higher up as Rin looked at another page in the old book. She started singing another song, her words seeming quick and full of energy. The air around her started to waver and glow red as she flew around a house that was built into the tree. As the two young girls flew over it a large blast of fire erupted in front of Rin, the siren gasping and swerving off to avoid it. Ren looked with shock at the fireball in front of her then darted off quickly, the girl just missing the searing hot ball of fire as it billowed around before vanishing into a large black smoke cloud._

_"Holy…are you crazy Rin?" Ren cried out._

_"Haha, wow, that one's a bit more dangerous for a crowd. Let's see, what else is in here?" Rin said happily as she started turning the pages again while flying upwards. Ren took off after her again while the residents in the home were looking out the windows with wonder and surprise._

_Inside their home Ran jumped down into her room from the window then ran down the hall, the young girl bursting into her parents' bedroom with fear on her face. The parents jumped up a bit as the girl ran up to her father's side._

_"Mom, dad, you have to stop her!" Ran cried out._

_"What? What are you talking about?" the father asked as he slowly woke up again._

_"It's late dear, just tell your sisters to go to bed already." the mother said softly as she laid back down in bed._

_"But you don't understand, Rin has your book father!" Ran cried out. The parents looked to her curiously as she pointed to their bookshelf._

_"She's reading one of your books of magic father, she's trying to learn a new song for tomorrow." she said worriedly. The dad looked to the shelf then quickly got up. He examined the bookshelf and saw a book was indeed missing._

_"What? How many times have I told you girls…where is she?" the man said looking around._

_"She's outside, Ren's trying to stop her." Ran said looking to the window. The three ran over to it as a large crackle and boom of lightning seared around in the sky._

_"Oh god…" the mother said with wide eyes. The father looked with frustration then to Ran._

_"Stay here, do you understand?" he yelled out. The girl nodded as the mother held her worriedly. The father's wings extended out and he took off out through the window._

_"She wouldn't listen mom." Ran said worriedly._

_"Oh no, Rin." the mother said looking up at the sky worriedly._

_Up in the sky Ren was looking with wide eyes to where a large bolt of lightning just missed her. She blinked then looked up to see Rin giggling and flying up still._

_"What is wrong with you? You nearly killed me!" she cried out. She flew up towards her sister as the blonde haired girl kept looking through the book._

_"Better not sing that one tomorrow, might hurt somebody." she said, the girl oblivious to the fact she nearly blasted her sister into dust a moment ago. She flew up and started singing again, the girl's voice sounding dark and erratic. Slowly the air around her started to swirl and pick up, the girl looking around with wonder as her hair was blown around wildly. Ren looked with wide eyes as she saw a torrent of wind surround her sister._

_"Rin stop!" she cried out._

_"Ren!" her father's voice called out. She looked down to see her dad flying up towards her._

_"Dad! You have to stop her, she's not listening to me!" she cried out. The father raced up to her and looked with surprise as a tornado formed around Rin briefly, the siren giggling and laughing as she spun around slightly inside of it._

_"Oh god no." the man said with worry. He growled then looked to his daughter._

_"Go back home and wait with your mother, now!" he shouted out. The girl nodded then flew downwards towards their home as the father looked up with worry. The tornado around Rin billowed out and dissolved as bark and branches from the large tree were ripped apart and hurled out into the air._

_"Rin!" the man yelled out as he flew towards her._

_"This is incredible, this is amazing! Why didn't father teach us about these songs instead? They're so much cooler!" Rin cheered out as she flew up towards the top of the tree. She weaved around inside the branches and leaves and landed down on a large branch, the girl looking at the book with wonder._

_"What else is in here? These are so cool." she said curiously while turning the page. She held onto the paper as the book was ripped away from her. She looked back to see her dad looking at her with anger as he held the book tightly in his hand._

_"Rin, what do you think you're DOING?" he yelled out. The girl backed up and trembled with fear as he shook his head at her._

_"Do you have any idea what you could have done singing from this book? You could have seriously hurt somebody, you could have hurt yourself!" he yelled out._

_"But dad, I just wanted to impress you. And I sang all the songs correctly, I can handle them just fine." Rin said with a nervous smile._

_"You are not ready to sing from this book, do you hear me?" the man yelled out._

_"But I did it, I cast the magic perfectly. Why are you yelling at me, I wanted you to be proud of me. Aren't you proud of me?" Rin said as she started crying._

_"Proud? Sneaking into my room and stealing my book? I would not be proud of that! And you have no idea what you were doing casting these spells, you don't know what they all do or how to properly control them!" the man yelled out at her. She shook her head and whimpered._

_"But…I can do it. I really can. Please dad." she said worriedly._

_"I can't believe you would do something like this Rin. Ran's the one that has the habit of being sneaky in this family, but you? You're always the one being good." the man said shaking his head in disappointment. Rin looked down and sobbed a bit._

_"But..." she whimpered._

_"No buts. You're grounded Rin, you hear me?" the man said firmly. The girl looked to him with devastation and shook her head._

_"No…" she said weakly._

_"Ren and Ran will sing tomorrow for the village, but you are staying home with me. And that's final." the father said sternly. Rin trembled and shook her head._

_"Please father, I love to sing. Don't make me stay home, I can do this! Really! Look, I'll sing that children's song tomorrow if it'll make you happy, really!" the girl pleaded._

_"It's too late for any of that. You crossed the line taking my book like this, I've told you all many times never to read from it. Yet you disobeyed me nonetheless." the man said looking to the book with frustration. Rin shook her head and looked down as she sobbed._

_"Please don't keep me from singing father, I want to impress you." she begged._

_"Tomorrow you're staying home and that's final." the man said sternly looking to his daughter. She looked down and cried a bit as the man looked down below the branches._

_"We were just lucky you didn't cast any spell that did damage to the village. I hope nobody saw your little spectacle just now." he said worriedly. The girl choked back her sob and then looked to her hand. In it was a paper from the book, one that she held onto even with the book being taken from her. She looked to the title of it, but it was smudged in her grip. It looked like it read 'Song of Forgiving'. She looked at it curiously then to her father, the girl looking at him with heartache as the wind flowed through the leaves and her hair._

_"Forgive me father…please…" she said under her breath. She looked to the paper then to her father. She smiled softly then looked again to the paper. The father was looking down around the village before he heard his daughter's voice, the girl singing a gentle and calm melody. He looked to see her looking at him with a saddened smile while she glanced to the paper and back to him, the girl singing a song with energy and sorrow._

_"Rin, what are you doing?" the father asked looking to her hand. He blinked then looked to the book, the man's eyes widening as he looked back to his daughter. A bright glow seemed to form around her, the glow vanishing then swirling around her._

_"Rin, stop that, stop now." the father said sternly. He reached out for her before she took off into the air, the girl flying back down while facing him with teary eyes. He arched his wings back then dove down towards her as she kept singing her melody. Again the air around her seemed to glow and waver before fading._

_"Rin stop! What are you singing this time? Stop!" the father yelled out. Rin smiled sadly at him as she flew backwards down towards their home. Again the air around her glowed brightly, her eyes seeming to glow as well before fading again. After a pause she stopped singing, the girl's expression going blank as her wings stopped moving. The father watched with shock as she seemed to lose consciousness and tumbled into a roll, the paper in hands flying away. She careened down towards their home in a spiral before the father raced up and caught her, the man slowing down and coming to a stop outside of their home. The mother and two sisters were looking at them out the window as he shook the sleeping girl in his arms._

_"Rin? Rin! Wake up!" he said worriedly. After a moment she slowly opened her eyes. He smiled with relief and held her close, the man crying bit out of joy._

_"Oh my dear Rin, thank the lords you're alright." he said with relief. The mother and two sisters smiled softly at them as the man gently flew in place outside the window._

_The paper flew around the trees then fluttered down towards the forest._

_"Don't ever scare me like that again Rin, do you hear me?" the man said worriedly as he leaned back and looked at his daughter. He then looked at her worriedly as she had a curious look on her face._

_The paper landed down near a stream next to a rock, the sheet crumpled and torn slightly from its rough journey._

_"Rin?" the man asked again. The girl looked at him for a moment and then tilted her head._

_"Rin?" she asked softly._

_The paper that had a song that was rarely used in the village unless absolutely necessary._

_"Rin? Are you ok?" the man asked worriedly. She blinked and looked at him curiously._

_"Who are you?" she asked. The man's eyes looked at her with growing concern as he held her. The mother and two sisters looked with surprise as the blonde haired girl looked over to them._

_"Who are they?" she asked curiously._

_The paper that the young siren unfortunately misread the title of._

_"Wha…what do you mean? Rin?" the father asked shaking his head. The girl looked to him puzzled._

_"Rin? Is that…my name?" she asked. The father shook his head as he trembled, the man seeing the confused look in his daughter's eye._

_"No…" he breathed out._

_The paper that was swept away in the river by a wave, the title and text being washed off as it vanished downstream._

_"No…" the father said trembling, the man seeing his daughter looking around confused. The mother held the two other sisters close as they watched with fear as their sister looked around with a puzzled look in her eye._

_The page that was titled 'Song of Forgetting'._

_"Rin." the father said as he started to cry. The girl looked at him and showed a bit of sadness._

_"Why are you crying mister?" she asked. The mother held a hand over her mouth as the two sisters shook their heads in disbelief._

_"Father…what…what happened to her?" Ran asked. The father looked at his girl with worry, the siren whose mind was now cast into an endless state of forgetting by her own spell._

_"Rin." the man said softly as he held the girl close, the father struggling to hold back his tears as his daughter looked at him with worry and confusion._

_"Rin? Is that my name?" she asked._

_"Yes dear…that's your name." the man said as she closed his eyes, the man holding his daughter close as he felt his heart ache._

_"Sister?" Ren asked worriedly. Rin looked over to her with wonder and a curious smile._

_"Sister? I have a sister?" she asked. Ren and Ran looked at her with pained expressions then to their mother._

_"Rin…" she said as she started to cry. The blonde haired girl looked to her curiously._

_"Rin? Who's Rin?" she asked. The mother held back her sob as she shook her head. The father looked at his daughter with sorrow as she looked to him puzzled._

_"Who are you?" she asked. He shook his head then held her close, the man crying softly for his daughter._

_"Oh Rin…"_

* * *

The group was looking at the siren sisters with sorrow as they were looking down, all except for Rin who was looking around curiously. The two sisters had told the story about what happened to Rin that night, how her desire to sing and her curiosity with her father's magic led to her mind being erased by a self-inflicting spell.

"Oh my…" Ruby said softly.

"She blanked out her own mind?" Gin asked shaking his head.

"Yes…the song she cast made her forget everything, and continues to keep her mind blank. She can't remember anything now, not without…those headphones." Ren said sadly.

"Wait, I'm lost, who was this Rin girl in your story. And…what was the story about?" Rin asked puzzled. Ran choked back her sob then looked to Dark.

"Please tell me you can fix those, please!" she begged loudly. Dark was still working on trying to reassemble the broken headphones with new wire and black duct tape.

"Going to be honest here, it isn't looking good." the demon said simply as he kept working with it.

"Why would you have a song to erase your own mind?" Gin said shaking his head.

"If used properly it can erase just single bad memories or experiences from one's mind. But…when she cast it, she used it to the full degree, and erased everything." Ran said with sorrow.

"Can't your father just enchant another one?" Yukari asked.

"Well, he personally didn't enchant those. He took them somewhere with Rin to have them enhanced with magic." Ren said sadly.

"Yes, nobody in our village could undo the effects of the spell. Father searched all over the human and monster worlds for anybody that could hopefully help. After a year of searching he found a race of monsters that managed to have those enchanted for her." Ran said worriedly.

"So can't we just find that race and have them work their magic again?" Kurumu asked.

"We don't know what race did it. Only father and Rin went there, and…" Ran said looking down.

"Well then can't we find your father and ask him?" Rason asked. The two sirens shook their heads as Rin looked around puzzled.

"I'm still lost here. Who are you guys and who is this Rin person you keep talking about?" she asked tilting her head.

"Why not?" Ahakon asked.

"Because father…died a while ago." Ren said closing her eyes.

"Oh no, your dad died? When?" Rin asked worriedly. Ran choked back a sob and looked to the group.

"Before we were captured he died in a monster attack on our village. He and…mom were killed." she said softly.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry." Ruby said softly.

"We only had each other…we only had each other after they died. But now…we lost our sister." Ren said as she broke down crying, the girl burying her face into her hands.

"Your sister died too? Oh no." Rin said worriedly.

"Dark, please tell me you can fix those things." Kokoa said with worry. The shadow demon kept working with the device using the soldering iron and a bit of wire.

"Trying to." he said simply.

"If he can't fix those, what are we going to do?" Yukari asked.

"I wonder if the headmaster could help." Ruby said looking down in wonder.

"If only we knew what race of monsters did that enchanting we would have a better shot here." Rason said looking down with concern.

"Your parents never mentioned anything about what race helped them? Not even a detail or two?" Ahakon asked curiously. Ran and Ren looked to each other then to their sister.

"They were told to keep it a secret as the monster race didn't want their magic of healing that sort of problem to be known in the monster world. They only agreed to help if father and Rin told nobody about it. Needless to say father kept up that end of the deal while Rin naturally forgot with the headphones being removed." Ran said with sorrow.

"Dark? Any luck?" Mizore asked softly.

"Like I said, it's not looking good." Dark said shaking his head.

"Please try, I'm begging you." Ren pleaded. Ran looked at her sister with worry as the blonde haired girl looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong? Why are you all acting so sad?" she asked.

"A monster race that could cure that sort of magical spell on her mind, I wonder who they were." Yukari said looking down in thought.

"With her mind being blanked now, sounds like we'll never know." Gin said worriedly. The group looked to the blonde haired siren with sympathy. They all finally understood why she needed those special headphones to think again, she had cast a spell on her mind in her youth, one that was causing her mind to forget anything as soon as she learned it. Ren and Ran looked at their sister with worry and teary eyes, both hoping the shadow demon could indeed fix the enchanted device and bring back their sister.

"Sister." Ran said softly.

"Please come back." Ren said before she broke down crying. Rin looked between them confused.

"Sister? I have a sister?" she asked. The group looked to each other worriedly then to Dark, all hoping the shadow demon could restore the device to working order again.

* * *

_A horse drawn carriage was traveling down a worn dirt road, with the white horse running at a brisk pace while two figures were seated in the wooden carriage. One was Rin's father, the man holding the reigns of the horse and looking ahead with worried eyes. Next to him was a blonde haired girl, the young siren looking around curiously as she wore a large set of headphones over her ears. When the girl saw the headphones on her desk in her room she smiled happily and wore them wherever she went, the girl seeming to love anything music related despite not remembering anything else. Since she took such a liking to them her father of course let her wear them all the time, the man still devastated on the inside that his daughter was always forgetting everything within seconds of telling her. The family was trying to cope with her condition, all of them feeling deeply saddened when she kept forgetting her name, their names, and generally everything else that was brought up. Thankfully she still remembered basic things such as how to go to the bathroom on her own, how to fly, and how to sing. It was common that she would grow frightened when she forgot where she was or who those around her were, but with her family's love and kindness, they always managed to calm her down before she would forget again._

_"Hang on my dear, we're almost there." the man said as the young girl looked up. The sky seemed strange yet fascinating to her, the black sky filled with stars and strange celestial bodies._

_The entire village was saddened by Rin's ailment, and all wished to help in any means they could. With constant searching of the monster world word was heard of a possible race of monsters that could cure the infliction around her mind. However this race was very secretive, and very difficult to arrange a meeting with. Still, with constant pleading from the entire village to at least try to help their young siren, the mysterious race agreed to at least look at her. Wasting no time Rin's father set out with his daughter towards the land, the siren hoping to the Almighty that something could be done. No matter the cost he would pay anything to have his daughter back to normal again._

_"Wow, where is this?" Rin asked curiously. The houses all around seemed to be multicolored and trippy while strange monsters were flying around, ones that she's never seen before._

_The carriage came to a stop before a grand palace, the large building being multicolored as well. Rin's father and the young girl hopped off the carriage as the man gently led the curious siren girl towards the grand doors that were opened. From the doors four figures were seen walking towards them._

_"Please, I beg of you, help my daughter. I'll pay anything you wish, but please, help her." Rin's father pleaded looking to the girl. She looked at the four figures with wonder as they looked to her curiously. One was an older man who had short black hair and green eyes. He was wearing a fine silk vest and pants, the elegant trims and fabric. He wore black dress boots and his clothing was a white color with green trimmings._ _Behind him he had darker colored butterfly wings with black trimmings, red wings, and black spots. He had a calm expression on his face as he stood before the sirens. Standing next to him was a woman dressed in an elegant white dress with green trimmings along with a tiara on her head. She had long blue hair and green eyes, and her butterfly wings were brightly colored with green trimmings, yellow wings, and white spots. She had a sympathetic expression as she looked at the young siren girl. Next to them were two young girls, almost about Rin's age. One had short black hair and green eyes, the young girl wearing a white dress like her mother as well. Her wings were brightly colored with blue trimmings, white wings, and yellow spots. She had a curious expression as she watched Rin look around confused. Next to her was another young girl who had short black hair and red eyes. She had a dull expression on her face as she wore a white dress with black trimmings. Her wings were darker colored with black trimmings, dark purple wings, and bright red spots._

_"Please, I heard…you can help with this sort of problem. I beg of you." Rin's father pleaded again. The four other monsters looked at the young girl then the older man nodded._

_"Very well, we'll see what we can do for your daughter." he said with a calm voice. Rin's father nodded eagerly then started to lead his daughter towards them._

_"Where are we going, who are they?" Rin asked worriedly._

_"Don't be afraid, they're going to help you." her father said gently._

_"Help me? Help me with what?" the girl asked confused._

_He led her towards the four butterfly monsters that stood before the palace. The two younger girls took Rin by the hands, with the green eyed girl smiling gently at her while the red eyed one just gave her a dull stare. They then led the girl into the palace as Rin's father bowed to the parents._

_"Thank you, thank you for this. You have no idea how much this means to us." he said graciously._

_"We'll try to undo the spell you say is affecting her mind. However, whether we are successful or not, you are never to reveal any of what you see here to anyone, do you understand?" the man said sternly. Rin's father nodded quickly._

_"Of course, I won't speak a word of anything here to another soul, not even my own wife. But…do you think you can help her?" he asked worriedly looking into the palace._

_"We'll do what we can. Our healers are adapt at healing the mind." the woman butterfly said gently._

_"Come, we shall see if we can indeed heal your daughters ailment." the man said as he and the woman walked back in. Rin's father looked up with hopeful eyes at the strange sky above then walked in after, the siren hoping that his daughter could once again be herself with these strange monsters help._

_"Please…bring my daughter back to me." he said softly to himself._


	15. Feeding Frenzy

At Yokai Academy students and guests were enjoying the festival taking place around the school grounds and inside the building. Games, events, displays, food stands, and other booths of various forms were setup to show the students of the school activities and shows from the human world. Even though coexistence was now in the works monsters still needed to learn then fine points of living in the human world, and that meant learning about the cultures and ways of the human beings. And if that meant they could skip classes for the day and hangout outside, all the better right?

However not everybody was at the festival. Outside the boys dormitory a few students were walking back out to the courtyard between the two dorm buildings. The first couple out the doors was Rason and Kurumu, the winged lovers who were looking up at the sky with calm gazes. Kurumu was holding onto her boyfriend's arm, the girl relishing in the bond that flowed between them. She had yet to tell her boyfriend what she learned the prior night, such as why the bond exists between them and, oh yeah, she's the daughter of the Lord of Hell. The angel was looking up at the sky wondering how his friend Luna was doing with her special assignment with the Almighty. He wasn't sure when she would be heading back but was looking forward to the tale she would be telling when she did.

Behind them Yukari and Ahakon walked out, the young mage holding the hand of his girlfriend as she was looking down in thought. She was trying to figure out what type of monster could enchant Rin's headphones for her like that to help with her mental problem. It was as if the answer was right in front of her yet she couldn't put her finger on it, and it was causing her mind to work in overtime. Ahakon however was looking up at the sky with a calm gaze as he wondered if it was even possible to go more than 10 minutes here at the school without something happening. So far, the answer seemed to be no.

After they walked out Kokoa and Gin followed closely by, the young vampire holding onto her boyfriend's arm while Kou was resting on her shoulder. She looked up at the taller boy and smiled softly, the girl still amazed how much had changed between them. She was finding herself falling more and more in love with the wolf, something that still surprised her considering how he used to be with women. Yet it was true, he had pulled a 180 and turned into a gentleman, and all for her nonetheless. He glanced down to her and smiled, the boy happy that he had a girl of his own finally and one that he could take care of. If somebody had told him weeks ago that he would be dating Moka's younger sister, he would have thought they were as crazy as Kokoa was back then, but that was indeed how fate turned out for him. Kou however was still finding it hard to believe his mistress could be with somebody such as the boy that used to take high resolution pictures of all the girls' underwear at the school, and was keeping a close eye on the wolf.

As they walked up to the two other couples Dark and Mizore walked out next, the boy listening to his music as usual while Mizore was holding onto his arm with a soft smile. She had her lollipop gently rolling around in her mouth as she glanced to her boyfriend. She finally knew where her boyfriend's dorm room was, the entire group surprised to find that yes, he did indeed have a room somewhere. The girl giggled quietly to herself as she was another step closer to stalking the boy of her affection. The shadow demon had a blank expression on his face, however his friends knew that he rarely expressed emotion, and even if he did it was fleeting. His room did appear to be as blank as his expressions as well, the place seeming to be simplistic with the only thing sticking out was his large collection of mp3 players he had in his closet. That of course, didn't surprise anybody.

Behind them Ruby was walking as well, the elder witch looking up at the sky with a curious gaze. Her mind was locked onto her boyfriend, the warlock and daring treasure hunter Razico. She was still amazed that his ruse of acting like a thief was only to remain close to her, and her heart jumped each time she thought about his request to the headmaster, to claim _her_ as his reward for some unique job. She smiled softly and sighed happily, the witch thankful that she finally had a boyfriend after waiting so long after Tsukune made his choice. She walked over to the group who had stopped and glanced behind her.

From the building three girls walked out together. The group looked to them as they walked up to them. Ran and Ren looked to their sister with relieved smiles as the siren smiled at the group brightly. Over her head was a pair of headphones, the device being held together by a good amount of duct tape and solder from the shadow demon's handiwork. Although they looked far from new, even though they had a slightly edgy look with the black duct tape, the group was relieved to see that the enchanted device was once again working as the siren had her memory restored as she put them on.

"How is it sister?" Ren asked curiously.

"It's great, it's working just like before!" Rin cheered out. The group smiled at her as Ran and Ren hugged their sister again. The three looked to Dark as the group turned to do the same.

"Thank you so much Dark, thank you." Ran said graciously.

"Yes, you brought our sister back to us. Thank you." Ren said as she held Rin, although only for a moment as Rin darted from their grip and embraced Dark in a big hug.

"Thank you so much! You're the coolest Dark!" she cheered as she held the boy tightly. Dark merely kept looking ahead with a blank expression as his hands were at his sides. Mizore however was looking with annoyance as her eyebrow twitched. The group smiled weakly as Rin nuzzled her face in Dark's shoulder.

"Thank you thank you thank you! How can I ever repay you? Tell me tell me tell me!" she said with a happy giggle.

"Rin." he said simply. She leaned back and looked to him with a bright smile.

"Yes?" she asked eagerly.

"Get off me." he said flatly. The girl blinked then jumped back with a nervous laugh, the siren rubbing the back of her head as she looked down. Mizore smiled forcibly and tried not to launch an ice kunai at the girl's head, the snow maiden also thankful her boyfriend was able to repair Rin's headphones.

"Hee hee, sorry about that. But really, thank you." she said happily. Dark smiled for a quick moment then nodded.

"Glad to help." he said simply. Rin looked up and adjusted her headphones with a curious smile.

"It's a miracle he was able to repair that thing." Rason said in wonder.

"Yeah, it was crushed to pieces before." Yukari said with a nod.

"Well my boyfriend is the best after all." Mizore said happily as she clung to his arm. She looked to Kurumu with a sly smile, the succubus narrowed her eyes and growling.

"Would you knock it off? He's not- …ok, it was pretty cool that he repaired those things, I'll give him that. But still." she said as she looked down with annoyance.

"Do they work ok still?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I remember what I remembered before I forgot." Rin said with a nod. The group blinked and just looked at the girl curiously. Ren and Ran giggled and looked at their sister with gentle smiles.

"That's our sister." Ran said.

"Yeah, glad to have her back again." Ren said.

"You need to be careful with those Rin, especially if they're your only ones." Ahakon said worriedly.

"He's right, what happens if they break again? Another instance like that and I don't know if even Dark will be able to put it back together again." Gin said looking at the headphones on the siren's head. Rin held a hand to it and looked down with a timid expression.

"I know, I'm always trying to be careful. Really." she said softly.

"I still don't understand. That monster race that enchanted those for her, why didn't they just try to remove the spell over her mind instead?" Kurumu said puzzled.

"We don't know all the details, but we did hear father mention that the spell over her mind couldn't be removed. Only by her wearing an enchanted item is the effect able to be canceled out." Ran said with remorse.

"They enchanted those headphones for her because she had them with her when she went to see them. That and I suppose because she liked to wear them." Ren said looking to the damaged headphones.

"So her mind…will always have that spell over it?" Yukari said with worry. Rin nodded with a saddened smile.

"Yeah, but it's ok. I've gotten used to wearing these. It's what I get…for being so foolish when I was young." she said softly.

"You just wanted to show off for mom and dad. And why not, you were the best singer of all of us." Ren said with a small smile.

"She was the best in the village." Ran said with a calm smile.

"What do you mean 'were'? I haven't gotten worse." Rin said looking to them with a curious smile. The sisters giggled as the group smiled at them.

"She's right. You're all great at singing, I'm sure the student body knows that now." Rason said with a warm smile. The siren sisters smiled softly and looked down timidly.

"I wonder if the headmaster would know of a way to remove that spell." Ruby said looking up curiously.

"You think he could?" Ren asked with wonder. Ruby looked to them and smiled with a shrug.

"I'm not sure, but we could always ask. Who knows, maybe he might know of a way to cure her." she said hopefully.

"Would he really do that for her?" Ran asked hopefully.

"Of course. You are students here now, so of course he would try to help you with your problem." Ruby said assuredly. Ran and Ren jumped up and down with joy then looked to Rin. She looked at them with a curious expression.

"Did you hear that Rin? …Rin?" Ran asked, the girl seeing the blank look in her sister's eye. After a pause Rin blinked then shook her head.

"What? I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"Rin? Are you ok?" Ren asked worriedly. Rin looked to her and nodded.

"Yeah…um…who are you?" she asked.

The group just looked with shock as Rin tilted her head at her sister. Ren's jaw dropped and she shakily shook her head.

"Rin…you…you don't remember me?" she asked with fear. Rin blinked then shook her head, the girl blinking a few times.

"Oh…Ren. Sorry. I just…" she said looking down holding her head.

"What happened?" Ahakon asked.

"I don't think the headphones are as good as new." Rason said with worry. The group looked at the device as Rin held it with her hand.

"I just…blanked out there for a moment. Sorry about that." Rin said softly.

"Are you ok now?" Ran asked. Rin nodded then looked to Ruby.

"I'm sorry, but…what were you talking about with the headmaster guy?" she asked. Ruby looked at her with a worried smile.

"I was saying maybe he could help remove that spell over your mind." she said gently. Rin nodded then looked down with a perplexed look.

"Right…I…forgot." she said softly. Kurumu crossed her arms and glanced to Dark and Mizore.

"Looks like your boyfriend didn't fix them all the way." she said flatly.

"Hey, he got them working after they were broken to bits. Take what you can get." Mizore said with annoyance.

"She's right, at least she has her mind restored. Mostly." Gin said as Rin looked to her sisters with a soft smile. She nodded then looked down with a puzzled look. After a moment she shook her head and looked to them.

"Are you ok?" Ran asked.

"I think so. It just…stops and starts again randomly." Rin said shaking her head.

"The wiring had to be redone on the inside. It's not 100% enchanted now, so it may not work the exact same. It was all I could do." Dark said simply. The group looked to Rin who nodded.

"Right…um…what did you say, after the wiring had to be redone?" she asked worriedly as she looked to him.

"Oh no, Rin." Ruby said worriedly.

"Well here's hoping the headmaster can fix her mind now, those things aren't stable anymore." Ahakon said shaking her head.

"At least now she'll know who she is most of the time." Yukari said softly.

"Sister." Ran said looking at Rin with worry. The blonde haired siren looked to her and smiled softly.

"At least I can remember you again." she said softly. Ran and Ren smiled and nodded as Rin looked down with a soft smile.

"Let's go see if the headmaster can remove that spell over your mind Rin. If he can you won't need those headphones anymore." Ruby said kindly. The sirens nodded and smiled at her.

"Thank you Ruby." Rin said softly.

"Of course. Please, follow me girls." Ruby said walking towards the academy. She stopped and looked back towards the others.

"I'll let you all know what happens. And Dark, thank you again for helping her like that." she said graciously.

"Anything for a fan of music." Dark said glancing to the blonde haired girl. She looked at him curiously then smiled brightly.

"Wow, you like to listen to music too?" she asked. Dark smirked and nodded.

"You know it." he said simply. The group smiled a bit at that as Rin looked at Dark with a curious smile. Ran and Ren smiled amusingly then took their sister by the hand.

"Let's go Rin." Ran said with a small laugh. The three sisters followed after Ruby towards the academy as the group remained in the courtyard.

"I hope he can help her." Yukari said softly.

"If anybody can it would be him, right?" Ahakon said hopefully.

"That's true." Gin said with a nod.

"Well today's the day anything can happen. I mean we all saw that Dark actually has a room here, that's something I wasn't sure if I would ever live to see." Rason said looking to Dark with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that reminds me. Why is your room so…empty?" Kokoa asked looking at the demon curiously.

"What do you mean?" Dark asked plainly.

"I mean there were no guns, or swords, or computers, or…anything." Kokoa said puzzled.

"That was confusing to me as well. I thought for sure he would have more in there, at least a picture of Mizore or something." Kurumu said curiously. Mizore looked at her boyfriend curiously, the girl also puzzled about the boy's lack of anything in his room minus his music players.

"First off this is a school, I couldn't bring any weapons here remember?" Dark said raising an eyebrow.

"Ok…but-" Rason started before Dark continued.

"Also my equipment from Fairy Tale could have been tracked, so I wouldn't have brought anything like that as well." the demon said simply.

"That…does make sense." Gin said looking down in thought.

"Ok, then how come you don't even have a picture of Mizore in there?" Kurumu asked with a sly smile.

"Because I'm never in there unless getting a change of clothing or a new player." Dark said simply.

"What? What do you mean you're never in there?" Kurumu asked puzzled. Dark merely looked at her with no reaction.

"Then where are you at night?" Yukari asked. Mizore blushed with a smile and looked down.

"With my Mizore." Dark said simply.

"But you can't be with her _every_ night, you would be caught or something. Besides you weren't always sleeping with her before, what were you doing then?" Kurumu asked puzzled.

"Watching her from outside." Dark said calmly.

Silence.

Mizore blinked then slowly looked to Dark with wonder.

"Watching her…from outside?" Rason asked. Dark just nodded.

"Um…what…do you mean?" Kokoa asked slowly.

"I mean I watched over her while she slept from outside." Dark said calmly. Mizore slowly took her lollipop out and tugged on his sleeve, the demon then glancing over to her.

"You did?" she asked quietly. He merely nodded.

"So…_you_ were stalking _her_." Yukari said with wonder. Mizore's eyes widened as her mouth opened in surprise.

"Wow, you two really are made for each other." Gin said with a laugh.

"What? You mean you were stalking her at night while she was asleep?" Rason said in disbelief. Dark merely nodded again. Mizore's jaw dropped further from hearing that.

"Haha wow frosty, he's more of a stalker than you are." Kurumu laughed. She dropped to the ground from an ice kunai to the head while Mizore's eyes were locked onto Dark still.

_I can't believe it…he's been stalking _me_ every night since we became a couple? He's been…watching over me? Every night? He's been outside my window every night? I can't believe it. Dark…he's…he's…_

She smiled joyously as tears started to form. In a flash she hugged the boy closely as she buried her face into his chest.

"You're the best Dark!" she cried out. The group just watched as she held her boyfriend closely while looking up at him with tears of joy.

"I never knew you cared about me like that. Hearing that you were watching over me every night like that, you're too good to be true." she said happily.

"Thank you? He was _stalking_ you! He was invisible and right outside your freakin' window!" Rason cried out. Mizore nodded and held her boyfriend close with a loving sigh.

"I know. He's so dedicated and loving, it's just like a dream." she said softly.

"I guess a stalker would say that about a stalker." Gin said with a shrug.

"Holy shit, I thought he was a perfect gentleman or something, not some peeping tom!" Rason said in disbelief. Mizore blinked then looked up at her boyfriend.

"Were you watching me while I was getting undressed?" she asked.

"No, I would never act so lecherous with you my Mizore. I looked away while you did that." Dark said gently. Mizore looked to Rason with a smug smile.

"You were saying?" she said with a raised eyebrow. Rason just looked at the demon with disbelief while Dark held his snow girl close.

"Well…that's something I never knew." Yukari said as she tried to think of how to take the news. Kokoa just nodded with a look of wonder. Rason looked between the silent couple then shrugged with a curious expression.

"Well…I guess that explains why we never saw him in the dorms in the morning." He said simply. Mizore giggled and held onto her boyfriend's arm, the snow girl glancing to Kurumu with a smirk. The succubus growled a bit and narrowed her eyes at her.

"Don't say it frosty." She said through bared teeth.

"He's the _best._" Mizore said coolly.

"Oh enough already Mizore!" Kurumu yelled out. The girl growled then pointed her finger accusingly at Mizore.

"He's not that great dammit! My boyfriend brought me back to life! My boyfriend and I have a bond that only comes from being destined to be with an angel! You don't hear me bragging about that everyday do you?" she yelled out. The group blinked then just looked at her with blank expressions, Rason as well.

"Um, yeah we do." Yukari said simply.

"Yesterday during our break after homeroom class you talked about it nonstop…while suffocating him at the same time." Ahakon said pointing to Rason.

"Oh, was that what she was saying? I couldn't make it out." The angel said looking down curiously. When the girl had him in her trademark 'loving embrace', all he could hear were her muffled cheers. He blinked then looked to her curiously.

"Wait, what do you mean the bond only comes from being destined to be with an angel?" he asked. She nodded and smiled at him brightly.

"Yep, I learned that only those that are destined to be with angels from heaven feel that bond." She said with a wink. She then looked to Mizore with a cool smile.

"That means it's something you and your _demon_ will never experience. Only my angel makes it possible." She said coolly. Mizore just looked at her then glanced to Rason.

"Where did you hear about that? I wasn't even aware of that fact." Rason said scratching his head. Kurumu jumped a bit then nervously looked over to him with a weak smile.

"Um…you see…" she stuttered.

"Go on Kurumu, tell him how you found out." Mizore said with a smile. Kurumu glanced around worriedly then back to Rason.

"Here we go." Yukari said quietly. Ahakon glanced to her curiously then looked back to Kurumu.

"You see…I…the truth is…funny story actually, um…I…" Kurumu said looking around nervously.

"Kurumu?" Rason asked worriedly. The girl looked at her friends then back to him, then sighed and looked down.

"I need to tell you something Rason. I…hope you don't think differently of me or get too freaked out." She said softly. Rason smiled gently at her and held her close, the girl then looking up into his eyes with worry.

"I won't freak out my dear, I promise. Now what is it?" he asked kindly. Kurumu nodded then glanced down.

_Well…here we go._

She then went into detail about what happened when Rason 'broke up' with her under the siren's command. How she died from the shock and her soul was taken to hell to meet the Lord of Hell, who was actually her own father. How he made her see the error of her ways by doubting the sacred bond between her and her angel, the one that proved that they were destined to be together. How she fought off the monsters of hell to reclaim herself and her rightful status as the Princess of Hell. And how her father restored her to the land of the living so she could be with her loved one again. After the tale was told everybody was looking down at the boy who was unconscious.

"Dropped like a rock." Kokoa said shaking her head as Kurumu looked down with worry at her angel that passed out from the shock. Gin, Kou, and Ahakon were looking at Kurumu with shock and fright while Dark still had a calm expression.

"Wha…she's…you're the princess of hell? The Lord of Hell's…daughter?" Gin cried out.

"Holy shit weee!" Kou screeched in fear.

"She's…her father…um…oh boy…" Ahakon said with a tremble. Yukari looked at him with a weak smile then over to see Dark still remaining calm. Mizore glanced to him and raised an eyebrow as he showed no reaction to Kurumu's story.

"Rason! Rason wake up, please! Rason!" Kurumu said as she knelt down beside the angel and started shaking him. Kokoa looked to see Gin and Kou staring at Kurumu with shock and open mouths.

"Um, it's not that bad." She said softly.

"Not that bad? Her father is the Lord of Hell! That's as bad as it gets!" Gin cried out.

"But she's always been the same Kurumu to us, she's not…like him." Yukari said defensively.

"Yeah…but…" Ahakon said worriedly as Kurumu kept shaking the unconscious angel.

Mizore looked at Dark curiously as he just watched the succubus shake her loved one with worry in her eyes.

_He's not at all surprised? Or shocked?_

Rason shot up with a gasp and then looked around, the boy then looking to his girlfriend with wide eyes as she breathed out in relief.

"Rason, you're ok! Um…I'm sorry…" Kurumu said looking down timidly. She then jumped a bit in surprise as Rason held her closely and securely.

"Kurumu I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." He said as he held back his tears. She blinked then looked to him curiously as he was on the verge of breaking down while holding her.

"Forgive…you?" she said puzzled as she leaned back and looked at him curiously. He nodded as he held a hand to her cheek, the angel looking at her with remorse.

"I'm so sorry about what I said to you like that. That I…killed you. Please forgive me Kurumu, I could never say such words to you, I love you so much." He said as he held her close again. Kurumu looked ahead with wonder as her angel held her close.

"But…what I just said…about my father…" she said softly. The angel leaned back and smiled at her.

"What about it?" he asked. She jumped with surprise and stared at him with wide eyes.

"What about it? Her father is the Lord of Hell!" Gin cried out. Rason looked around at the group then back to his girlfriend.

"So? I've known from day one that you were a monster, and being a demon meant that you had some relation to hell. I wasn't kidding myself thinking you were from heaven you know." the boy said gently. She looked at him with wonder as he smiled at her.

"Aren't you scared? Or shocked?" Kurumu asked curiously.

"Well…I'm a bit intimidated now that whenever I do get to meet your dad I'm meeting…_him_. But still, he's your father Kurumu, one that cared about you enough to save from his own domain. Besides, nothing could possibly scare me away from being with you. I love you more than anything." Rason said gently. Kurumu stared with wide eyes at her angel. To her surprise he was completely understanding about her family ties in hell, the angel only shocked and scared about how he killed her with his words under the siren's spell.

"Rason…" she breathed out.

"I always knew you were a princess my dear, seems as though I was right." Rason said gently. Kurumu smiled as tears of joy started to form.

"You don't…think differently of me?" she said with amazement. The boy stood up and held his girl close to him with a calm smile.

"I could never Kurumu. Mizore isn't the only one that would go through the fires of hell for a loved one." Rason said as he pulled the girl into a kiss. She sighed and let him hold her close as the group watched with wonder.

"Well…today is really the day _anything_ can happen." Gin said shaking his head. Ahakon nodded slowly then glanced to Yukari. The witch giggled and smiled at the couple. Their kiss broke and Kurumu looked into the eyes of her angel with amazement, the girl feeling the bond flowing through them stronger than ever.

_My angel…he really is my Destined One._

"Oh Rason…" she said dreamily.

"Oh Kurumu…" he said gently.

"Oh Rason…"

"Oh Kurumu…"

"Dark?" Mizore said curiously. The group looked over to see she had her lollipop removed and was tugging her boyfriend's shirt. He glanced to her as she tilted her head at him.

"Aren't you…surprised at all?" she asked.

"Nothing ever fazes this guy, seriously." Gin said in wonder.

"I've known since Ashton City." Dark said simply. Everybody looked at him with surprise.

"What? Since then? How?" Kokoa said with shock.

"Her mother." Dark said looking to Kurumu.

"She told you?" Kurumu said with surprise.

"No, but it was easy to figure out seeing as how the supposed deal of having your bond removed to free you from hell was a fool's gamble. That and after I confronted her on it she admitted it." Dark said simply. He glanced to Rason and nodded.

"You two are destined to be together remember? It seemed more like the Lord of Hell wanted to get Kurumu out of hell more than anything." He said plainly.

"You knew? This whole time you knew and you didn't say anything?" Rason said in disbelief.

"Would you have believed me if I did?" Dark said raising an eyebrow. The group looked to each other then back to Dark.

"Well…I don't know…maybe…but still…" Rason said looking down with wonder.

"Why didn't you tell me though?" Kurumu asked.

"You would have had your doubts. It would have been best for you to find out on your own, one way or another." Dark said simply. Kurumu looked down then to Rason. Mizore smiled softly then put her candy back in her mouth. She sighed happily as she held onto her boyfriend's arm and glanced to Kurumu.

"He was a top agent after all, you shouldn't be surprised he figured it out before you did." She said coolly. Kurumu twitched a bit then glared at the girl with anger.

"Hey, watch it frosty!" she yelled out. Before she could say anything else Rason held her close from behind.

"Easy my dear, let's not start another fight just yet ok?" he asked gently. She blinked then looked back to him with loving eyes.

"Ok." She said softly. She always melted in his arms from the bond flowing through them, and with the added knowledge that Rason was perfectly accepting of her father's true identity she felt herself falling even further in love with him.

"Yeah, can't we go 10 minutes without something going on?" Ahakon said worriedly.

"Ever since these two came here, no." Gin commented looking to Dark and Rason.

"Oh c'mon, you're not still on that are you?" Rason groaned.

"You're kidding right?" Dark said raising an eyebrow.

"It's true though, ever since you two came here trouble has followed every day." Gin said shaking his head.

"Hey, the first week we were here it wasn't…_every_ day that crap happened to us." Rason defended with.

"Yeah, it was actually after the ghoul thing got started that we've been in one constant mess after another." Kurumu said looking up.

"Which would mean…" Yukari said as the group looked to Kokoa.

"That it's her fault we've been going through all this." Mizore said simply. The redhead looked around with surprise then shakily pointed to herself.

"What? My fault?" she said worriedly.

"Yeah, after you got Tsukune infected with that ghoul it's been one thing after another." Kurumu said raising an eyebrow.

"What? You can't blame everything that happened on me! Fairy Tale wasn't my fault, Alucard wasn't my doing, and like hell I'm going to take credit for Rin's headphones being broken." The redhead defended with franticly.

"I guess we can't blame _everything_ on her, but still." Mizore said tilting her head at the girl.

"Oh c'mon, I admit the ghoul mess was my fault, but that's as far as my faults go here." Kokoa said sternly.

"Still looking at Dark and Rason here." Gin said flatly. The two boys glanced to him then shook their heads.

"Again, Fairy Tale was Dark's problem." Rason said dully.

"He erased the info regarding Yokai Academy from them, you were the one that told Kiria about the school again." Mizore said with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't know that at the time, give me a break." Rason said shaking his head.

"Yeah, besides Rason's the one that got that holy lock for Tsukune in the first place, and even brought _me_ back to life." Kurumu defended with as she held onto her boyfriend's arm.

"Here we go again." Yukari said looking down with a sigh. Kokoa looked between the bickering girls then shook her head.

"Whatever, you two have fun playing that game again, I'm going to go check on big sis." She said as she started walking towards the girls dorm building.

"Isn't she with Tsukune though?" Yukari asked as Dark and Rason were holding back their girls, the snow maiden having her ice katana drawn while the succubus had her nails extended.

"Probably. I'm just going to see if they're…done yet. Not like I'm missing much here." Kokoa said as she walked toward the dorm building.

"Remember to knock first." Gin called out. Kokoa giggled and nodded as she waved back behind her. Kou glanced back to the wolf with narrowed eyes then forward again as he remained perched on her shoulder. Gin nodded and smiled at his girl, the wolf catching a view of her rear waving slightly behind her as she walked into the building.

"She really is something else." He said with a smile as he shook his head. He blinked then looked around at the group.

"Wha…how did you go from fighting each other to…this?" he asked as he saw Dark holding Mizore close, with one hand holding her around the waist from behind while the other held her candy. She was kissing the demon with a hand held around to the back of his head with a loving sigh. Kurumu was kissing her angel passionately, the girl having jumped up and embraced him with her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Gin sighed then looked down to see Ahakon thrashing about while Yukari was kissing him, the little witch having tackled him to the ground in a flash with a loving smile. Gin looked around at the couples then upwards.

"Of course, _now_ Kokoa decides to check on Moka and Tsukune." He said tiredly.

Kokoa walked up the stairs in the dorm building then down the hall towards her sister's room. As she did she glanced to the bat on her shoulder.

"Kou, why have you been glaring at my mate today?" the girl asked with narrowed eyes.

"What? What are you talking about Ms. Kokoa?" the bat said nervously.

"Don't lie to me Kou, I've seen you. Do you have a problem with my mate?" Kokoa asked sternly.

"What? No no, of course not…it's just…he's…and you…" Kou said shakily.

"He's what? Spit it out." Kokoa said with a growl.

"He's not worthy of a vampire of your class Ms. Kokoa, your father and I agree that you deserve much better." Kou said worriedly. Kokoa growled then grabbed the bat and started shaking it.

"Now you listen here Kou, Gin's my mate, do you hear me? Father approved him as well, and like hell anybody is going to tell me that he's not worthy of me. I'm ready to give myself to him completely and there's nothing you or father can do about it, you got that?" the redhead yelled out with anger. Kou squeaked nervously as he nodded quickly.

"Ye…yes Ms. Kokoa." Kou squeaked shakily.

"Good. You'd better start treating him with respect Kou." Kokoa said as she looked forward again with a dull glare. She marched up to her sister's room and knocked on it.

"Big sis? Are you…um, are you in there?" she asked. She heard a rustling sound inside the room and giggled a bit.

"I guess I should come back la-"

**"Kokoa! Get in here now!"** Inner Moka's voice called out. Kokoa blinked then looked at the door puzzled.

"What? Aren't you with Tsukune now?" she asked.

**"Yes, now get in here and give me a hand with him!"** the elder vampire called out again. Kokoa just looked at the door for a moment then tilted her head.

"Beg…pardon?" she said weakly.

**"Get in here, he's too much for me to handle on my own!"** Inner Moka called out. Kokoa and Kou exchanged looks then turned back to the door. After a pause she shook her head with disbelief.

"What? Are you…asking me to…" she said with confusion.

**"Dammit get in here now Kokoa!"** Inner Moka yelled out. Kokoa glanced around worriedly then slowly opened the door. Inside her sister's room the place was a mess. The furniture was knocked around and the window was blown open. Bed sheets and clothing were strewn about the floor as a naked silver haired girl was straddling and trying to pin down a naked boy. Kokoa jumped a bit at the sight then looked up with closed eyes.

"Geez big sis, what's the big idea asking me to come in like this?" she cried out.

**"It's not what it looks like Kokoa, now get over here and help me keep him pinned, hurry!" **Inner Moka yelled out as Tsukune kept trying to snap at her with his teeth. Kokoa looked over to them with a disturbed expression and shook her head.

"Big sis I have a boyfriend now, I can't…I can't do this. Not even with him." She said shakily as she fought off her blush.

**"Shut up and get over here Kokoa, Tsukune's succumbed to a vampire's bloodlust!"** Inner Moka yelled out. Kokoa looked with surprise at them then down to Tsukune.

"What?" she said worriedly.

**"He's out of control, he tried to drain me dry earlier." **Inner Moka grunted as she kept trying to pin down the struggling vampire boy.

"Oh god, Tsukune." Kokoa said holding her hand over her mouth. She could see the wild look in his eye, the boy snapping and growling at Inner Moka like an animal.

**"Get over here and help me already."** Inner Moka barked out as she tried to keep the wild vampire boy steady. Kokoa ran over and held one of the boy's hands and arms down tightly, the boy then snapping at her wildly. All he could see was the bright glow of her blood as it illuminated for him, the boy seeing nothing else around but a dark shroud.

"Why is this happening to him? Vampires haven't succumbed to that for generations." Kokoa said as she struggled to hold his arm down.

**"I have no idea, but we need to help him overcome it. Dammit, this is one time where I wish he hadn't increased in strength as much as he did."** Inner Moka said as she tried to hold the boy down with all her might. Kokoa struggled then looked to Kou.

"Kou, transform into the morning star, now!" she yelled out. The bat squeaked then flew up, the familiar then shifting into a giant morning star mace with a cute smiley face on the weapon. Inner Moka looked up with surprise as Kokoa jumped up and grabbed hold of the weapon.

**"Kokoa what do you think you're doing?"** Inner Moka said shaking her head.

"Pin his arms down at his sides, now!" Kokoa said as she geared back with the weapon. Tsukune snarled at her as Inner Moka grabbed his wrists and pulled his arms down to his sides. The redheaded vampire then swung down and crashed the spiked ball into the ground next to him and pushed the handle down across his chest and arms. The edge of the hilt hit the ground and prevented the boy from slipping his arm around it while he struggled and snapped at the redhead. She then sat on his waist and held the handle down as Tsukune thrashed around. Inner Moka blinked then smiled a bit.

**"Good idea Kokoa, I'm impressed."** She said simply.

"Kou, increase your mass, keep him pinned down!" Kokoa ordered out. The weapon squeaked then made a screeching sound. The spiked ball crushed into the floor more as the weapon increased in weight. Inner Moka stood up and watched as Kokoa was keeping the boy pinned down with her weapon.

**"Hopefully that will keep him pinned down long enough."** She said as she looked down to her clothing on the ground.

"Long enough for what? What are going to do big sis?" Kokoa said with worry as Tsukune kept trying to snap at her while he snarled. She felt sorry for him as she watched her friend succumb to a vampire's bloodlust.

**"I told Akua to bring transfusion blood packets from the human world. With those we can slate his thirst and bring him back to his senses."** Inner Moka said as she picked up her underwear from the ground.

"But…then what? That's not going to make this go away you know." Kokoa said as she bucked around a bit. Even with her weapon holding him down Tsukune's strength was still enough that the redhead had to keep holding him down with all her might.

**"I don't know Kokoa, but first things first; we need to bring Tsukune back to us. And the only way we can do that is to…quench his thirst."** Inner Moka said as she started to get dressed again. She looked to her mate with worried eyes as he thrashed about in Kokoa's grip.

**_Tsukune…_**

"Tsukune…Tsukune please stop." Kokoa said shaking her head. Inner Moka finished getting dressed back into her normal uniform then looked to her mate with worry.

**"He can't hear you Kokoa, he's being driven by his hunger for blood. It was only because our blood isn't usable by him that he stopped feeding from me. Otherwise…I'd be dead now." **Inner Moka said looking down. She put her rosary seal into her pocket then looked down to the boy again.

"He's not going to stop, what do we do now big sis?" Kokoa asked worriedly as she was bucked around a bit on top of the naked boy.

**"You need to hold him down with your weapon Kokoa, while I try to dress him."** Inner Moka said raising an eyebrow. Kokoa blinked then looked down, the girl seeing that she was indeed straddling a naked Tsukune.

"Dress him?" Kokoa said shaking her head to clear her wandering mind then looking back to her sister.

**"Yes, in case you haven't noticed, he's naked still."** Inner Moka said flatly.

"Um…yeah…ok…" Kokoa said as she tried to fight off her blush. She held the boy down with all her might while Inner Moka tried to hold his legs still to slip on his underwear. She got the first leg to go through before the other kicked her in the jaw and sent her flying back into a tumble. She growled then looked to the kicking feet with frustration.

**"This is going to be tough."** She muttered as she ran back over and pounced on the legs. Using a great amount of force she managed to slip the boy's underwear up properly before being kicked off again. She bounced back against the wall and shook her head from the hit as Kokoa struggled to keep the boy pinned down.

"Would you hurry up, this isn't easy." Kokoa barked out.

**"You think I have it any better? This is like trying to clothe an infant ogre."** Inner Moka snapped back. She grabbed the boy's pants then tried to slip them on while holding the legs down by straddling them. She got the feet into the pants then started to slowly pull them up before she was bucked off by both legs. She crashed into the bed while Kokoa and her weapon started to shift a bit as Tsukune relentlessly tried to break free from her.

**"Damn…just hold still Tsukune!"** Inner Moka yelled as she dove onto the legs and tried to pin them down. She grabbed the pants and tried to pull them up while his legs were jerking about.

"Just how are you planning on putting on his shirts?" Kokoa asked worriedly.

**"I'll settle for just pants right now, I doubt shirts would be possible in his current state."** Inner Moka said as she pulled the pants up and started to fasten them while the boy continued kicking.

"How long until Akua gets here?" Kokoa asked as she bucked around a bit.

**"No idea, hopefully soon. We just need to keep him from getting close to anybody."** Inner Moka said as she finished with his pants then tried to hold his legs down. The boy started yelling out with a bit of drool while Kokoa eyed him with a slight amount of fright.

"My god, were we really like that once?" she asked.

**"Long ago, but we managed to gain control over our primal nature. If we could do it, so can he."** Inner Moka said hopefully.

"But we managed to weed out that primal part of us through generations of self-discipline. Not all at once." Kokoa said worriedly.

**"We don't have a choice. Hopefully…Tsukune can overcome it somehow."** Inner Moka said reluctantly. She wasn't sure if the boy could indeed fight off a vampire's desire to drink blood completely, but hopefully to the point where he could control himself at least.

"Overcome it? He's gone crazy for blood! Look at him!" Kokoa cried out.

**"If he could fight off a ghoul, I would hope he can fight off a vampire's bloodlust as well. All it will take is some…training. Yeah, training." **Inner Moka said cautiously.

"Training? How are you going to train that out of him?" Kokoa said in disbelief.

**"I don't know alright? Just…shut up and hold him down."** Inner Moka barked out.

The two vampire sisters struggled to hold the boy down as he thrashed about, the giant morning star being pushed about as Kokoa tried to hold the handle down to keep the boy pinned. After a few more jumps Tsukune's feet pushed off from the ground with great force, the two girls then being thrown over him and towards the window then crashing into the wall below it. The boy growled as he tried to push up on the handle of the weapon.

"Kou! Increase your mass now!" Kokoa yelled out. The weapon squeaked then screeched a bit as the spiked ball crushed into the ground more. Tsukune roared out as he tried to push up, the boy being held down the handle that was now heavier than even Kokoa could wield. The two sisters scrambled to their feet as Tsukune roared out, his aura flaring around his as the ground around cracked and splintered.

**"Um…Kokoa?"** Inner Moka said worriedly.

"Yeah…too heavy." Kokoa said nervously.

Before they could move in time the weapon, and the boy, crashed through the ground with the floor shattering under the weight. They fell down into the room below, then crashed down and continued on down to the next lower floor. The sisters looked down the hole with wide eyes then to each other.

**"Not good."** Inner Moka said as they jumped in.

"Very bad!" Kokoa cried out.

Outside the group was looking towards the dorm building as they heard multiple loud crashes echoing out. Even Dark was looking over as everybody was noticing Moka's window was billowing dust a bit and the rooms below hers seemed to have their windows explode with dust blasting out as well.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Rason said shaking his head.

"Yeah, not even 10 minutes." Ahakon said with a sigh.

From the ground level dorm room the window and wall blasted apart with a loud explosion, and from the dust cloud Inner Moka was seen tumbling into a roll with a large morning star. She crashed into the tree between the two buildings as Kou poofed back into his bat form, the familiar dropping down dazed next to the girl.

"Moka?" Kurumu said in surprise.

Before anybody could move Kokoa was seen stumbling out from the dust cloud, the vampire coughing as the room behind her seemed to be annihilated with dust and debris flowing out.

"Kokoa? What happened?" Gin asked with worry. The vampire looked to him then screamed out with shock, the group looking with wide eyes as Tsukune appeared behind her and bit into her neck. His arms wrapped around her as the girl shrieked and thrashed about.

"AHHHH!" she screamed as the boy had a wild look in his eye, the vampire drawn to her blood as it was lit up for him. The group watched with shock as Tsukune was seen there holding Kokoa in a tight hug while his fangs were dug into her neck.

**"Kokoa!" **Inner Moka yelled out as she stumbled back to her feet.

"Tsukune what the hell are you doing?" Gin yelled out as he ran over to them.

**"No get away from him!"** Inner Moka yelled out.

Kokoa screamed and thrashed about as she could feel her blood being sucked right out of her, the girl feeling her body starting to weigh more as she slowly stopped moving about. Her mouth was opened wide while her eyes were staring ahead in shock, the girl's hands slowly dropping to her sides.

"Kokoa!" Gin yelled as he ran over and tried to pull the vampire out from Tsukune's grip.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rason yelled out.

Inner Moka ran over just as Tsukune let Kokoa go, the vampire boy coughing out blood furiously and dropping back onto his knees. Gin held Kokoa with shock as she was twitching, the girl's eyes half opened as her breathing was ragged. Her mind was in shock as her body seemed to be unresponsive to anything.

"Kokoa? Kokoa!" Gin yelled shaking her. Inner Moka ran over and saw Tsukune coughing out the vampire blood, the boy's body not being able to process or accept it despite his cravings.

**"Oh Tsukune…"** Inner Moka said shaking her head.

"What the hell, he sucked her blood!" Gin yelled looking to Tsukune with surprise and anger.

"He what?" Ahakon cried out.

Inner Moka saw Tsukune stop coughing as the boy slowly started to get up, his crimson eyes turning to glare at the group.

**"Everybody get away from him, get away now!"** Inner Moka yelled as she backed up while pushing Gin back as well. The wolf held Kokoa close as he just stared with shock at Tsukune. The boy growled loudly as he slowly got to his feet, his eyes looking around with a cold glare. He could see nothing around but a black shroud, and the brightly lit blood of his friends.

"What the hell happened to him?" Kurumu said with fear.

"My god…Tsukune?" Rason said with worry.

**"He's suffering from a condition of older generation vampires." **Inner Moka said carefully as the group saw the wild look in the boy's eye.

"Tsukune?" Yukari said with fear.

"Condition? What do you mean condition, he tried to suck Kokoa's blood!" Gin yelled out.

**"Yes, and it's only because she's a vampire that he stopped. Vampires can't drink other vampires' blood. With you however Tsukune will not stop. He'll drain you dry."** Inner Moka said with concern. Tsukune snarled viciously as he ran towards the sight of glowing blood, his cravings driving his body completely now. Inner Moka dashed towards him then darted behind the boy, the girl grabbing him by the shoulders then swinging him over and crashing him into the ground. In a flash the boy shot back up and tackled the girl onto the ground, the silver haired vampire holding him back by the hands as he snapped at her.

**"Of course…that doesn't mean he won't try with us. That being said, a little help here?"** Inner Moka called out.

BANG!

Tsukune jerked about then resumed snapping and snarling at Inner Moka while a golden washtub bounced off his head and tumbled to the side. Yukari looked with wide eyes as she had her wand held up.

"What…no way." She said shaking her head. The wand glowed brightly and another washtub dropped onto the boy's head, the vampire again merely shrugging it off as he kept snarling at Inner Moka.

"He's not being knocked out?" Yukari said in disbelief.

**"Who do you think he is, Kurumu? Would somebody just get him off of me already?"** Inner Moka yelled out as the boy was getting closer and closer to biting her. Dark and Rason ran over and grabbed the boy by a hand each, the two then yanking him back to his feet and trying to hold him back. Tsukune snarled then threw Dark off with one hand, the demon tumbling into a roll while Tsukune then grabbed Rason and tackled him to the ground.

"AHHHH!" he yelled as Tsukune bit into his neck, the vampire seeing the brightly lit blood in his veins.

"RASON!" Kurumu shrieked as the angel was kicking wildly on the ground while he tried to pull Tsukune's head away.

"Get him off, GET HIM OFF!" Rason yelled out. Dark scrambled back to his feet as Inner Moka did, the two then running over and attempting to get Tsukune off of the thrashing angel. Kurumu and Mizore ran over while Yukari and Ahakon watched with fright.

"Rason! Let him go Tsukune!" Kurumu yelled out as Dark and Inner Moka struggled to loosen Tsukune's grip. He had one arm wrapped around Rason's neck and holding his head while the other was around his shoulder. The angel yelled as blood started to drip from his mouth, the boy thrashing about as Tsukune sucked his blood out quickly. Kurumu stared with shock and fright as she felt the bond between them seem to fade slightly.

"He's killing him! Do something!" Kurumu yelled out.

"Dammit, let go Tsukune!" Dark yelled as he tried to pull Tsukune's arm off from Rason's neck.

**"He's going to drain him dry, get him off of Rason now!"** Inner Moka yelled.

"Tsukune stop! Please!" Yukari cried out as she started to cry.

"Oh god, Tsukune, what the hell happened to you man?" Gin said shaking his head in disbelief.

Dark pulled Tsukune's arm back as Inner Moka pulled the boy's head off of the angel's shoulder. Blood trickled down from the rough bite mark as Rason coughed out and tried to crawl back. The group watched as Dark and Inner Moka slowly dragged Tsukune back to his feet while Kurumu rushed to Rason's side, the girl dropping to her knees next to her boyfriend with fright in her eyes.

"Rason! Rason are you ok?" she cried out. The angel nodded while coughing, his breathing heavy as his eyes were half closed. Blood was trickling down his mouth as well as his neck while his lifeforce flickered a bit.

"What…happened to him?" he asked weakly before he collapsed in her arms. She looked at her angel with worry then to Tsukune.

"What the hell, WHAT THE HELL?" she yelled out with fear and anger.

"Explain Moka, now!" Dark yelled as he and the silver haired vampire struggled to keep Tsukune still. His legs and waist froze over into a block of ice as Mizore kept her hand out, the girl focusing her magic with narrowed eyes. Dark grabbed Tsukune by the arms and held them back behind the boy with force while Inner Moka held onto his shoulders from the front, the boy snapping at her while snarling loudly.

"Well Moka? What is going on here?" Mizore asked sternly.

**"He's suffering from a vampire's bloodlust. It's an old condition vampires used to have long ago. Their urge to drink blood drives them into a feeding frenzy."** Inner Moka said as she struggled to keep her mate still. The ice around his body shattered as his aura flared up around it.

"Why's he going crazy now though?" Yukari cried out.

**"I don't know, I only know that vampires haven't had such a condition in generations. We suppressed that primal instinct long ago to keep in control." **Inner Moka replied.

"Short of killing him, what other option do we have to fix this?" Dark asked with a clearly annoyed tone.

**"I've already contacted Akua, she's on her way here now with transfusion blood packets for him. Once his thirst is slated he'll regain his senses."** Inner Moka said as Tsukune continued to snap at her with a wild look in his eye. The boy bucked around and the head-butted Inner Moka, the girl recoiling as Tsukune smacked his head back and knocked Dark away with a hit to the face. Tsukune snarled then spun around and lunged at Dark, the demon grabbing him by the head and neck and pushing him away.

"Dark!" Mizore yelled as she readied her ice katana.

**"Don't kill him, he's not in control!"** Inner Moka called out.

"Fine, then we'll do this my way." Dark said coldly.

"Your way? I thought killing _was_ your way." Gin said with bewilderment as he held the young vampire in his arms.

The group watched as Dark geared back and sent a powerful punch to Tsukune's face, the boy recoiling and snarling like an animal. Dark sent another powerful blow to his head, then another, the vampire boy stumbling back as Dark walked up to him with a cold glare.

**"Stop it, he's not in control anymore, he's not even aware he's doing this!"** Inner Moka yelled out.

"Good, then he won't feel this." Dark said flatly as he sent another powerful punch to Tsukune's head, the boy stumbling back then collapsing down onto the ground. He was growling in a daze, the boy twitching a bit as he lay on the ground. The group watched him lay there then looked to Dark as he glanced to Inner Moka.

"You can tell him I did that if you want, I really don't care." he said simply. Inner Moka looked at him with shock then ran down over to her mate, the girl holding his hands down at the sides of his head while she straddled him. He started to move about again but was weakened enough for Inner Moka to keep him down. Dark looked to Rason as Kurumu held him close. She looked to her angel with worry as he was unconscious from the blood loss. Kokoa was still out cold in Gin's arms, the vampire having passed out as well. Her blood was drained to dangerous levels, but luckily Tsukune stopped in time before taking any more.

"Oh no…Tsukune…" Yukari said worriedly as she and Ahakon walked over to the vampire. Dark and Mizore walked over as well while Kurumu held Rason close where he lay. Gin looked to his girlfriend with worry as Kou slowly flew over and landed on his shoulder, the bat looking down at his mistress with worry as well.

**"It'll be ok Tsukune…I promise, we'll fix this."** Inner Moka said gently as she held down her crazed boyfriend.

"How?" Kurumu said with a low tone. The group looked over to see Kurumu glaring at Tsukune.

"How are you going to fix this Moka? How are you going to fix it so he doesn't kill my angel?" she asked with tears and anger. Inner Moka looked at her with remorse then down to her boyfriend.

"He nearly killed Kokoa and Rason. If you feed him normal blood, will this…condition be gone, or will it just come back again?" Mizore asked carefully. Inner Moka just looked at Tsukune with worried eyes.

**"It'll come back."** she said softly.

"Then how is that going to fix anything?" Kurumu yelled out.

**"I'm going to bring Tsukune back to his senses…then…I'm not sure what to do yet."** Inner Moka said reluctantly.

"You're not sure?" Kurumu yelled out. She growled with frustration as she held her boyfriend in her arms.

"You're not SURE? He nearly killed my Destined One! He nearly killed your own sister!" she yelled out with fury.

"I refrained from killing him because I had hoped you had an idea on how to stop this for good." Dark said. Inner Moka nodded and looked down with closed eyes. After a moment she looked back to him.

"However, if he draws my Mizore's blood once…" Dark said with narrowed eyes.

**"That won't happen. I won't let my mate…turn into a wild animal."** Inner Moka said looking back to her boyfriend with frustration. Dark just looked at her with discontent as Mizore held onto his arm.

"See that you don't. After all we've been through I'd hate to be forced into having his blood on my hands." he said simply.

"That goes double for me Moka." Kurumu said with narrowed eyes. She trembled then looked down to her angel.

"I just got my Destined One back, and no way will _anybody_ be taking him from me again. I don't want Tsukune to turn into a wild animal, but…I won't let him take my angel from me. No way." she said firmly.

"How can this be stopped Moka?" Mizore asked carefully.

"Yeah, you said you vampires got past this problem before, how did you do it?" Ahakon asked.

**"With self-control over the course of several family generations and willpower. I myself have never had this issue before but I was brought up understanding that those that suffered from it long ago went through hell trying to rid themselves of the urges."** Inner Moka said as she continued to hold the boy down.

"So it can be stopped then?" Yukari said hopefully.

**"It was stopped. We rid ourselves of this primal instinct long ago, I have no idea why he's suffering from it now. I thought the bloodlust of vampires from before was long gone. But…somehow he has it."** Inner Moka said with remorse.

"He has the blood of you and all your sisters in him, a great deal of it. Plus who knows how much monster energy from Kokoa's overcharge. You all turned him into a full blooded vampire from all that, could that have anything to do with it?" Gin asked.

**"I told you I don't know, like I said this condition was supposed to be removed from all vampires by our ancestors. When they overcame the urges and ascended from primal monsters their offspring were also spared from suffering from it. It shouldn't exist anymore."** Inner Moka said with frustration.

"Well clearly it's back." Kurumu said with narrowed eyes.

"What do we do now?" Ahakon asked.

"We wait for Akua to get here with that blood for Tsukune, and we make sure he doesn't go free until then." Mizore said simply.

"With that sort of bloodlust, it would be a disaster if he got to the festival grounds now." Gin said worriedly.

"Then what?" Yukari asked.

"Then we hope Tsukune has the willpower to stave off this 'condition' again." Dark said.

"And…if he can't?" Ahakon asked worriedly. Dark just looked at the vampire boy as he thrashed about in Inner Moka's grip.

"For now, let's all hope he can." Dark said simply. The group looked to Tsukune as he snarled and struggled to break free from his mate's grasp, the boy seeing nothing but brightly lit blood around in the monsters' bodies. His mind was locked onto one thing, feed. And his body was being driven on that one desire, that one desire that was increasing the longer he was held off from doing so. He had attacked and incapacitated two of their friends, one of which would have died without the group's intervention. The boy wasn't in control, he was suffering from a vampire's primal instinct that had somehow resurfaced within him. And it was that instinct that made him dangerous to everybody around him, even Inner Moka and Kokoa. Even if he did slate his thirst safely from transfusion packets, the condition would return. And unless he learned to stave off the urges, he would attack anyone around him in a blood crazed frenzy.

Inner Moka held him tightly as she tried desperately to think of a way her mate could overcome such a powerful desire from ancient vampires. He had managed to fend off a ghoul from within, and even mastered his own vampire powers during his trials. But now he was being faced with something that was a massive threat to everybody around him, something that he had to overcome to ensure not only his friends safety but his own.

**_Tsukune…please. If anybody can fight this off, it's you. I'll stand by your side no matter what, I promise. Just, come back to me. Please Tsukune, come back to me again._**


	16. What Lies Within

Kyouko slowly started to open her eyes, the girl regaining her senses after she fainted in math class. She was lying in a white bed in the school infirmary room. It was a normal sized room with three beds all enclosed with white sheets to separate them. There was the desk where the nurse would normally sit at and the doorway out into the hallway. There was a window on the far side along with a bookshelf and cabinet for medical supplies. As she sat up she saw that the sheet around her bed was pulled out and there were three other girls standing around her bed.

"Ms. Kyouko, are you ok?" Apoch asked worriedly.

"Yes, you've been out for quite a while now." Astreal said gently. Kyouko nodded then looked around worriedly.

"What…what happened? Where are those monsters?" she asked quickly.

"Monsters? C'mon, don't be so harsh." Render called out from behind the sheet. He and Leon were leaning against the wall outside the enclosed area waiting for the girl to wake up. Kyouko jumped a bit and looked around at her friends.

"Well, those two are out there, they were waiting for you to wake up. The other one…I'm not sure where he is." Falla said softly.

"What are we going to do? They're going to destroy the world." Kyouko said worriedly in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, we can hear you, just so you know." Leon said simply. The girl twitched then looked around at her friends.

"Ok, she's up. Now start explaining." Apoch said as she pulled the sheet over and the girls looked to the two boys.

"Hey, you alright now? Sorry to give you such a scare." Render said rubbing the back of his head.

"Who are you guys? What's going on?" Kyouko said worriedly as she sat in the bed. Apoch and Astreal crossed their arms while watching the new boys carefully while Falla sat next to Kyouko and kept a keen eye on the boys.

"Of course. My name is Render Asaga, and this is Leon Takeda." Render said with a polite bow.

"We know your names, what we don't know is what the hell is going on here!" Falla barked out.

"What was Razico talking about, about you destroying the world? And…what was up with that other guy?" Kyouko said shaking her head. The two boys sighed and glanced to each other.

"Why did you have to pick Razico as our third anyway?" Leon asked tiredly.

"Oh c'mon, he seemed cool enough. He wasn't some asshole trying to kill us like Ceal." Render defended.

"Enough! What is going on here, answer us!" Apoch yelled out. The boys glanced to her then to each other quickly.

"You know, you don't have to be so loud or rude, we're on your side." Render said with a kind smile.

"Our side? Really." Astreal said flatly.

"Please, just answer our questions. What is Razico doing here, and what was he talking about you destroying the world?" Falla asked simply.

"He's here because he won't stop following us. He _thinks_ we're going to cause the world to go boom, but that's just bogus." Render said shaking his head. The girls looked to each other then to the boys.

"We met him in the monster world while we were seeking a great treasure." Leon said.

"Treasure?" Kyouko asked.

"Yep, treasure. See, me and my buddy here are treasure hunters of sorts. It's just our thing." Render said with a shrug and confident smirk.

"So you're thieves." Apoch said flatly.

"What? No. We're treasure hunters. We _hunt treasure_ that's buried or hidden in the world, we don't steal from other people." Render said shaking his head. The girls glanced to each other then back to the boy.

"Alright. So you're 'treasure hunters'. Then what was all that talk about keys and destroying the world…and us being possible 'fourths'?" Falla asked curiously. Render and Leon looked around cautiously then walked towards the girls to speak more quietly.

"Ok, here's the deal. We're after a legendary treasure, known as Pandora's Box." Render said with a serious face.

"Pandora's Box?" Kyouko asked, the girl remembering that name from one of her classes.

"Yep, that's it. There are dozens of stories and rumors about it, many saying that it doesn't exist. But it _does_ exist, and we're going to be the first hunters to claim it." Render said proudly.

"What kind of treasure is in it?" Apoch asked.

"We don't know exactly. It could be riches, weapons, artifacts, spells, answers, who knows what. The legends say that whoever opens it will have their greatest wish fulfilled." Leon said.

"Yeah, but, there are _other_ rumors about it. Ones that are meant to scare away the weak-minded and cowardly." Render said weakly.

"And what might those rumors be?" Falla asked carefully.

"I've heard of this box before, it's in our history class." Kyouko said with wonder.

"Then you've probably heard the part about how it's supposed to contain all the great evils long since sealed by the Almighty himself, how opening it would unleash monsters that would destroy the world." Leon said with a casual tone. Apoch, Astreal, and Falla jumped a bit as Kyouko nodded nervously.

"Yeah, that's what they say about it." She said shakily.

"And you want to open that thing?" Apoch said with disbelief.

"What is wrong with you? Are you crazy?" Astreal said shaking her head.

"So that's why Razico wants to stop you." Falla said narrowing her eye at the boys.

"Hold on now, that legend about it is bogus. It's just there to keep people from claiming the treasure." Render said defensively.

"And how do you know that? How can you be so sure?" Apoch demanded.

"Well…we don't _know_ anything about it for a fact. But still…" Render said slowly.

"But still what? You're going to risk destroying the world just to get a bit of gold?" Astreal said with discontent.

"It's not like that. We have more of a reason to open it than just getting treasure." Leon said looking down as he held his pendant gently.

"Like what?" Falla demanded.

"First off, the treasure inside is kind of a high point, not gonna lie, but he's right. We're not giving up because after all we've been through…and lost trying to get to it, we can't back down now." Render said looking down.

"You're crazy. If that box could lead to the world's destruction why would you even consider it?" Apoch said with discontent.

"I made a promise, to open it and finish what we started." Leon said firmly.

"And I made a promise to myself, to become a peace loving and gentle bazillionare." Render said proudly. The girls looked to each other and shook their heads, all agreeing that opening something with that much risk couldn't possibly be worth it. Especially if Razico already came to that conclusion and chased the two boys here to stop them.

"Alright, next question. What was he talking about keys for?" Falla asked carefully.

"The box requires four keys turned by four people at the same time. We have three of the keys, and…Ceal has the fourth." Render said, the boy muttering the last part.

"He has a key to that thing too?" Kyouko asked with fear.

"Yeah. You can blame Render for that." Leon said flatly.

"Again, I didn't just give it to him, he took it from that other guy's dead hands." Render defended with.

"Fine, whatever. It's his fault. Anyway, why does he want one of us to be a 'fourth'?" Apoch said cautiously.

"Because Ceal doesn't believe Razico will help us. I kinda agree with him on that one. I however don't agree with his method of using brute force or threats to get help with this." Render said looking down thoughtfully.

"So he wants one of _us_ to help you? No way." Falla said shaking her head.

"Mr. Razico was right to decline such a foolish offer. You can't be serious about opening that thing if it could unleash monsters into the world, monsters that were sealed away by the Almighty." Apoch said sternly.

"If they were sealed by him that means they were sealed for a reason you idiots. You could very well be unleashing another Alucard into the world." Falla said shaking her head.

"Hey, you don't know that monsters are sealed in it, you can't just assume-" Render started before Apoch whipped out her light blade and held it towards him.

"I will not _assume_ anything. I _know_ you cannot open it. There is no just cause for such a risk as that." She said sternly.

"You won't be getting any help from us. Now, hand over the keys you do have. We'll be sure to give them to Mr. Razico later on for safe keeping." Astreal said as she held out her hand towards Leon, her wrist glowing softly as she aimed at him.

"Ok, for starters you can't kill us here. That would look _very_ bad for monsters who want to live in the human world." Render said simply. Apoch narrowed her eyes at him as she kept her blade ready.

"Secondly, we're not forcing you to help, Razico either. You can all decline if you want, that's your choice. We however will not just give up or be scared away." Leon said simply, the boy showing no fear to Astreal's threat.

"We can't let you open that box, not if it could lead to the world's end." Apoch said firmly.

"It won't lead to the world's end, I promise you." Render said gently.

"And just how can you promise that if you have no idea what's in that box?" Apoch asked with a scoff. Render and Leon looked to each other then down.

"I need to call Tsukune, I need to tell him there are other monsters here, ones that are trying to destroy the world." Kyouko said getting up off the bed.

"Look, can't we talk about this like civilized monsters? We're trying to be nice here." Render said gently.

"Yeah, we even kept Ceal from harming you earlier. We're not the bad guys here." Leon said simply.

"No, you're not bad guys. You're stupid guys, and that could be just as problematic." Falla said shaking her head.

Kyouko brought out her cell phone then ran to the door, the girl opening it then jumping back with a yelp. She ran back and hid behind Falla as another boy walked into the room.

"Not even a hello, how rude." Ceal said dully as he walked into the room.

"You, what are you doing here?" Render said with narrowed eyes. Apoch turned her blade towards him as Astreal aimed her hand at him as well. The boy merely raised an eyebrow at them.

"You want to fight again, are you serious?" he said with a slight laugh at the end.

"If you're here to try to talk us into helping you opening that damned box you can save your breath, we're not going to end the world all because of your stupidity." Apoch said with a glare. Ceal chuckled and shook his head.

"Actually, I'm only here for her." He said pointing to Falla with his gloved hand. She looked at him with surprise then backed up with Kyouko.

"What? Me? Why?" she said quickly.

"Principal wants to see you. Let's go." Ceal said simply.

"What? The principal?" Falla said cautiously.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Apoch said with a hiss.

"She is unless she wants to hurt monsters everywhere by being defiant against the school's faculty." Ceal said simply. Falla looked at her friends worriedly then to the boy.

"But why? I didn't do anything wrong here." She asked.

"Ask him yourself. I was merely asked to bring you to him. Let's go." He said without a hint of interest.

"We're going with you then." Astreal said sternly.

"He only requested to see her. Besides, don't you four have class to go to?" Ceal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What about you?" Leon asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm to escort this one to the office, then to her next class afterwards." Ceal said with a shrug.

"And just why did the principal have _you_ escort her?" Render asked.

"Don't know, don't care, let's go." Ceal said pointing back towards the door with his thumb. Falla looked around worriedly as Apoch and Astreal slowly lowered their stances.

"You won't be getting our help you know. I'm going to call my cousin, he's a monster too. The strongest there is, he'll make sure you don't unlock that thing." Kyouko said nervously from behind Falla. Ceal chuckled and tilted his head slightly at the girl.

"Really? Then I look forward to meeting him. I hope for his sake he's bringing a lot of help if he wants to take me on." He said with a smirk. He then looked to Falla with a blank expression.

"Now." He said sternly. Falla nodded slowly then walked over to him.

"Ms. Falla." Apoch said worriedly.

"I'll be ok. I'll meet you in class." Falla said glancing back to her. She then looked to Ceal with caution.

"Don't even think of trying anything, you have no idea what you're messing with here." She said sternly.

"I'll be sure to keep my hands to myself." Ceal said with an amused tone. Falla walked out with Ceal behind her, the boy glancing back to the group as he stopped in the doorway.

"If you harm a hair on her head Ceal…" Render said with anger, the boy's aura flaring up around him again. Apoch and Astreal looked to him curiously as the strange blue aura seemed to flow around him briefly. It was only for a moment, but as the aura flowed around them the two girls felt that strange boost of confidence from the boy. Ceal chuckled a bit then walked out.

"He won't hurt her. He doesn't want to blow his cover here as a 'human' as well." Leon said simply. He glanced to the three girls in the room with a shrug.

"That little stunt back in the classroom was likely just to scare you. I doubt he would have actually killed you in a public place like that." He said simply. The girls glanced to each other then back to the doorway.

"When my cousin hears about this you're all going to have to answer to him." Kyouko said with discontent as she looked back to the two boys.

"Our old boyfriends won't take this lightly." Apoch and Astreal said in unison. Render blinked then looked at Apoch curiously.

"Old boyfriend?" he asked. She nodded with a stern expression. He paused for a moment then tilted his head.

"So…you _don't _have a boyfriend now? Because I've been told if I have a girlfriend then the hordes of crazy girls out there will stop trying to tear me limb from limb." He said simply.

"If you don't surrender those keys to us _I'll_ tear you limb from limb." Apoch hissed. Render nodded then looked at her curiously.

"So…is that a yes? Or a no?" he asked. The girl growled then held her blade towards him again.

"It's a hell no!" she yelled out. The boy nodded with a nervous smile while Leon looked up with a sigh.

"Fine, noted. But the keys are still staying with us." Render said defensively.

"You're really going to open that thing and be fine with people dying from it?" Astreal said with discontent at Leon. The boy merely held his pendant while looking up still.

"You don't care about anything but wealth, or anyone but yourself." Astreal said with a scoff. The boy then looked to her with a focused expression as he walked closer to her.

"I've already had to watch somebody important to me die trying to get these keys." He said sternly, the witch looking at him with surprise as she raised her hand up to aim at him defensively.

"And it's for _her_ that I will push on with this quest. So if you want my key that badly, you're going to have to kill me, because I will never surrender it. Not after what I've lost to get it." He said with a tone of anger. Astreal just looked at him with wide eyes as he had walked right up to her and her hand was now resting on his chest.

"You have no idea what is truly important to me, so don't act as if I'm the villain here, or that I don't care about anybody. Ceal likely wouldn't have killed you in the classroom but we tried to save you then anyway, we're not as heartless as you think we are." Leon said firmly. Astreal just looked at him with surprise as he stood before her with a focused look in his eye.

"But-" she started before he grabbed her hand and yanked it off to the side.

"If you don't want to help us, fine, we won't make you. And we'll make sure Ceal doesn't harm you. But we will _not_ give up from claiming this treasure, do you hear me?" he asked loudly. Astreal just stared at the boy with wide eyes as he held her hand to the side. Apoch glanced to her then to Render.

"We don't want to hurt you. Put your sword…light…thing down ok?" he asked gently. She watched him carefully then backed up a bit.

"Just surrender those keys, we have no intention on harming you as well. We however will not allow you to risk damning the world into chaos." The witch said cautiously. Kyouko brought out her cell phone the dialed some numbers.

"I'm calling Tsukune." She said worriedly. Leon glanced to her as Astreal did, then looked back to the witch. After a pause he let her hand go and backed up. She kept looking at him with wonder while Apoch held her blade towards Render still. Kyouko paced around a bit while looking to the two boys nervously.

"C'mon…pick up…pick up Tsuki." She said worriedly. She shook her head then closed her phone after it rang some more.

"He's not answering." She said with worry.

"Well…this has been fun and all, but we need to be getting to class now. Can't be late, you know?" Render said rubbing the back of his head with a weak smile.

"You're not going anywhere yet." Apoch said firmly.

"Um, yeah. We are. And so should you, we can't stay here all day after all." Render said with a shrug.

"Give us those keys now!" Apoch ordered out. Astreal glanced to her sister then looked to Leon cautiously.

"Sorry, no can do. Don't worry, they're safe in the magical ether, so no worries about somebody stealing them from us." Render said with a laugh.

"Dammit this isn't a game!" Apoch yelled out. She growled as she held her blade at the ready while the boys glanced to each other.

"Well, while I agree with that, we really must be going. Glad your friend is ok though. And don't worry, we'll make it clear to Ceal next we meet him that you have nothing to do with this." Render said assuredly.

"We'll find somebody else to be our fourth person. You can tell Razico that if you want." Leon said simply. The two boys then started to walk out.

"You won't get away with this!" Kyouko called out to them. They stopped, blinked, then glanced back to her.

"She's speaking to us like we're the bad guys in a movie." Render said shaking his head.

"Should we say a witty one-liner before walking off?" Leon said flatly. He rolled his eyes and the two then left the room. Apoch dissolved her blade while Astreal kept a close eye on the door still. Kyouko freaked out and tried to call her cousin again, the girl only getting the ringing sound on the other end as she walked back and forth quickly.

"Pick up Tsukune! Pick up pick up pick up!" she cried out.

"I wonder what Mr. Leon meant by that." Astreal said softly as she thought about his words to her. She blinked then looked over to Apoch who was watching the doorway with narrowed eyes.

"Sister?" she asked. Apoch nodded then glanced to Kyouko.

"Come, let's get going. We'll find Mr. Razico at lunch and get his sorted out." She said. Astreal nodded then looked to Kyouko. The human girl cried out then closed her phone.

"He's not answering, why isn't he answering? I need him to answer already!" she cried out with fear.

"He's probably in class or something. Just try again later." Astreal reasoned.

"Let's go, we'll wait for Ms. Falla at our next class. Hopefully…she'll be alright." Apoch said looking to the door. The three girls started walking out towards their next class, with Kyouko again trying to call her cousin on her cell. The phone rang and rang while they walked down the hall. After a while she sighed and put her phone away, the girl then glancing back down the hall.

"You think Falla's ok with that guy?" she asked worriedly.

"I hope so." the sisters said in unison as they glanced behind them as well.

* * *

Falla was looking ahead nervously as she walked next to Ceal, the two remaining quiet as the boy had a blank expression on his face. She glanced to him then to his gloved hand worriedly. After a moment he glanced to her with a raised eyebrow causing her to jump a bit.

"Scared?" he asked with a slightly amused tone.

"No. Not at all." Falla said looking ahead with a focused expression. Ceal chuckled a bit then looked forward again.

"So, you want us to help you destroy the world huh? None of us are going to have any part in that, you hear me?" Falla said with anger at the boy. He kept walking without saying a word.

"My friends and I are going to make sure that damned box never gets opened. You got that?" she said with discontent. After a few more steps the boy stopped and glanced to her. She trembled slightly and forced a tough look on her face the best she could. She was powerless with her magic sealed, and this boy seemed to have a great deal of magical strength to detain all four girls so easily.

"Just out of curiosity, what do you think is inside that box?" Ceal asked plainly.

"There are rumors saying you can get rich or powerful from it, but also that all the greatest evils of the past are locked away inside of it." Falla said carefully. She gasped quietly and backed up into the wall as Ceal walked closer to her.

"I see. And, what do _you_ think is inside of it?" he asked curiously. She just stared at the boy as she tried to control her fear.

"I'd rather not take the chance to open it, nothing would be worth it." She said nervously. He chuckled and shook his head.

"You didn't answer my question. What do you think is inside of it?" he asked.

"I don't care. My friends are right, that thing is too dangerous to be opened." Falla said firmly. Ceal just looked at her for a moment then stepped back.

"You're not going to talk me into helping you. Now just take me to see the principal so I can get back to my classes." Falla said sternly.

"The principal doesn't want to see you." Ceal said with a small laugh. Falla looked at him cautiously as he shook his head.

"Why would I give a shit about students he would want to see? I'm not his messenger." The boy said simply.

"What? Then…why did you bring me out here?" Falla said looking around the empty hallway.

"I wanted to hear what those two idiots were telling you girls. Based on your hostile nature with them I'm going to guess they scared you didn't they?" He said casually. She growled then looked at him with anger.

"They told us enough. How that box will let loose monsters sealed away by the Almighty, and how you have one of the keys needed to open it. How you need them and some other pawn to help you open the box." She said with a bite.

"And yet they're not certain what's inside of it themselves. And neither are you, yet you're so ready to decide on something based on fear alone." The boy merely replied with.

"Save the crap, I'm in no mood to hear it. Nobody knows what's inside the box, and that's the way it should stay." Falla said as she started walking away.

"I wouldn't say…nobody." Ceal called out to her. She stopped then glanced behind to him.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"I know what's inside Pandora's Box." Ceal said as he started walking away.

"What? How could you possibly know what's inside that thing?" Falla said with doubt.

"Because I've opened it before." The boy said as he rounded the corner. Falla stared with a wide eye to where he left then looked around quickly. After a pause she ran after him, the girl rounding the corner and seeing him walk into a stairwell.

"Wait, what do you mean you've opened it before?" she called out as she ran up to him.

"Just what I said of course." Ceal said as he walked up the stairs. Falla kept pace with him and looked at him with wonder.

"What? You have?" she asked.

"Did I stutter?" the boy asked as he glanced to her. She looked at him puzzled then down.

"But…how did…" she asked.

"Why are you following me? I thought you had to go to class, and didn't want to hear any more 'crap'." Ceal said calmly while looking ahead. They walked up the stairs towards the roof entrance where the boy walked outside casually.

"Explain, how have you opened that before? When?" Falla asked.

"Why do you care now? You just said you didn't care what's inside the box." Ceal said as he walked outside. The roof was vacant with a tall chain-link fence surrounding the edges. Ceal walked over and just looked up at the blue sky next to the fence while Falla watched him closely. She walked up close to him and narrowed her eye.

"If you know what's inside the box why not tell them? Why keep it a secret if you need their help?" she demanded. She then jumped in surprise as he moved closer to her, the girl backing against the fence as he stared into her eye.

"Tell me this, why is a monster that faced Alucard so afraid of me?" he asked coldly. She trembled a bit and shook her head.

"I'm not…scared of you." She said slowly.

"Really?" he asked with a bit of amusement.

"Really. We know you were just trying to scare us earlier…you wouldn't have harmed us in the school. You were just putting on a show." Falla said shakily.

"I see. You're sure of that?" Ceal said tilting his head.

"Ye…yes. You're not…going to intimidate me." She said nervously.

"I can see it in your eye, the way you cower before me. Your friend claimed you were powerful, and you yourself tried to make that point before we walked out of the infirmary. So tell me, why are you afraid?" Ceal said as he held his gloved hand to her face. She trembled as he ran his fingers from her cheek along to the back of her head then held onto the fence behind her.

"Answer me that, then I'll tell you what's inside Pandora's Box." The boy said simply. The girl looked at him carefully as he had her pinned against the fence.

"I'm…I'm not scared…it's just…that…" she said stuttered. She gasped and looked down to see black rifts below her on the ground. From the rifts black tentacles slowly crept up and around her ankles.

"Just what?" Ceal said coldly. Falla looked to him as she tried not to scream. She was all alone on the roof with the monster boy, and wasn't able to fight back in her current state. She glanced down and away as she tried to control her breathing.

"It's just…I can't fight now." She said softly.

"Oh? And why is that?" Ceal asked simply. Falla breathed out then glanced back to him.

"My magic…it took a steep toll on my mind with that battle. My power had to be sealed for me to remain…sane." She said quietly. He just looked at her for a moment then up at her headband.

"Ah yes, your 'condition' you mentioned before." He said looking back to her. He clearly remembered her little outburst during the first class when her headband was knocked off of her. She nodded then looked down with worry, the girl seeing the black tentacles creeping around her feet yet not making contact.

"So that's why you're not fighting back. Interesting." Ceal said as the rifts below vanished completely. The girl looked at him with a narrowed eye as she was still pushed back against the fence.

"There, I told you what you wanted to know. Now, what's inside Pandora's Box?" she asked sternly.

"Exactly what you've heard was in it." Ceal said as he stepped back from her.

"What? Which is it then, treasure or monsters?" Falla asked shaking her head.

"Both." The boy said simply. She looked at him confused as he smirked a bit.

"What? Both?" she asked. He nodded and looked up at the sky.

"What lies within Pandora's Box is a wish that can be granted, any wish you desire. Wealth, power, fame, whatever you ask can be bestowed upon you." He said calmly. He then looked to the girl and held up a finger with his gloved hand.

"However, those that open the box must earn that wish. And that is by destroying the monsters within that will come forth. Once all those that were brought out by the tomb are killed the single wish of the hunters will be granted." He said.

"So…both legends of the box are true." Falla said looking down.

"Yes." Ceal said calmly. Falla glanced to him with caution.

"You said you opened the box before…" she said slowly.

"Indeed, I have my own reasons for seeking the artifact, seeing as how it's my only way to…find something I'm looking for. The details of that however are not important for you so no need for me to get into anything deeper than that." Ceal said simply.

"When you opened it, did you kill those that came from the box?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, although the three hunters with me at the time didn't survive." The boy said simply.

"And…the wish you made?" Falla asked cautiously.

"Again, that's none of your concern." Ceal said.

"Well, I'm not saying I believe you when you say it won't cause hell to break loose to open it, but that does put some fears to rest. Still, I'd rather not have a hand in opening that thing. I'm still with Razico on this one, it shouldn't be opened ever." Falla said shaking her head. The boy looked at her for a moment then walked forward with a smirk.

"That is not up to you or your warlock friend. I will open the box again, nothing will stand in my way. However we could help each other out here." Ceal said calmly. Falla backed against the fence again as he walked closer to her, the girl's eye watching the boy closely.

"What do you mean help?" she asked with a tremble.

"Simple, you agree to be our fourth-" the boy started before Falla shook her head.

"No way!" she yelled out. He grabbed her by the back of the head and held her against the fence, the girl looking with surprise at the boy.

"Let me finish." He said coldly. The girl trembled in his grip as she stared with a wide eye.

"Like I was saying, you agree to be our fourth, and I'll heal your mind." The boy said calmly. Falla looked at him with surprise still as he let go of her and stepped back.

"What? Heal my mind?" she asked.

"Yes. Or do you not want that pesky 'condition' gone?" the boy asked curiously.

"Are you crazy? What makes you think you can heal my mind?" Falla said with a scoff.

"So you don't want that?" Ceal asked simply.

"Of course I would, but that can't be done. And what makes you think you could even do something like that? You don't know anything about me, or what's affecting my mind." Falla said with discontent. The boy walked up and pushed her against the fence with one hand, the girl looking with shock as he grabbed the band over her head.

"I'll scream." She said shakily.

"Go ahead." He said as he pulled the band off of her head. He tossed it over to the side and held his gloved hand against her head. She looked with a wide eye at the band as it bounced away and landed on the ground.

"No!" she yelled as she tried to move, the girl being held back by his other hand still. She grabbed his arm and tried to get him to budge as he kept her pinned against the fence.

"Let me go, I have to get that or else!" she cried out.

"Or else what?" Ceal asked raising an eyebrow. Falla blinked then stopped moving. She wasn't screaming. She wasn't going crazy with laughter. Nothing was happening to her.

"But…how…" she said slowly looking up to see Ceal's hand against her head still. The gloved hand was glowing a black hue as the boy kept looking at her with a dull gaze. She stopped struggling completely and looked to the band with amazement.

"I'm not…going crazy." She said looking back to the boy. She felt perfectly fine. Her mind was working properly still and her train of thought wasn't driving off a cliff. She looked around then back to Ceal with wonder.

"How…how are you doing this?" she breathed out.

"I'm keeping your mind stable of course. Right now I'm only using enough magic to keep you sane by holding you, however, if you do as you're told I can make it more permanent." The boy said casually.

"How…how can you fix this though?" she asked as she looked up to his gloved hand.

"I've had plenty of practice using my magic on living beings. I myself am a prime example." The boy said with a smirk. She looked at him with a wide eye then glanced to his gloved hand. Under it was a black reptilian hand, something that he apparently did to himself.

"Your hand…" she said with wonder.

"I lost my old one in an…accident. By finding a powerful necro demon and killing it, I found a suitable, no, _better_ replacement." Ceal said simply.

"But…my mental illness…" Falla said looking at the boy worriedly.

"Do you want me to cure it, or not?" Ceal asked flatly. The girl just looked at him with awe as he held her back with one hand against the fence while his other hand rested against her head.

"I…um…" she said softly.

"I can feel your mind and how torn it is. It would be no trouble for me to mend it for you, something I'm sure you would be grateful for." The boy said as he held her head gently with his gloved hand.

"You can?" she asked timidly.

"I think you can see for yourself that I can." He said simply. The girl looked to the headband that was lying on the ground away from her with wonder. He was right, with his magic he was able to keep her mind from going crazy. Somehow his power was able to cancel out her chrono dementia completely. She looked to the boy carefully as he held her in place.

"And…you can for sure kill whatever comes out of that box when it's opened?" she asked worriedly. The boy merely nodded.

"And you can really cure me…so I can use my magic freely again?" she asked softly. Again the boy just nodded.

"How can I trust you? How can I believe you will keep your word?" Falla asked worriedly.

A black rift opened on the ground and a long black tentacle crept out, the appendage reaching over and grabbing hold of the headband. Falla watched as the tentacle gently brought it over for Ceal to grab with his normal hand. He held it up before her and looked into her eye carefully.

"What I desire can only be obtained by Pandora's Box, and I will do whatever it takes to get it." The boy said simply. Falla looked at him with a bit of fear again as he held her head gently with his gloved hand.

"However, if all it will take is an act of trust to have you help me, then so be it." He said as the he tossed the band behind him. Falla watched as a few tentacles whipped out from black rifts on the ground, the limbs grabbing and ripping the band to pieces in midair. Falla looked with shock as the pieces of the band dropped to the ground then looked to Ceal.

"What the hell? What have you done?" she cried out. She gasped as his gloved hand gripped her head tightly and a black glow seemed to creep from his hand around her head. Her eye shakily looked at the boy as her legs gave out, the girl collapsing before his other arm held her up from around the waist. She looked at him with a tired eye as he held her, the girl's mind racing as he stared into her eye.

"Ceal…" she breathed out. She started to lose consciousness as Ceal slowly kneeled down with her, the boy resting the girl against the fence as she groaned quietly. After a while he removed his hand from her head and stood up. Slowly her mind came back to her senses and she looked up to him. He just watched her as she stared up at him with wonder. Slowly she stood back up, the girl leaning against the fence for support as she kept her eye on the boy. She looked to her hand then felt her head, the girl brushing her hand through her hair.

"I don't…believe it." She breathed out looking to the boy. He turned to walk back towards the school entrance as she stared at him with awe. He stopped and glanced back to the girl with his blue eyes. She looked to the broken bits of her headband on the ground then back to the boy with wonder.

"You…cured me." She said with wonder. She wasn't going crazy. Her mind felt completely normal even with her seal removed. She laughed a bit and held her head with her hand, the girl feeling her magic flowing through her body freely once again.

"You…you really cured me." She said with amazement. The boy just looked at her with no response. After a moment he turned to walk towards the school entrance. He took two steps before Falla appeared right before him. Showing no surprise he merely stopped and looked at her.

"And you let me use my magic again. It's…unreal." She said with a curious smile at him. Again he just stood there not saying a word.

"I can't…how did…" Falla said with amazement. She looked down then glanced up to him timidly.

"Thank you Ceal." She said softly. The boy just looked at her for a moment then walked around her towards the school. She looked back to him then instantly appeared in front of him again.

"Wait." She said quickly. She paused as she looked at him carefully then she glanced behind her.

"I…owe you for this. Big time." She said softly. She glanced back to him as he merely had an eyebrow raised. After a pause she looked to him with a cautious expression.

"You can…kill what's in that box right? The world's not going to end or anything?" she asked.

"It hasn't ended the past five times it's been opened, I see no reason why this time would be any different." Ceal said simply.

"Five times?" Falla said with surprise.

"Well, that's all the times it's been opened in my family history, who's to say how many times it was opened before that." Ceal said with a shrug. Falla just nodded slowly as she looked at the boy with wonder.

"So the box really won't lead to the end of the world." she said softly.

"If it did why would I want to open it?" Ceal said flatly.

"I see. Well…I need to repay you for this. So…" Falla said looking down. After a moment she looked back to him with a small smile.

"Ok, I'll be your fourth. If it really will be…safe with you, then I'll help." She said softly.

"Really now." He said simply. She nodded and took a step closer to him.

"You…did so much for me by doing this. I can't thank you enough." She said softly.

"You can thank me by helping me then." Ceal said as he looked at the girl with a blank expression. She nodded then looked at him with a gentle smile.

"Alright. I'll help you. As long as you promise the world really won't end." She said softly. He nodded then walked past her into the building. She turned to smile at him then looked down with a soft smile. Her mind had been cured, his magic seeming to have erased her dementia with ease. She could feel her magic flowing through her body freely, yet she wasn't going bat shit crazy anymore. And it was all because of him, the boy that first appeared to be a real monster in her eye. She looked down in thought as she remembered how the boy had them all detained after math class, how his power and the look of his eyes seemed so cold and evil then. And the way he had her pinned against the fence up on the roof, the girl having been scared for her life with him. Yet he cured her mind without any guarantee that she would help him, the boy seeming to do so out of trust with her. She held a hand up to her head and was amazed again how she no longer had to wear that headband to remain stable. After a pause she giggled then looked back to where the boy disappeared down the stairs, the girl then following after him with a timid smile.

* * *

Inside another classroom Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko were seated at desks, the classroom being setup just like how Ms. Nekonome's room was in their old school. Apoch was seated next to a window while Astreal sat next to her. Kyouko was seated next to the blonde haired witch, the three girls sitting in a line one row from the front of the class. A few other students were seated in class as they waited for the teacher who had yet to show up. As they waited the girls were wondering what Falla had been called down to the principal's office for.

"I hope she's not in trouble for anything." Kyouko said worriedly.

"Do you think the other students were scared when her headband was removed earlier?" Astreal asked.

"I don't think so, she merely laughed a bit before we took care of the problem. Her magic never had time to surface." Apoch said looking down in thought.

As they looked to each other worriedly another boy walked into the classroom. The girls looked to see Leon walking in then looking with a bit of surprise at seeing them.

"Huh, small world." He said simply. The girls looked at him cautiously as he glanced behind him. After a moment he sighed then shook his head. He then walked over and sat in the desk in front of Astreal. The girls eyed him carefully as he just sat there in silence.

"You're in our history class as well?" Apoch asked cautiously. The boy merely nodded.

"What about your friend?" Astreal asked.

From the doorway a boy with pale blue hair ran in and caught his breath, the boy bending over as he breathed heavily.

"Ok, I think I lost them." Render said tiredly. He was then tackled to the ground by two schoolgirls from behind. The class watched as the boy squirmed and thrashed about while the two girls held him down with loving eyes.

"Hee hee we got you!" one of them cheered out.

"Why were you running out there like that?" the other asked playfully.

"Because I wanted to live!" Render cried out as he tried to pry them off of him.

"What did you say to them this time?" Leon asked.

"I didn't say a word to them, I don't even know them!" Render yelled out at him. He then looked back to the two girls as they were holding onto him tightly.

"Hey c'mon, I can't breathe." He coughed out as they giggled and held him closely. He slowly struggled to his feet then backed up as the two girls kept staring at him with loving eyes.

"Seriously, why me?" Render whimpered as he backed up. The two girls giggled and ran up and hugged him while he looked nervously between the two.

"C'mon Render, we still have time before class starts." one said coyly.

"Yeah, come with us." the other said playfully.

"No no, I'd really better stay here, don't want to be late and whatnot. Plus based on the look in your eyes I'm not sure I'd be safe alone with you." Render said as he tried to push the girls off of him. Leon sighed then glanced to Kyouko.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to say you're his girlfriend to get them to leave him alone, would you?" he asked quietly. She jumped a bit and looked at him like he was crazy.

"What, are you crazy?" she said in a hushed tone.

"No, but that's not the point here. You said your cousin got the girls to stop hounding him by choosing a girl right? Just tell them you're his girlfriend so they'll leave him alone. You don't have to actually go out with him." Leon reasoned. Kyouko blinked then looked to where the two girls were hugging the boy tightly while he struggled to breathe.

"I can't do that." Kyouko said shaking her head.

"We got Ceal to not harm you at all earlier, this is the least you can do for us. At least it'll get those two to back off from him." Leon said simply. Kyouko looked to the witch sisters then to Render.

"Let's go Render baby." one of the two girls said as they started pulling him by the arm. The other girl started doing the same while the boy struggled to back away from them.

"No means no! Would you stop, hey!" he cried out.

"Don't be shy Render." the other girl said dreamily.

"Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" Render pleaded out loud.

"Hey!" Kyouko yelled out. The three looked over to see the girl standing up and holding her hands at her hips with a look of anger.

"Oh, hello again." Render said simply as he and the two girls froze in place.

"What do you think you're doing with my boyfriend?" Kyouko yelled out.

"Boyfriend?" Render and the two girls said with surprise.

"Yes, _my_ boyfriend!" Kyouko yelled out with anger. She marched up to them and yanked the confused boy out of the girls' grip. They looked at her puzzled then with annoyance.

"Get your damned hands off him or else!" Kyouko yelled out. Render just looked at her with bewilderment.

"You're his girlfriend? As if." one of the two girls scoffed.

"Yeah, he's still single. At least…for now." the other said looking to Render with a bashful smile. Render looked at Kyouko then to the others with confusion. Leon waved his hand around expectedly as the witch sisters just watched curiously.

"Um…yeah. Yeah! She's my…my girlfriend. That's right." Render said as he held the girl with one arm and smiled proudly. Kyouko forced a smile as she tried not to swat him off with a hit to the face.

"What? Really?" the girls asked worriedly. The boy nodded eagerly and smiled nervously. The two girls looked to Kyouko with glares as she glanced around.

"So, now that that's been established, you should probably get moving along to your classes." Render said weakly.

"If she's your girlfriend, prove it." one of the two girls said sternly. Render and Kyouko looked at them nervously as the two girls crossed their arms before them.

"Yeah. Kiss her." the other girl said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ki…kiss her?" Render stuttered. Kyouko glanced to him nervously then to the two girls.

"Yeah, kiss her then." one of the girls said sternly. Render slowly glanced over to Kyouko, the girl looking between the two parties with worry.

"Well…didn't plan on that." Leon said looking down. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then to Kyouko.

"Well? What's the hold up, is she your girl or isn't she?" the other girl said with annoyance.

"Um…well…you see…" Render said shakily. Kyouko showed a nervous expression as she glanced to the boy. She closed her eyes then slowly started to move her head towards him, the boy looking with surprise as she moved closer to his lips. Leon looked with a bit of surprise as well as Kyouko leaned forward to kiss the boy. Before she could however Render was yanked off to the side. Kyouko blinked then looked to see Astreal holding him by the arm.

"Hold on, if anybody gets to be with this human, it's us." She said slyly. The boy was then yanked to the other side as Apoch had grabbed his other arm, the witch looking at the two other girls with a cold glare.

"He looks so tasty for a human too." She said in a dark tone while she licked her lips slowly. The two girls turned pale and backed up slightly as Kyouko looked at them with surprise. Render looked at the two sisters then to Kyouko with a shrug.

"Tasty?" one of the girls said weakly.

"Yeah, I think me and my sister are going to call dibs on him." Astreal said coyly as she held him close.

"Unless…you want to fight for him." Apoch said with a glare. The two schoolgirls shook their heads and backed up a step.

"Oh no, two monster girls want me. Guess there's no escaping them." Render said flatly. Apoch winked at Kyouko then growled at her.

"He's ours now, got it?" she hissed. Kyouko held in her giggle and nodded, then looked down with fear.

"Ok, I got it." She said quickly.

"But…you can't…eat him…" one of the girls said nervously.

"No, but we can do plenty of other things to him, I'm sure he tastes delicious in certain places." Astreal said with a purr.

"Get lost, he's ours now." Apoch said with a cold tone. The two girls trembled then ran out the door in fright. The witch sisters giggled then let the confused boy go. He laughed a bit then smiled at them.

"Thanks, you're a life saver." He said gratefully.

"We didn't do that for you, we did that for our friend." Apoch said dully as she glanced to Kyouko.

"Yeah, like we were going to let her kiss _you_." Astreal said as the sisters walked back to their seat. Render chuckled weakly and nodded then looked to Kyouko.

"Still, thank you." He said kindly. She smiled softly and nodded then walked back to her seat. Render walked over and sat down in a seat in front of Apoch, the boy breathing out in relief from being freed from those two overzealous girls. Apoch and Astreal kept watching the two boys with dull glares, then they looked to the doorway as another student walked in. They blinked then jumped with surprise.

"Ms. Falla!" Apoch yelled out. The class looked to see Falla walking in, the girl blinking then looking with a smile at her friends. Before she could speak Apoch and Astreal dashed over and tackled her onto the ground.

"What are you doing?" Kyouko called out.

"Her headband, she's not wearing her headband!" Astreal yelled as she looked out in the hallway for any sign of it. Apoch looked at her friend with worry as she was staring back with a wide red eye.

"Ms. Falla, where is it? What happened to it?" she cried out.

"It's ok Apoch, really-" Falla started before she was lifted to her feet and Apoch was holding her worriedly.

"Don't worry Ms. Falla we'll find it, just keep calm! Keep calm!" she cried out.

"Where is it?" Astreal yelled looking around while holding her head.

"What's gotten into them?" Render asked puzzled.

"Not sure, but I don't see how this is going to keep her calm." Leon said plainly.

"You guys stop, I'm ok. Really." Falla said assuredly. The two sisters blinked then looked to Falla curiously while the class was staring at them with wide eyes.

"What? You're…ok?" Apoch asked as she saw there was no headband over Falla's head.

"Yeah, I'm ok now. Really." Falla said with a big smile.

"But…how?" Astreal asked puzzled.

"He cured me. He actually cured my chrono dementia." Falla said looking down with wonder and a soft smile.

"What? Cured? How?" Apoch asked shaking her head.

"Who cured you Ms. Falla?" Astreal asked curiously.

Before they could talk more the male teacher walked into the class, the older man having gray hair and a gray mustache.

"Ok everybody, let's be seated." He called out as he walked over to his desk and set some books down. The witch sisters returned to their seats while looking at their friend with astonishment. Falla sat next to Kyouko and smiled at her, the human smiling back and then looking up to her head.

"So…you're ok now? Really?" she asked quietly.

"I'm better then ok Kyouko, I'm cured. He actually cured me." Falla said looking down at her desk with a soft smile. Kyouko looked to the witch sisters who were showing signs of confusion then back to Falla.

"That's great Falla…but…who cured you?" she asked.

Falla looked up and smiled as another boy walked into the classroom.

"He did." She said with a dreamy eye. The girls looked over and jumped with surprise while Leon and Render just looked at the boy with raised eyebrows.

"He…did?" Apoch said in disbelief.

"He…cured you?" Astreal said tilting her head.

"Ceal?" Kyouko said in surprise. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the boy curiously.

"Mr. Erres. So glad you decided to join us today." the teacher said with an annoyed tone. The boy stopped and glanced over to him with a calm expression.

"Did I miss anything being here a whole two seconds late? So sorry sir." the boy asked casually. The teacher muttered something as Ceal walked over and sat down next to Falla. He kept looking ahead while the teacher walked over to the podium before the class, the man having an annoyed look in his eye as he glanced to Ceal. Falla however was staring at the boy with a dreamy eye for a moment before looking back down to her desk.

"He cured you?" Kyouko said with disbelief. Falla nodded and smiled at her brightly.

"Yes, it's incredible. I can think properly without that seal again, and my magic works without going haywire. He really got rid of the dementia, it's a miracle." She said happily. Kyouko and the witch sisters looked at her with amazement then to Ceal.

"He did?" the sisters said together in wonder.

"Ok, let's begin class." the teacher called out.

The teacher started to go into the lesson plan with students taking careful notes. However some students weren't paying much attention as they were busy processing the news that apparently Ceal had cured Falla of her chrono dementia. It seemed impossible to believe, but sure enough the chronofly was sitting in class without her stabilizer headband and was keeping completely in control. Apoch and Astreal looked at their friend with wonder as she was looking down at her desk, the girl having her hand resting against her jaw as she was writing something. Kyouko was glancing over to her and then to Ceal, the girl still shocked that the boy that had them all bound down before with his dark magic would actually have helped Falla like that. Render and Leon were glancing to Ceal cautiously as they couldn't figure out why the boy would have helped the new monster girl with anything, let alone curing her from a mental illness that was plaguing her.

Falla wrote something down on some paper then folded it up, the girl then looking ahead with a soft smile as she reached over and tossed the paper onto Ceal's desk. The boy had so far been leaning back in his chair while his gloved hand drummed gently on the desk with his fingers. He stopped when the paper landed on his desk and he merely glanced over to see Falla looking at him with a soft smile. Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko were looking at her with puzzlement then to Ceal as he glanced down to the paper. After a pause he opened it with one hand and read it.

Thank you so much Ceal :)

The boy merely crumbled the paper up then resumed looking ahead again. Falla watched him curiously then started writing something else down. She folded the note up then gently tossed it over onto the boy's desk. He glanced to it with a raised eyebrow then over to Falla. She was smiling softly at him while her eye darted from the note to him. After a pause he opened it and read it.

You're the best!

He then crumbled it up and looked ahead again. Falla looked at him with a soft smile as she looked down to her desk. Again she started writing something while her friends exchanged glances. After she finished she tossed the note onto his desk quickly. The boy stopped drumming his fingers as he kept looking ahead. After a long pause he slowly took the note and opened it. After he read it he crumbled it up as well and kept looking ahead. Falla watched him closely as she tilted her head.

_Well?_

After a pause she started writing again, all while her friends were watching her with puzzlement. Falla finished writing then started to hand the note over to Ceal, the girl freezing in place as she heard the teacher speak up.

"Ms. Cii, something you'd care to share with the class?" the man asked as he raised an eyebrow to her. She blinked then smiled nervously as she shook her head.

"Um…no sir." She said shakily.

"Come my dear, don't be so modest. Read your note aloud for the class to hear." The man said as he crossed his arms before him. Falla glanced around worriedly then down to the note in her hand. She slowly opened it as she looked down with a blush. Her friends looked at her curiously while Ceal kept looking ahead with a bored look in his eye. Falla opened the note, breathed out, then glanced over to the boy curiously.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"


	17. Worst Possible Direction

Outside the Yokai Academy dorm buildings the group was facing yet another problem that had come out of nowhere. They had somewhat grown used to problems happening on a daily basis, although this one was a bit different from the rest. Inner Moka was holding down Tsukune to the best of her ability, the boy growling and snapping at her with a wild look in his eye. The group had seen firsthand that their friend had succumbed to a vampire's bloodlust, a condition that hasn't been present in vampires for generations. When consumed by this primal nature the vampire is driven into a feeding frenzy, the monster only being driven wildly and uncontrollably to feed from any blood nearby. This state pushes the vampire's senses to greater lengths, with their smell and vision being enhanced to see and detect blood from nearby prey. However it clouds the mind of all common sense and reasoning, the subject only desiring to feed with no control over one's own actions. A prime example of that was that in his animalistic state he attacked and drained the blood of Kokoa and Rason, the two now unconscious from blood loss and shock. Even though Kokoa's blood couldn't be accepted by the boy, Tsukune's blind desire to feed caused him to nearly kill the redhead by taking a large amount of her blood before his body rejected it. And it was only from the group's intervention that Rason's life was saved before he was drained dry by the vampire boy. The group was looking at Tsukune with concern and caution as Inner Moka continued to try to hold him down until help arrived.

Kurumu was holding Rason in her arms as she lay next to him on the ground, the girl looking at her angel with worry as she felt the bond between them take a serious hit from Tsukune's attack. Although Rason was still breathing and his body was healing he came close to being put into a coma from the shock. Near them Gin was holding Kokoa in his arms, the boy looking down at his girl with worry as she was still out cold. She had a bit of blood dripping from her neck still while Kou was watching her with worried eyes from Gin's shoulder. By Tsukune and Inner Moka the silent couple of Dark and Mizore were watching the boy carefully, with the shadow demon removing his earbuds as Mizore watched her friend growl like a wild animal. Yukari and Ahakon were looking at the vampire boy with caution as they kept their distance, the two young casters fearful that should he grab onto them it wouldn't take long for him to kill them by draining their blood.

"Now what do we do?" Yukari asked worriedly.

"We have to wait until Akua gets here." Mizore said softly.

"Can't we just knock him out or something?" Ahakon asked.

"Yukari's washtubs didn't do anything, and Dark only dazed him by punching him in the face. I'd say he's not going to stay down like this." Gin said shaking his head.

"Rason…please wake up." Kurumu said softly as she brushed his hair around his face. She whimpered and held her angel close to her chest, the girl being sure not to suffocate him this time in fear of actually killing the boy now.

"I still don't get it, why did this condition come back with him? I thought you said vampires got rid of it generations ago." Ahakon said scratching his head.

**"We did, I have no idea why he's suffering from it. I only hope he can overcome it just like we did."** Inner Moka said as she struggled to hold the boy down again. She had his hands pinned to the ground near his head and was trying not to be bucked off or bitten as the boy continued to snap at her.

"But you said your kind overcame it through generations of practice, not all at once." Mizore said worriedly.

**"I know that, but we don't have a choice but to hope here."** Inner Moka said with frustration.

"Yukari, you and Ahakon go tell Ruby and the headmaster what's going on here. Maybe they can help." Gin said. The two casters nodded then started running off.

**"No! Wait!"** Inner Moka yelled out. The two casters stopped and looked back to her with surprise.

"What? Why?" Yukari said shaking her head.

**"You can't tell them yet, not until we get his thirst slated."** Inner Moka said looking back to them.

"Why not, they could help us." Ahakon said.

**"The last time he posed a threat like this they contemplated sealing him away or killing him, I don't want them to see him like this."** Inner Moka said shaking her head.

"Moka we can't keep this a secret, they're going to find out anyway." Gin said with discontent.

"Yeah, even if they do seal him they can always bring him back, at least then we'll be safe until we can figure out how to stop this." Mizore said.

**"I won't watch my mate be sealed away again, not on your life!"** Inner Moka yelled out.

"So what do you propose? That we just keep him chained inside your dorm room feeding him transfusion packets?" Kurumu said with disgust.

**"I'm not sure, but at least wait until we have him back to his senses."** Inner Moka said with a grunt. She was then flipped over as Tsukune growled and scrambled to his feet. The group tensed up as he looked around with a wild look in his eye while he was drooling. Inner Moka scrambled to her feet as Tsukune made a dash towards Mizore, the snow girl gasping and darting back. Dark grabbed him by the hand and swung him around, then threw him into the ground. Tsukune tumbled to the side before jumping back up to his feet, only to be tackled to the ground by Inner Moka.

**"I can handle this, just…let me hold him down."** Inner Moka said shakily as she tried to hold his arms down while the boy was facing down. He growled and thrashed about as the group watched with worried expressions.

"Moka, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to seal him away, just until Akua gets here. He's out of his mind like this." Gin said shaking his head.

**"Nobody is sealing my mate away!"** Inner Moka yelled looking around with fire in her eyes. She would not watch a repeat of what happened with the ghoul incident, having to watch as her mate was confined to a pillar of magic as a wild monster.

"He just tried to attack Mizore." Yukari warned.

"If he touches a hair on her head Moka…" Dark said with a cold tone.

**"Enough of your threats Dark, I won't let anything happen to my mate, do you hear me?"** Inner Moka yelled out at him.

"What about our mates? Your boyfriend nearly killed them!" Gin yelled back.

"Yeah, my Destined One nearly died Moka, what about him?" Kurumu cried out with frustration.

"Your own sister is in shock from blood loss, doesn't that matter to you?" Mizore said cautiously.

**"Of course it does…I just…"** Inner Moka said looking down to her mate. She started to tremble as the group watched her, the girl seeming to be holding back her tears the best she could.

**"I can't…watch him…be sealed away. Not again."** She said shakily. She growled then yelled out with frustration.

**"I won't allow it!"**

Tsukune growled then bucked back, the boy bashing the vampire with his head causing her to stumble off of him. The boy scrambled to his feet then dashed towards Yukari, the girl gasping at the sight. Dark grabbed the boy's hand again and spun him around, this time with Tsukune grabbing onto the demon's arm and taking them both down to the ground. Dark landed down as Tsukune bit into his arm, the demon yelling out as Tsukune's jaws shut around his prey.

"DARK!" Mizore cried out as she ran over. Inner Moka stumbled to her feet then raced over as well, the two girls grabbing onto Tsukune and trying to pull him off of the shadow demon. Dark put his foot to Tsukune's chest and pushed while his other hand tried to push up on Tsukune's head. His blood trickled down from the vampire's mouth as Tsukune growled like an animal.

"No! Let him go!" Mizore yelled out as she formed a small ice blade in her hand. She geared back to strike before Inner Moka grabbed her hand.

**"No! Don't hurt him!" **she cried out. Tsukune broke free from their grips then swatted away the demon's leg, the vampire boy then darting over and latching onto his neck. Dark yelled out as he tried to grab the boy's head and pull it off of him.

"Dark!" Kurumu yelled out as she held the unconscious Rason still. Yukari and Ahakon watched with fright as Mizore struggled to break free from Inner Moka's grip.

"Dammit let go Moka, I'm not going to lose my husband!" she yelled out with anger and tears.

**"And I'm not going to lose my mate, drop the blade now!"** Inner Moka yelled back.

"Dark no!" Ahakon yelled as he ran over and tried to pull Tsukune's head off from the demon's neck.

"Ahakon get away from him!" Gin yelled out.

"Ahakon!" Yukari cried out as she ran after him. The young mage grabbed onto Tsukune's head and pulled as hard as he could, the boy growling then looking to the vampire with frustration and fear. Dark coughed out blood as the vampire boy continued to feed from his neck.

"Dark!" Mizore cried out as she tried to yank free from Inner Moka's grip. She growled then swung her ice claw at the vampire, the silver haired girl catching the snow girl's wrist as Mizore growled at her.

"Let go now!" she yelled out as the ground around her froze over. Inner Moka's hands and arms frosted over as the vampire held tightly to the snow maiden's hand and wrist.

"Ahakon…" Dark coughed out as he tried to pry off the vampire. The mage looked at him as Dark nodded shakily.

"Do it…now." he said with a strained voice. The mage looked to Tsukune then nodded with frustration. He grabbed onto the boy's shoulders as he looked to Yukari.

"Get back! Now!" he yelled. She looked at him with surprise before Dark pushed her away with his hand. Inner Moka and Mizore looked over as Ahakon yelled loudly, the young mage's arms electrifying as he held onto Tsukune.

"No!" Mizore yelled out.

**"Don't do it!"** Inner Moka shouted as she pushed Mizore away and tried to run over to them. The mage yelled out as his lightning bolt blasted through his arms and into Tsukune, the boy jerking about as Dark yelled out with sparks flying around him. Dark then put both of his hands to Tsukune's chest and pushed with all his might, the demon launching the smoking vampire back into a tumble. Tsukune crashed onto the ground twitching as lightning arced around him. Dark coughed out smoke and lay on the ground moving slowly as Mizore ran over to him, the girl looking with horror at the demon's condition. She knelt down as he slowly started to sit up, his world blurry from the blood loss. Ahakon looked at him then to Tsukune as Inner Moka tackled her mate and tried to wrestle him down. The boy knocked her off then scrambled to his feet before a bolt of lightning blasted him in the chest and knocked him down onto the ground.

**"Ahakon! What do you think you're doing?"** Inner Moka yelled out with anger as Tsukune slowly got up again.

"He needs to stay down Moka. He needs to stay DOWN!" Ahakon yelled as he fired a blast of lightning again, the attack zapping Tsukune and causing him to jerk about a bit before he wavered. He growled then dashed towards the boy, the vampire not registering the pain of his body but only reacting to seeing the young mage's blood flowing within him. Tsukune took two steps before the ground below him blasted up and knocked him back, the wall of earth then crashing down on him.

**"Yukari!"** Inner Moka yelled looking at the young witch.

"He just attacked Rason, Kokoa, and Dark. He's not going to touch my boyfriend too!" Yukari yelled as she waved her wand around furiously at the vampire boy. The group watched as a wave of earth erupted forth and rolled over towards Tsukune, the vampire boy clawing his way up from the last attack of dirt only to be buried again with a loud crash of another wall of earth. Inner Moka growled with fury and frustration at the witch then ran over to where her mate was buried alive. Yukari then ran over to Ahakon and hugged him tightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again! Please!" she cried out. Ahakon held her gently while looking back to Dark. The demon was still conscious although weakened severely. Mizore was holding him up in her lap and was nuzzling his head with her nose, the girl whimpering at seeing her beloved demon hurt. Kurumu and Gin looked to the demon then over to Inner Moka who was digging through the ground to unearth her crazed mate.

"Dark, are you ok? Dark." Mizore cried softly as she held him. The demon merely nodded while breathing heavily. The group then looked over to see Tsukune lunging through the dirt and tackling Inner Moka to the ground. She held him back by the shoulders as he held onto her arms, the boy snapping and growling at her like a crazed beast.

**"Tsukune…oh god Tsukune…"** Inner Moka said with a pained voice.

"Yukari. Ahakon. Get going." Dark said as he slowly stood up. Mizore watched with awe as the boy seemed to be ignoring his wounded arm and neck while keeping his narrowed eyes on Tsukune.

"Oh man, I didn't seriously hurt you did I?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, I have a high pain tolerance. Don't worry about me, just get going and tell the headmaster." Dark said as he glanced to the mage. The two young casters looked at him then nodded. Mizore stood up next to her boyfriend with wonder as he seemed to be able to stand on his own despite having his blood drained from him like that. The two then walked over towards the vampire couple as the two young casters took off towards the academy.

"Moka." Dark said with a cold tone. The silver haired girl looked over to see Dark and Mizore glaring at her.

"Either the headmaster decides how to deal with him like this, or Dark will." Mizore said coldly. Inner Moka grunted a bit with frustration then looked back to the boy that was snapping at her and trying to bite into her neck. Gin held his mate closely and looked down to her with worry while Kurumu looked down to her sleeping Destined One. She held him close as she closed her eyes, the girl feeling her heart ache seeing her angel like this.

**"Fine…just…he had better not seal my mate away. He's still my Tsukune, and he's still your friend."** Inner Moka said reluctantly. Dark glanced to his arm that had blood dripping from it then back to the vampire boy that was trying to feast on Inner Moka's blood.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." He said simply.

* * *

Inside a human classroom laughter was heard as a girl was looking down at her desk with a blush. Falla glanced around timidly as she put the note down she was forced to read for the class. The teacher merely shook his head at the girl while her friends were looking at her with disbelief. As the class slowly settled down Falla glanced to Ceal, the boy still looking forward and showing no reaction to her note asking if he had a girlfriend or not.

"Ok that's enough class. And Ms. Cii, you can chase after boys when my class is done, are we clear?" the teacher said looking down to his papers at the podium.

"Yes sir." Falla said softly as she looked down again. She glanced over to Kyouko who was staring at her with wide eyes. The human girl looked to Ceal, back to Falla, back to Ceal, and then to Falla again with disbelief.

"Him?" she said quietly. Falla smiled softly and nodded as the witch sisters looked at her like she really had gone crazy without her headband.

The class resumed again with the students mostly paying attention, however not everybody was. Render and Leon were looking back to the monster girl and Ceal then to each other with puzzlement while Kyouko was still looking at Falla like she was crazy. The witch sisters were somewhat paying attention although they kept glancing over to the boy that not only cured Falla of her chrono dementia, but also acted like he was going to kill them all earlier in the day. As the class came to an end and the teacher gathered his papers and books Kyouko pulled Falla closer to her and whispered franticly in her ear.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Him? _Him_?" she barked out in a hushed tone. Falla pulled away and rubbed her ear while looking at the girl with annoyance as the bell rang.

"And Mr. Erres, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please refrain from putting your commentary about my teachings at the bottom of your assignments?" the teacher said with an agitated voice.

"Just a helpful note for somebody so _dedicated_ to the education of his students." Ceal said casually. A few students snickered while Falla held a hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter. The teacher growled then walked out annoyed as Ceal kept looking ahead uninterested. Falla was staring at him with a curious smile as students walked out of the room while the others kept looking between the two in question with bewilderment. After the last student walked out the door Render and Leon jumped up and looked to Ceal with caution.

"Alright what's going on here?" Render asked as Falla walked over to Ceal's desk. She giggled then looked back to see Kyouko pulling her back around the waist with a frightful face on her.

"What did he do to you? Are you crazy trying to ask _him_ out?" she cried out. Apoch and Astreal stood up and kept on guard as Ceal merely glanced over to the commotion. Falla broke free from Kyouko's grip then looked at her annoyed.

"What's your problem? Why can't I try to ask him out?" she asked.

"He tried to KILL US!" Kyouko cried out with fright. Falla rolled her eye and shook her head.

"He wouldn't have done that, he only showed off a bit to scare us. Nothing more." she said simply.

"Yeah, when I said that I was mostly trying to make your friend feel better, he probably would have killed you." Leon said simply. Kyouko started trembling while Falla looked back to Ceal with a warm smile.

"But he's not bad. He cured my dementia. He's…amazing." She said with a dreamy eye. Kyouko looked between the two then grabbed and pulled Falla back to her.

"No way Falla, you can't be serious wanting to date this…this…whatever he is!" she cried out worriedly. Falla struggled to free herself while Apoch and Astreal walked around and stood in front of Ceal's desk.

"Alright, explain. How did you cure Ms. Falla's dementia, and why?" Astreal said sternly.

"You speak as if what I've done for her is wrong." Ceal said simply.

"Why did you do it, what was in for you?" Apoch said with a glare.

"Ok, Falla, I gotta say, there's no WAY you can want to be this guy's girlfriend, he's bad news, trust us! There's just no way you could possibly want to date this guy! You'd have to be insane to think that!" Render said franticly.

"I did so in trust that she would help me with Pandora's Box. She's agreed to be our fourth hunter." Ceal said simply.

"Like I was saying, you TOTALLY should date this guy, seriously he's a perfect match for you! You couldn't have found a better monster to be with, no way." Render said with a bright smile. Leon looked at Falla with a bit of surprise as the girl broke free from Kyouko's grip then looked to Apoch and Astreal. The two witch sisters were looking at her with wide eyes as the girl nodded.

"Yep, it's true." she said simply.

"What? Ms. Falla you can't!" Astreal said shaking her head.

"He did something to your mind, he's tricked you somehow! What did you do to her?" Apoch yelled out at him.

"But he cured my mind without me ever agreeing to help him. I chose to afterwards on my own free will to thank him." Falla said simply. The witch sisters looked to her with surprise at that.

"What? You can't help him with that thing Falla, it'll be the end of the world!" Kyouko cried out.

"No it won't, he already told me what's inside of it. It's safe." Falla said looking to her with smile.

Silence.

"What…was that?" Render said with wide eyes.

"He knows what's inside of it?" Leon said looking to Ceal.

"Of course, he's opened it before." Falla said proudly.

"What?" Render and Leon yelled out.

"He has?" Kyouko said looking to Ceal. The boy merely stood up and kept his eye on the group with a calm expression. Apoch and Astreal looked at him cautiously as he remained silent. Falla looked to Ceal and brushed her hand through her hair and around her ear timidly.

"Yes, and I'm going to help him open it again." she said softly. Render and Leon looked to each other with wonder then to the other boy.

"So…what's inside of it then?" Leon asked.

"Yeah, share." Render insisted.

"So there are no monsters inside of it after all?" Kyouko said curiously.

"No, it's full of them." Ceal said simply. The group jumped a bit and looked at him cautiously.

"What?" Kyouko said worriedly.

"It has both treasure and monsters in it Kyouko." Falla said glancing to her.

"Both?" Apoch and Astreal said together.

"Ok, since we have all four people needed for this, mind telling us what we should be expecting here?" Leon asked carefully.

"Yes, do tell." Apoch said with narrowed eyes. Ceal merely glanced to her then to the other two boys.

"Inside of Pandora's Box is a wish that can be granted to whoever opens it and defeats the monsters that lie within. When the box is opened we merely have to defeat its guardians, and then whatever is desired can be granted." Ceal said simply.

"A wish? Any wish we want? Like…_anything_?" Render asked with awe. Leon looked at the boy with wonder then down as he thought about that.

"Anything at all?" Kyouko said with amazement. Falla nodded with a smile. Apoch and Astreal glanced to each other then looked to Ceal cautiously.

"And…you've made a wish before with it?" Apoch asked carefully.

"That is none of your concern, after all this is our hunt, not yours." Ceal said glancing to her.

"Wow, anything we want. Just imagine what we could wish for, just think!" Render shouted out looking down with a big smile. Leon nodded and looked down with a smile of wonder as he thought about what he could wish for, the boy gently holding his locket in his hand.

"So when the box is opened…monsters come out still?" Kyouko asked.

"Yeah, but he's killed them before. Not to mention with my magic restored I can easily help out with that." Falla said with confidence. Ceal glanced to her then back to the two boys again.

"So the legends were true, about it containing a great treasure and also keeping monsters from long ago sealed up. I guess Razico was partially correct after all." Leon said looking up thoughtfully.

"Haha, this is going to be excellent! After school today we can finally claim the treasure!" Render cheered out.

"Mr. Razico was rather insistent on it _not_ being opened, at all costs." Apoch warned.

"I think we should talk to him first about this." Astreal said worriedly.

"Why, he's not needed anymore. Falla here has agreed to help us, and let me just say it's great to have you on the team." Render said looking to the chronofly with a smile. She smiled and nodded then looked to Ceal.

"It's the least I can do for him." she said softly.

"I'm not sure about this either you guys. I mean…I thought this thing was supposed to be bad news." Kyouko said worriedly.

"Kyouko relax, he's handled it on his own before, and with us with him nothing bad is going to happen. I agree, when I first heard about it I was with you on that, but after he explained what's inside of it and how it won't lead to the end of the world I can see there's no reason to be scared of it anymore." Falla reasoned.

"On his own? What about the three other hunters you would have had with you to open it?" Leon asked.

"They died." Ceal said simply.

"They all died?" Apoch said with narrowed eyes.

"What a coincidence, leaving you alone with the treasure." Astreal said with a bite.

"So you killed them off all to keep that thing to yourself?" Kyouko said with caution. The boy merely glanced to her while keeping quiet. Falla looked at the boy curiously.

"Um, how did they die Ceal?" she asked softly. The boy looked to her then glanced to the two other hunters.

"They were too weak." he said simply.

"So did the guardians kill them…or you?" Render asked with narrowed eyes.

"Would that even matter to you? We're all needed to open the box after all, and if memory serves you two were ready to fight me after the box was opened to claim it for yourselves. You seemed ready to try to kill me to claim it all for yourselves." Ceal said calmly.

"Don't give us that, you were ready to kill us all along Razico to get our keys." Render said with a growl.

"I still am, but that's beside the point. If it makes you feel better they died from what came from the box, not by my hand." Ceal said with a shrug.

"You were going to kill them and Mr. Razico?" Apoch said with a growl.

"I was, and still am, ready to take down anybody that stands in my way. I will open Pandora's Box and make my wish, no matter what." Ceal said looking to the witch with cold eyes. Falla looked at him curiously as the others glared at him.

"Just out of curiosity, do we _all_ get a wish, or just you?" Leon asked. Ceal smirked and glanced to him.

"There can only be one wish granted by the hunters that remain alive from the guardians." he said simply.

"Let me guess, you'll be the only hunter standing when it's wish time right?" Render said with narrowed eyes. Ceal shook his head.

"No, I'm sure Falla here will still be alive since she offered to help me, she herself said she's more than capable with her own abilities. As for you two how should I know if you'll survive or not?" he said calmly. Falla looked at him carefully then down as the others glared at him.

"So we're still going to have our little brawl after the box is opened after all." Render said with a smirk and clenched fists.

"Somehow I'm not surprised." Leon said with a glare.

"If that's what must be done for me to make my wish, then yes." Ceal said. Falla glanced around as the other girls looked at Ceal with glares.

"And just what is your wish Mr. Ceal?" Apoch said as she kept her hand ready to form her sword.

"That is no concern for you." Ceal said casually.

"It is for us, after all we might want to know what we're going to be declining to before you try to kill us." Leon said cautiously. Ceal chuckled then started walking towards the door.

"Once we turn those keys, you'll find out." he said simply.

"And why should we allow you to make a wish?" Apoch yelled as she formed her sword and ran towards him. Before she could strike Ceal stopped and glanced back to see Falla standing between him and the witch. Apoch looked with wide eyes as Falla was glaring at her.

"Hold it right there Apoch." she said sternly.

"Ms. Falla." Apoch said softly.

"How…did she do that?" Render said looking to where the chronofly was one second ago then over to where she was now.

"Ms. Falla we can't trust him, he's willing to kill our friends all to get that wish of his." Apoch warned.

"Yes, he'll probably try to kill you too." Astreal warned.

"Friends? So we're you're friends now?" Render asked hopefully at the witch. She glanced back to him and then narrowed her eyes.

"I meant Ms. Kyouko and Mr. Razico." she said flatly. Render twitched at that then nodded slowly.

"Why is she calling everybody Mr. and Ms.?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's not going to kill you guys. And I promised to help him after what he did for me. He gave me back my mind Apoch, my magic, everything. He gave it all to me without having me help him first, he did so even knowing I might not have helped him at all." Falla pleaded.

"But he just said he's going to kill all those that get in his way." Apoch said shaking her head. Falla glanced to the boy behind her then back to the witch.

"Then just stay out of his way." she said firmly. Ceal smirked a bit as Falla crossed her arms before her. Apoch looked at the girl with surprise as she slowly dissolved her blade.

"What? But…Ms. Falla." she said worriedly.

"The world won't be ending Apoch, and we can easily kill whatever comes from that box again. I owe him to at least help him try." Falla said firmly.

"Is that why you wanted to know if he had a girlfriend? Geez Falla, he tried to kill us all earlier and now you're trying to not only help him with his bloody quest but to also _date_ him?" Kyouko said with disbelief.

"Hey! First off he didn't kill us, he just acted because Apoch and Astreal took up arms first. Secondly he's not out for those guys' blood, he's not going around killing senselessly you know." Falla said waving her hand towards Render and Leon. She then glanced to the boy timidly then back to Kyouko with a stern expression.

"Besides, we came here to the human world to move on from our old boyfriends, to make a new life for ourselves. So why can't I go out with the guy that gave me back my mind? Why can't I like him?" she said with frustration. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the girl cautiously as Apoch and Astreal looked at their friend with concern.

"But Falla…he's…he's…" Kyouko said looking at the boy worriedly.

"He's what Kyouko? So what if he's killed before, Dark and Rason and even Tsukune have before yet you still trust them don't you?" Falla said shaking her head. Kyouko looked at her friend with concern then to Ceal. Falla looked down as she clenched her fists, the girl then glancing back to the boy with a timid eye.

"What's his wish then? What's he going to do with that kind of power? Can he at least tell us that?" Kyouko said worriedly. All eyes turned to Ceal as the boy was glancing back to the group.

"The answer is no." he said simply.

"Why won't you tell us? What are you hiding from us?" Astreal said with narrowed eyes.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to her." he said looking to Falla. She looked at him curiously as he had a blank expression on his face.

"No?" she asked.

"Yes, you wanted to know earlier, so I told you." Ceal said as he walked out. Falla blinked then jumped as she realized what he was talking about.

"What's he talking about?" Render asked scratching his head.

"He's single." Falla breathed out with a smile.

"What?" Leon asked. Falla looked back to the girls with a bright smile.

"He's still single. He doesn't have a girlfriend…yet." she said looking back to the doorway. She giggled then ran out quickly while the others just watched speechless. Apoch shook her head then looked back to her sister, the blonde haired witch still looking at the doorway with an open mouth.

"I don't believe this…" Apoch said shaking her head.

"The world is in danger from the box being opened and this boy will kill anybody that gets in his way to make some accursed wish…and all she can think of is hooking up with him?" Astreal said in disbelief. Render and Leon glanced to each other then shrugged.

"Well, at least we got our fourth." Render said simply, the girls then looking to him with surprise.

"Yeah, I kinda figured we would be forced into fighting Ceal afterwards anyway. Like he was going to share whatever was inside of it." Leon said casually. Render clapped his hands together and rubbed them with a sly grin on his face.

"No problem, we'll take him down and make our own wish then." he said confidently.

"You won't be able to take down Falla though." Kyouko said worriedly. The two boys looked to her as she shook her head.

"Well, to be honest we weren't planning on harming your friend. We had hoped that once we killed Ceal she would see common sense again." Render said shrugging.

"We need to talk some sense into her, she mustn't help this boy with his crusade." Astreal said worriedly.

"I still can't believe that he actually cured her. What sort of magic does he have anyway?" Apoch asked.

"From what we've seen on the battlefield it's necro magic, and very powerful. I wasn't aware necro magic could cure mental ailments, but apparently he can." Leon said. The girls looked to him worriedly then to each other.

"What do we do now? He's drawing Falla onto his side." Kyouko said worriedly.

"Do you think he knows what she really is, what she's capable of?" Astreal said cautiously.

"She's an idiot to fall for him like this, that's what she is." Kyouko said shaking her head.

"Well we'll be sure to watch out for her after we open Pandora's Box then." Render said with a nod. He blinked then looked over to see Apoch and Astreal glaring at him.

"Um…what?" he asked.

"You are not helping that monster open the chest." Apoch said with narrowed eyes.

"You already know you can't trust him, why on earth would you help him?" Astreal said shaking her head.

"Hey, we knew from the start we couldn't trust him, he's never shown himself to be friendly with us. He certainly wasn't friendly to the other treasure hunters he massacred last night." Render said with a smirk.

"That won't stop us from using him to help open the chest though. Once that's done we'll deal with him ourselves, just like we were planning on doing from the start." Leon said confidently.

"No way. Ms. Falla may have lost it thinking that the box won't end the world, but we will not be swayed so easily." Apoch said shaking her head.

"Mr. Razico was very insistent on that box never being opened, I'd rather trust him than some boy that nearly killed us all earlier today." Astreal said with discontent.

"How come you two keep saying Mr. and Ms.? It's kinda weird." Render said simply.

"Never mind that, give us those keys now!" Apoch yelled out as the two sisters turned to glare at the two boys.

"Yeah…we're not going to be doing that. Sorry but we have no intention on passing up this claim." Render said with a weak smile.

"We won't hurt your friend when Ceal inevitably turns on us, however we're not going to give up what we've been working so hard to find." Leon said simply.

"This isn't a game! Hand over those keys right now, we're giving them to Mr. Razico where they belong." Apoch said sternly as the two sisters walked up to the boys.

"Don't make us use force." Astreal warned.

"Heh, we could say the same thing ladies." Render said with a smirk.

"If the rumors around Pandora's Box couldn't intimidate us, what makes you think you can?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because we're real monsters, we're not some rumor." Astreal hissed.

"Enough of this, give us those keys now or else. We can't have them being used to damn the world into chaos." Apoch said sternly.

"Sorry, but they're locked away safely in the magical ether until I bring them out, which I won't be doing to girls who make threats to us." Render said leaning back against the window.

"I plan on holding onto mine with my life, if you want to test that then by all means make your move." Leon said as he narrowed his eyes at Astreal. The witches growled at the two boys while Kyouko watched worriedly. After a moment she blinked then glanced to the side.

"Um, you guys?" Kyouko said softly.

"If I have to use force with you I will." Apoch said sternly.

"That goes double for me." Astreal said with narrowed eyes.

"You guys?" Kyouko said looking over at something.

"This is your last chance. Bring those things out right now and give them to us or else we'll make you!" Apoch yelled out. The two boys blinked then looked off to the side.

"Oh, hello again Mr. Ryoushi." Leon said simply. The witch sisters blinked then looked over to see their history teacher looking at them with wide eyes from the doorway. Apoch paused then jumped as she realized what the man just heard her say.

"Mr. Ryoushi! I…that wasn't what I meant…I was talking about…I didn't mean…" Apoch stuttered while her sister looked at the teacher nervously.

"Are all you…monsters so eager to…do _that_?" the teacher asked nervously. The witch sisters jumped and waved their hands around franticly in front of them.

"No no no, that wasn't what we were asking of them, really!" Apoch pleaded.

"I don't know, it sure sounded like they wanted us to…give it to them. And right here no less." Leon said simply.

"Yeah, they were planning on using force with us too. I kinda feel vulnerable right now." Render said feigning a shiver. The teacher looked at the two sisters with a raised eyebrow as he crossed his arms before him.

"Ladies, I'm not sure how your hormones are, what with you not being human and all. However I must insist that you keep in control while in our world, and try to refrain from taking the pants off of your fellow students. Especially if they said no." He said sternly. The sisters turned red with embarrassment then looked down.

"But…we weren't trying to get _that_ from them." Astreal said weakly.

"I don't want to hear another word about it. I merely came back to fetch some notes I left behind. I trust you two will keep in control of your monster urges while in our school? I would hate to think the representatives of the monster world would act so lecherously with their fellow students." The man said walking over to his desk and grabbing a few papers.

"Ye…yes sir. We promise." Apoch said closing her eyes and looking down with remorse.

"Good, now run along, don't be late for your next classes. And I don't want to hear another word about you two acting in such a way." The man said walking out of the room. The witch sisters sighed with remorse as the two boys smirked a bit. Apoch growled loudly then pushed Render against the wall with one hand, the girl forming her sword in the other.

"Hey, no means no remember?" Render said with a weak smile.

"Don't give me that shit, hand over those keys now!" Apoch yelled out. If somebody had told Render and Leon that the witch sister Apoch used to be known for being shy and timid, they would have laughed given that the black haired witch was apparently anything _but_ shy and timid as she held her sword at the ready to gut the boy.

"I don't think so. Besides, you can't hurt me otherwise it'll look bad for monsters everywhere." Render said with a smirk. Apoch growled loudly as she held the boy against the windows.

"Apoch don't do anything extreme. Besides unlike Ceal these two are actually being nice." Kyouko said worriedly. The black haired witch glanced to her then to Render, the boy looking at her with a curious smile while he made no effort to free himself from her grip. After a moment she pushed off of him and dissolved her blade.

"We won't let you open that box. Mark my words." Apoch said sternly.

"Yeah, even if the monsters in the box don't destroy the world there's no way I'd trust somebody like Mr. Ceal to be allowed anything he desires." Astreal said with a glare.

"I agree with you on that one, that's why we're going to be making that wish." Leon said. Render nodded with a smile.

"Not a chance. We'll be keeping our eyes on you two." Apoch said with a narrowed glare.

"Really? Then if you're going to be sticking around us regardless can I still say I'm your boyfriend? Just so the other girls will leave me alone?" Render asked. Apoch and Astreal merely looked at him with dull glares. He looked between the two then smiled weakly.

"C'mon, you don't have to actually do anything. Just say I'm yours and get them to leave me be. What do you say?" he asked gently. Apoch walked up to him with a raised eyebrow.

"You want me to say that I'm your girlfriend?" she asked innocently. Render nodded eagerly as Apoch tilted her head curiously. After a pause she grabbed him tightly down below and applied pressure, the boy cringing with his knees buckling. Kyouko looked with wide eyes as the boy keeled over onto her shoulder and cried out with a high pitched gasp while Apoch glared at him.

"If you tell one girl at this school that I'm yours then the next time you see my sword it'll be dug into you _here_, understand?" she said with a growl. The boy shakily nodded and whimpered something before the girl let go, the boy then dropping to the ground holding himself with pain. Kyouko stared with wide eyes while Astreal merely glanced to Leon.

"That goes double for me." She said simply. Leon nodded then looked down to his friend that was gasping for air.

"I wasn't on the lookout for a girlfriend right now anyway." Leon said simply.

"Ok…noted…but seriously…why did you have to do that?" Render coughed out. The two sisters scoffed at them then started to walk towards the door.

"Let's go find Ms. Falla and knock some sense into her." Apoch said dully.

"We'll deal with you two after we talk to Mr. Razico." Astreal said firmly. Kyouko looked to her friends then to the boy on the ground.

"Um…sorry." she said quickly before running after the witch sisters. Render shakily looked up to see the three girls walking out, the boy seeing Apoch's skirt waving around and barely revealing her underwear. The girls walked out as the boy shakily stood up again.

"Well, that was smooth of you." Leon said shaking his head. Render caught his breath then smiled weakly.

"Wow, she's got quite a grip with that hand." he chuckled.

"I'll take your word for that. You ok?" Leon asked raising an eyebrow. Render looked to where the girls left them smiled curiously.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Gotta say though, the way she handles that sword of hers, that's kinda hot." He said with a nod.

"Might I suggest not pissing her off more? I sincerely doubt she wants to be your girlfriend, as she nearly castrated you with a threat that she did _not_ want to be your girlfriend." Leon said simply.

"Yeah yeah, anyway we have other matters to deal with. No time for picking up girls when we have our work ahead of us, like finally opening that treasure tonight." Render said eagerly.

"Yes, that and dealing with Ceal. And now possibly Falla." Leon said glancing to the door.

"I wouldn't worry about her, she seems harmless enough. Besides she doesn't seem as cold as to attack us. Ceal's the only threat, and I'm betting we can take him." Render said with a shrug and a smirk.

"Not like we're going to have a choice." Leon said as the two started walking towards the door. As they walked out into the hall Render looked up thoughtfully.

_She seems to like swords…I wonder if she'll like my collection._

* * *

"I can't believe this, this is…unreal." Rason said as he was sitting on the ground, the angel being held closely by his girlfriend who was looking him over worriedly. He had regained consciousness a little bit ago and was slowly starting to recover, all while Kurumu held him close in her lap. Kokoa was being held in Gin's arms still, the girl awake now and looking over to Tsukune with worry and fear now. She was still weak from the blood loss but had regained consciousness and seemed to be ok. Mizore was holding onto Dark's arm, the one that wasn't bloody from Tsukune biting into it earlier, as the couple kept a close eye on the vampire boy. Inner Moka was struggling to hold her mate down still as the boy kept growling and snapping at her as she tried to hold him down, the girl having his hands pinned to the sides of his head again while she straddled him.

"It's going to be ok, it's going to be ok Rason. Yukari and Ahakon left to go get the headmaster." Kurumu said as she gently held her boyfriend close.

"But I just don't get it, it doesn't make any sense." Rason said shaking his head.

**"I already told you he couldn't control himself, his body is being driven by his vampire urges. It's not him that's attacking you, it's the vampire within him."** Inner Moka said as she bucked around a bit while trying to hold down her crazed mate.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I get it that Tsukune's gone crazy with bloodlust, that point was more than apparent when he sucked my blood." Rason said holding a hand to his neck that had some of his blood on it still.

"If it's why he attacked me it's because he can't control himself around any blood. Big sis and I are in danger around him as well, only with us he won't drain us dry before he starts to reject our blood." Kokoa said softly.

"No, that too makes sense. Moka mentioned earlier when she couldn't drink Tsukune's blood anymore that vampires can't drink other vampire's blood. I get that." Rason said simply.

"Then what are you talking about now?" Dark asked as he glanced to the angel. Rason blinked then pointed to him.

"How the hell are you still standing?" he cried out. The group blinked then looked to Dark then back over to Rason while Inner Moka glanced back to Rason for a moment.

"What?" Dark asked.

"How? How do you do it? It's not possible!" Rason yelled out.

"What are you talking about?" Mizore asked.

"I don't get how you always do this. First in Snow Woman Village you take Kiria's scythe _through_ your gut and you still remain calm and awake. I however get my body torn up by Luna's time magic and like hell I could stay conscious through all that without medical attention! Damn that hurt like hell man!" Rason yelled out with disbelief. The group glanced to each other then back to the angel.

"Not to mention that when the ghoul had you impaled on his arm you…you weren't screaming! You just _talked_ to Tsukune! You _talked_ to him before he killed you!" Rason shouted out shaking his head.

"Your point?" Dark asked flatly.

"Then he drains my blood from the neck and I'm out for a while, and then he bites into your neck _and _arm…and you're still going! Even _after_ Ahakon shoots a freakin' lightning bolt through both of you! How?" Rason cried out. Dark just looked at him without saying a word. Mizore however smiled smugly and held onto her boyfriend's arm.

"Well like I've been saying from the start, my demon is the be-"

"Oh shut up already frosty! Your demon isn't better than my angel! No freaking way!" Kurumu yelled out with anger.

"I gotta admit that does all sound very impressive when he puts it like that." Kokoa said glancing to Dark. Gin merely nodded in agreement.

"He has a high pain tolerance, my demon _is_ the best after all." Mizore said proudly. Kurumu growled with frustration then held her angel gently while looking down at him.

"If it makes you feel better my mp3 player did not survive the lightning bolt." Dark said simply. Rason just looked at the boy with disbelief then shook his head.

_What's his secret? Seriously?_

"I'll be sure to fetch you a new one from your room beloved." Mizore said looking up to her boyfriend with a loving smile. She loved that she finally knew where her demon's room was, even if he rarely if ever went there.

Inner Moka bucked around as Tsukune continued to growl and snap at her, the boy seeming to be driven by hunger alone as his body didn't seem to tire or wear down. The silver haired vampire growled then looked back to Kokoa.

**"Kokoa! I can't hold him like this by myself."** She called out.

"And you want her to help? She can barely stand Moka, what is wrong with you?" Gin barked out. Kokoa looked at Tsukune with worry then to Kou.

"Kou, do the same as before, go!" she called out. The bat squeaked then flew over to Tsukune, the familiar then shifting into a giant morning star mace in the air. The group watched as Inner Moka grabbed Tsukune's arms then pinned them quickly to his sides, just before the giant mace fell and crashed into the ground next to him. The handle dropped over his waist and the silver haired vampire grabbed it then held it down as the spiked ball dug into the ground.

"Increase in mass, keep him down Kou!" Kokoa called out. The mace squeaked then screeched as it dug into the ground deeper, the handle holding down the boy's waist and arms as Inner Moka kept the boy's hands pinned down.

"Wow, that's a pretty good trick actually." Rason said with a nod.

"Why didn't Moka just have that bat do that from the start? Tsukune wouldn't have harmed my Destined One then." Kurumu said with annoyance.

**"Because Kou only listens to commands from Kokoa, and at the time she was unconscious!"** Inner Moka barked out.

"Is that going to hold him?" Mizore asked softly.

"It worked in the dorm buildings until the floor gave out. Still, out here Kou won't be falling through the earth. It should help big sis hold Tsukune down." Kokoa said as she gently clung to Gin's chest.

Dark watched Tsukune thrash about for a bit then turned to walk back towards the dorm building.

**"Where are you going?"** Inner Moka asked looking to see the silent couple walking away.

"I'm going to get clean clothes and a new player. I trust you can handle your mate for the time being?" Dark said glancing back to the vampire. Mizore merely glanced back to the vampire with annoyance as she held onto Dark's arm.

**"Yeah, I believe I can hold him down with Kou's assistance now."** Inner Moka said looking back to her mate. With the incredibly heavy mace on top of the boy he was indeed pinned down with much less effort.

"If you've got it under control now, I could really stand to get cleaned up myself." Rason said as he slowly stood up. His shirts were covered in blood from Tsukune's previous attack. Kurumu helped him stand by the arm and held him closely.

"I'll help you get cleaned up angel boy." She said gently with a smile. The boy smiled at her and nodded then looked to Tsukune.

"Is he…really going to be ok?" he asked.

**"I hope so Rason. I hope so."** Inner Moka said as she held her mate down with remorseful eyes. Rason and Kurumu looked at their blood crazed friend then slowly followed Dark and Mizore into the boy's dorm buildings. The girls clothing were still fine, although Kurumu was contemplating changing into her normal attire before visiting the headmaster soon, as wearing her swimming suit with a revealing white t-shirt over it wasn't exactly proper when meeting the man. The couples walked into the dorm building as Kokoa looked up to Gin with gentle eyes.

"Gin…could you…" she asked. He nodded then looked to Inner Moka.

"I'm going to help your sister get cleaned up as well. We'll be back afterwards." He said simply. Inner Moka nodded and glanced to him.

**"Very well. Thank you Gin…for caring for my sister." **She said simply. Had the wolf offered to do such a thing with Kokoa in the past Inner Moka would have likely thrown her blood crazed mate at him and let Tsukune suck his blood dry. However Gin had indeed proven to have changed all for the redhead, the wolf earning a bit more of respect from the proud noble self of Moka. Gin nodded then walked off towards the girls dorm building with the redhead in his arms, the girl looking up at him with a timid expression.

As the three couples left the courtyard grounds Inner Moka looked back to her mate with remorse as he kept trying to break free and attack her, the boy only seeing the brightly lit blood from the vampire and being drawn to it mindlessly.

**"Tsukune, I promise I'll help you get through this. I won't let this madness consume you."** Inner Moka said gently as she held the boy's hands down below the heavy mace's handle. The large weapon shifted around a bit as the boy continued to snap and growl at her, the girl looking with a pained expression at him then down and away as she kept her grip on his hands.

* * *

Inside Dark's room the demon was undressing from his bloody clothing as Mizore was watching with a bright smile. Her boyfriend had always disappeared in the past to get a new change of clothing or a new player, yet was never seen doing so. Hell ever since he came here Tsukune and Rason never saw him leave the dorm buildings once, the demon always shrouded by his natural cloak. As he took off his shirts, and Mizore tried not to get carried away at the sight of her boyfriend half naked, he looked to his arm where Tsukune had bitten him. Mizore walked over and looked at the mark, the wound already sealing up.

"Are you ok now? That must have been so painful for you." Mizore said as she gently held his arm. The demon nodded and glanced to her.

"I'm alright. I'm just glad he didn't get to you. I'd hate to see your fair skin tainted with fallen blood." he said gently. The girl blinked then looked at him with loving eyes as she blushed.

"Dark…" she said softly. He smiled softly then walked over to his dresser and brought out a new change of shirts. As he started getting dressed Mizore looked around his room with a curious smile.

_It's still weird to think that I'm actually in his room…I always wondered what it would be like. I didn't expect it to be so…bare though._

"So you really never stay here?" Mizore asked.

"Never had much of a reason to." Dark said glancing to her with a smile. She giggled then looked down bashfully.

"Were you really…stalking _me_ since we started dating?" she asked.

"I prefer to think of it as watching over my future wife." Dark said walking over to her with new shirts on, the boy slipping on the necklace given to him by his girlfriend. She smiled at him softly as he held her close, the girl then looking up to him with loving eyes.

"You really are too good to be true." she said lovingly. She then tilted her head and rolled her lollipop around in her mouth.

"Say Dark, since you couldn't give me my surprise last night, do you think…" she asked timidly. The boy chuckled then walked over to his closet.

"Tonight, provided Tsukune doesn't kill everybody first." he said as he took out a new player from one of the many racks inside his closet. He looked at the device for a moment then took out a new pair of earbuds from the closet and closed the door. As he clipped the player to his hip he glanced to the girl as she smiled at him playfully.

"Always a catch huh?" she asked with a laugh. The boy smirked then put in his earbuds as she looked around with a curious smile. She couldn't see anything in the room that stood out or was hidden, the girl curious as to where her mystery gift was.

"C'mon, let's go see how he's doing." he said simply. She took her lollipop out and then leaned forward, the girl kissing him as he held her with one arm. After the kiss broke she smiled softly at the boy and nodded. As soon as she put her candy back in however the two looked to the door as they both felt a massive vampiric aura emerge.

"Was that…" Mizore asked with wide eyes.

"Tsukune." Dark said with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Inside Rason's room the boy had taken off his bloodied shirts, the angel looking in the mirror on his desk at the bite marks on his neck. Behind him Kurumu was looking at her angel with loving eyes and relief, the girl seeing a few of his feathers that had blood on them still as his wings were tucked behind him. She was dressed in her normal clothing style again, the girl wearing clothing she had left in his room after one night where they left to do a little activity high in the sky that the succubus had been eager to try for some time.

"Seriously, how did Tsukune deal with that every day before with Moka? That hurt like hell." Rason said shaking his head.

"I think Moka was a bit more gentle with Tsukune, although she too sometimes took more than a fair share of blood. I can remember plenty of times the poor boy dropped like a rock from her little 'snacks'." Kurumu said with a shrug.

"I guess. Still, hope that doesn't happen again. I mean I like Tsukune and all, but I'd rather only get that close with you…minus the blood sucking of course." Rason said turning back to her with a gentle smile. She looked at her boyfriend with a deep gaze, the girl feeling her body light up from both the bond and seeing him half naked. He still had his necklace around his neck of the crescent moon, and much to Kurumu's chagrin he still had his pants and shoes on as well.

"Rason…" she breathed out as she walked toward him. He looked at her curiously as she placed her hands on his chest and leaned against him, the girl looking up at him with loving eyes.

"I'm so glad you're ok. I was so worried…" she said softly. She turned him around and gently brushed her hands through his feathered wings.

"When he attacked you like that, I felt the bond weaken from your pain. I was so scared I was going to lose you." she said softly as she whimpered a bit. The boy glanced back to her as she took a clean cloth and gently brushed the blood out of his feathers.

"And he got your beautiful feathers all bloody, the nerve of him." she said with a pout. She had come to love his feathers so much, just like the one he first gave her when they met. She had one of them by her pillow that she held every night that the boy didn't stay over, the girl relishing the fact that she was with a genuine angel from heaven. And a pretty hot one too.

"Heh heh, don't be too hard on him Kurumu, he's not in control right now. The poor guy, I feel bad for him that he has to go through this." Rason said looking down. Kurumu finished brushing his feathers then looked down with remorse.

"Me too. I know he's not in control, it's just…I couldn't stand to see you hurt like that." she said softly. He smiled and turned to hold her close, the girl feeling the bond shoot through her from his arms as they wrapped around her. She still couldn't figure out how when they first met she didn't see that they were made for each other, but was thankful that he kept chasing her until she saw the truth.

"It's ok my dear, I'm feeling fine already." he said gently.

"You really do have the stamina of the gods." she said with a small laugh. The boy chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, not sure about that. I did pass out down there, not like Dark who kept moving somehow." he said with a smirk.

"Psh, forget about that demon, you're the amazing one here." Kurumu said as she leaned closer to him.

"The only amazing one here is you my dear." the boy said as he pulled her into a kiss. She sighed happily as the bond seemed to flow from his lips through her, the girl feeling her entire body light up inside. It was as if she was bathed in a blinding white light, the girl feeling like the world around her vanished completely. After the kiss broke the boy smiled at her as she blushed a bit.

"C'mon, let's go see if he's still…well, ok I guess." Rason said as he slipped on his t-shirt followed by his outer shirt. Kurumu nodded reluctantly then glanced to his window.

"I hope he'll be ok when Akua gets here." she said softly.

Suddenly they both felt a strong vampiric aura radiate from the courtyard, the two looking to the window with surprise.

"Um…actually, I hope _we'll_ be ok until she gets here." Rason said worriedly.

* * *

Inside Kokoa's room the redhead was looking up at Gin with wonder as he held her in his arms, the older boy looking down at his girl with a gentle smile. He slowly set her down on her feet as the girl kept her eyes locked onto him.

"Thank you Gin…" she said softly.

"Of course Kokoa, can you stand ok now?" he asked. She nodded then looked down timidly.

"Yeah…I'm feeling a little better." she said rubbing her neck. It still stung a bit after Tsukune's rough bite on her. Gin looked at her with worry then smiled a bit.

"Would it help you if you took some of my blood?" he asked. The girl looked at him with wonder as he tilted his head a bit.

"That would help give you your strength back wouldn't it?" he asked with a wink.

"Gin…" she said softly as she looked at him with wonder.

"It's fine, I never did mind you taking some of my blood before. And I would gladly give you some more to help you." he said gently. She looked at him with amazement as the boy held her close around the waist.

"Are you…sure?" she asked. The boy chuckled then lifted her up off her feet a bit, the girl's legs slightly intertwining with his as he held her around the waist closely.

"I'm positive. Anything for my mate after all." he said with a smile. She looked at him with awe then smiled softly. She gently held him around the neck then bit down, the girl purring softly as she drank from his veins. The boy smiled and held his girl close, then glanced to the mirror on her desk. He saw himself holding the same redhead that, on her first day here at the school, kicked the crap out of him for taking pictures from a bush at new students. The same redhead that had smashed him into the ground with her Kou-hammer dozens of times in the past for acting perverted near her sister or any other girl in general. The same redhead that he found himself in love with as she was in love with him, the two seeming to have connected when no possible bridge between them seemed evident before. He knew this girl was the only one for him now, the only girl he would truly love.

The only one he would ever give his heart out to, the only one since…

Kokoa leaned back from his neck then smiled at the boy with loving eyes, the wolf looking at her with a smile and slightly wavering bit.

"Thank you Gin." she said softly. The boy nodded and gently set her down on the ground, the redhead stepping back from him and looking at him with wonder. She was two years younger than him and the daughter of a great dark lord, not to mention if enraged she could likely send the boy into the emergency room with little trouble. Yet that wasn't keeping him from wanting to be with the girl nonetheless.

"Of course Kokoa, I hope you're feeling better now…um…Kokoa?" the boy said nervously as she started taking her shirts off. She kept looking at him with a playful smile as she tossed her bloodied shirts over onto the ground.

"What?" she asked as she unsnapped her bloodied bra and dropped it to the ground. Gin's eyes bulged out as he got a clear view of the redhead naked from the waist up before him. Granted, whenever her overcharge was in motion she was always naked or near to it during the firestorm her body emitted, but this time she was literally undressing before him casually, something that she never did before.

"Did you want…me to leave first?" he asked.

"Why? You've seen me naked before." Kokoa said with a wink before she walked over to her closet. Gin nodded and tried to hold his nosebleed. That was true, he had seen her naked before, although she was usually covered in fire or the group was dealing with a critical battle at the time. Kokoa giggled and glanced back to him.

"Don't you like what you see?" she asked with a purr. Gin stammered and nodded a bit.

"Well…yes, of course I do, it's just…" he said nervously.

"It's just you want to be a gentleman and not stare?" she asked curiously. Gin nodded as she looked at him curiously.

"Well, you're staring now. So oh well." she said with a smirk and shrug. The boy jumped a bit and looked down nervously.

"Sorry." he said quickly.

"Why? I told you it's ok, you're my mate after all." she said as she grabbed new shirts from her closet. She slipped them on then looked to the wolf with a curious smile.

_He really is trying to be a gentleman. It's so unreal, I never thought before that he…I really did hit the jackpot with him. Who would have thought?_

"Ok, I'm dressed now." she said with a laugh. The boy nodded then looked to his girl with a nervous smile.

"It's just…I don't want you to think I'm…I'm not like how I was before." he said simply. She nodded then walked up to him with a loving smile.

"No, you're not. You're so much more Gin, so much more to me." she said softly. She stopped before him and tilted her head with a smile.

"Definitely a wolf worthy of an S-Class vampire, that I know. However…" she said as she leaned in closer to him with a coy expression. Gin looked at her curiously as she smirked a bit.

"If you did want…to be a bit more _naughty_ with me, I won't say no." she said with a wink. The boy blinked then backed up a step with a stammer.

"Wha…what? What do you…mean?" he asked with a nervous smile. She giggled then walked up to him, the girl putting her hands on his chest and looking up into his eyes.

"Just what I said Gin. I mean, you're a perfect gentleman with me, so loving and caring. A perfect mate for me too. Still, I wouldn't mind if you were…a bit more…dirty with me." she said softly. He glanced down to the girl's clothing then back to her as he backed up against the wall.

"But…I…what I mean is…" he stammered.

"What's wrong Gin? Don't you…_want_ me?" Kokoa asked softly with a pouty smile.

"What? Of course…I mean…I…" he said nervously. She winked then tilted her head.

"I know I'm dating a werewolf, so I'm expecting a rough time already. Still, that's part of the fun, right?" she asked before she licked her lips.

"But…maybe we should…um…" Gin said nervously. Granted he had thought about being more intimate with her, but was fearful that acting that way would cause him to be seen for what he used to be. And he wasn't sure if he was more fearful of losing Kokoa's love or the severe beating he would get from Inner Moka if he tried anything with the redhead.

"We have some time now…if you want to." Kokoa said glancing to her bed. Gin jumped a bit with a blush as Kokoa reached up to unbutton her shirt.

"I'll try to keep quiet if you like." she said softly.

"Kokoa…" Gin said as he trembled a bit.

Before she could undo her shirt they both felt a powerful vampiric aura flow over the area, the two looking to the window with surprise. Kokoa blinked then slowly looked back to Gin, the girl having fear in her eyes.

"That was…Tsukune." she said as she trembled.

"Oh no…not now." Gin said as he looked to the window with caution.

* * *

Outside Inner Moka was climbing back to her feet, the vampire shaking a bit as she slowly looked back up. In her hands was Tsukune's rosary seal, the girl having accidently plinked it off as the boy was thrashing around on the ground at her. As she was holding his hands down her fingers slipped and knocked the seal right off. Before she could reattach it however the boy knocked the morning star and vampire right off him with a massive surge of power. Kou was lying on the ground dazed off to the side from the blast while Inner Moka was looking at her mate with wide eyes.

**"Oh god…what have I done?"** she said with worry. The massive amount of vampire energy from the boy cracked the ground below him. His eyes were black and crimson as they glared at the girl. His growling was louder as he bared his teeth along with his fangs. His hair had a gray streak that bled through the side as he stood before the girl. His full vampire power was unleashed, and was only fueling his bloodlust to even greater lengths. Everything around him was a black shroud, everything but the light coming from the vampire girl's blood as she stood before him. Inner Moka looked at the boy with fear as she backed up a bit. The boy had stopped before from draining her dry from rejecting her blood, but in this state he might not stop in time before she was seriously injured from the feeding, or drained to the point of heart failure.

**"Tsukune…oh no…no!"** Inner Moka yelled as the boy growled at her like an animal.

"Moka what have you done?" Kurumu cried out from Rason's window. Dark and Mizore were watching from the boys dorm building lobby, the two staying behind the doors as they looked with surprise at Tsukune's unleashing. Dark had his earbuds in but he didn't even get to start his music up before the massive aura caught his attention. Gin and Kokoa were looking from the redhead's room at Tsukune, both seeing his power released as he eyed Inner Moka with a glare.

"Big sis what were you thinking?" Kokoa cried out.

**"It was an accident, do you honestly think I ****_wanted_**** this? Get back inside now! He can't see you otherwise you're dead!"** Inner Moka called out as she backed away. Tsukune was locked onto her, the vampire knowing that if he saw the others he could likely charge them. And with his full power unleashed, whoever he got into his grip would likely not get away with all their blood. In fact with his full power she feared nobody could stop him should he grab hold of anybody.

"Oh god…his power…" Gin said with worry.

"He'll be unstoppable now!" Kokoa cried out.

Tsukune took a step towards Inner Moka, then shot at her like bullet. She gasped then darted back, the girl just missing as he swung his hands towards her. She backed up then jumped away as the boy leapt towards her in a flash. He landed on the ground then darted towards her instantly, the boy keeping chase as she backed up towards the forest.

**"No…Tsukune…"** Inner Moka said with wide eyes.

"What are you doing? Run!" Kurumu cried out. Inner Moka jumped a bit then dashed off into the forest as Tsukune yelled out like a feral animal. He bolted after her in a flash, the ground cracking under his steps as his power was flowing around him wildly in his crazed state. The others ran out to the courtyard and looked to where the two had vanished into the forest.

"You've got to be kidding me, she removed his rosary?" Rason cried out in disbelief.

"She said it was an accident." Mizore said with worry.

"It may be the last one she ever makes." Kurumu said with fright.

"What do we do? With his full power released nothing's going to stop him now. He's completely out of control!" Gin said with worry. Dark narrowed his eyes and growled a bit. He glanced to the others and shook his head.

"Actually, she just made another mistake." he said with frustration.

"What else could she have done besides unleash Tsukune's full power _while_ he's blood crazy?" Kurumu said with fear. Dark looked back to the forest and pointed in that direction.

"She picked the worst possible direction to run off with him chasing after her." he said.

Inner Moka was dashing through the rotting woods blindly, the girl looking behind her and seeing her mate rushing towards her with a crazed look in his eye. He literally punched away trees and leapt over boulders to keep on his prey, the vampire boy seeming to be driven by his need to feed to the point that nothing would slow him down.

**"Oh god what have I done? Now how are we going to keep him down until Akua gets here?"** Inner Moka said shaking her head. She darted through the trees at high speed while Tsukune chased after, the boy slowly gaining on the vampire. He would have caught her no problem if it were just them, but with the trees and large rocks in the way the boy was being held back just enough in his pursuit that he couldn't tackle the girl to drain her of her blood.

She ran through the trees as fast as she could, then emerged out of the woods with the sounds of crashing and growling echoing behind her. She ran a few more steps then stopped, the girl looking with wide eyes ahead of her.

**"Oh…fuck…"** she breathed out. Tsukune raced out of the woods as he crashed through a tree, the boy growling at the girl as pieces of the tree shattered around him. The boy's eyes were locked onto the girl, the blood in her veins lighting up as she stopped and turned to face him. All around him nothing but darkness was seen to the boy as his eyes were fixated on the signature of fresh blood to drink.

Nothing but the hundreds of bright glows that filled his view before him, the vampire boy standing at the edge of the school festival where some students and graduates were looking over to him with wonder.

**"Not here…anywhere but here…"** Inner Moka breathed out looking back to the large gathering of monsters that were at the school festival. She slowly looked back towards her mate as the boy growled loudly, his teeth bared as he drooled slightly. His eyes slowly gazed around as he saw the glowing light of dozens upon dozens of monsters, all with their blood illuminated before him. Inner Moka trembled as she shook her head, all while a few students were looking curiously at the vampire couple.

"What's going on, what's that boy doing?" a female student asked pointing to Tsukune. They then looked with wide eyes as the boy was emitting a powerful vampire aura, the aura that was causing the ground around him to scorch and crack, the aura that was casting the air around him into a reddish glow, the aura that was slowly drawing the attention of others around the area. As they all looked over with wonder and surprise Inner Moka turned back to them with a loud cry.

**"RUN!"**


	18. Feeding Rampage

In the halls of a human high school students were walking around and talking amongst themselves before classes continued on for the day. This was a time that friends could talk to each other, catch up on the news of the day, exchange notes or papers quickly before classes resumed, or to shake their friend against the wall franticly in disbelief like they were out of their fucking mind.

"Are you out of your fucking mind Ms. Falla?" Apoch shouted through bared teeth as she was shaking Falla by the shoulders, the surprised chronofly looking at her with a wide eye as she was repeatedly pushed against the nearby wall by the witch. Falla had been looking around for Ceal to talk to him, however before she could walk up to the boy she was immediately grabbed and pulled aside by Apoch.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Falla cried out as she was shaken continuously by the black haired witch. Astreal and Kyouko were watching with wonder while students around the hall were watching with surprise.

"Um…everybody is listening, watch…what you're saying." Kyouko said weakly.

"Fine, are you out of your fucking mind Ms. F…Fal…FA…FALLA?" Apoch shouted with a strained voice at the end.

"That's not what I was talking about." Kyouko said looking around at the spectators. Falla broke free from the witch's grasp and looked at her with annoyance.

"What's your problem Apoch?" she said sternly.

"My problem? What about yours? Do you have any idea what will happen if you give that boy what he wants?" Apoch yelled out at the girl.

"Yeah…that isn't sounding any better." Kyouko said worriedly as she looked around at the crowd of students watching the loud girls.

"Sister calm down." Astreal said looking around as well. Apoch and Falla glanced around before Apoch grabbed the chronofly's hand and pulled her down the hall. The four girls went into the girls' restroom as Apoch pushed Falla over towards the wall near the stalls. Astreal kept watch at the door while Kyouko looked at her friend with concern.

"What's the big deal here?" Falla asked with annoyance.

"The big deal is that you're planning on helping that monster with Pandora's Box." Apoch said crossing her arms.

"Falla why would you try to help him, don't you remember what he nearly did to all of us?" Kyouko said shaking her head.

"He didn't harm a hair on our heads. Besides, why can't I help him, he helped me out big time by curing my dementia." Falla said pointing to her head.

"Yes that's a fair trade, cure your mental illness for a hand in destroying the world." Astreal said glancing back to the girl.

"He's not going to destroy the world!" Falla yelled out.

"How do you know that? Just because he _said_ so? We don't know anything about him Ms. Falla, nothing except that he's supposedly brutal, powerful, and very unpleasant to be around. Mr. Razico said-" Apoch started before Falla looked at her with a glare.

"I don't care if Razico was scared of him, Ceal's not a bad guy!" she shouted out.

"He's just trying to manipulate you, and doing a good job of it so far as well." Astreal said. Another girl started to walk in before the witch held a hand to her.

"Sorry, this restroom is taken." she said firmly.

"Taken? What do you mean taken?" the girl asked puzzled.

"She means get out!" Apoch yelled glancing back to her. The girl jumped then ran back out quickly.

"Falla listen to reason." Kyouko begged.

"Reason? Maybe you don't understand, he _cured_ my dementia, he gave me back my mind and magic. And for _nothing_. He didn't demand I help him first, or blackmail me. He restored my mind, and then he _walked away_! I chose to help him because I wanted to, not because I had to. And he made a good point to me too, if the box really was going to destroy the world why would he even open it? He's not stupid!" Falla said firmly.

"He doesn't know what's inside of it." Apoch said shaking her head.

"Yes he does, he's opened it before!" Falla barked back.

"Again, we're taking his word on that?" Astreal asked flatly.

"Ok, let's assume he _did_ open it before. And let's just assume he _did _kill whatever came out. What did he wish for after the three others that were with him so conveniently died? Why didn't he want to tell us that before? He's hiding something Falla, I just know he is. He's acting so…so…suspicious!" Kyouko cried out.

"I agree." the witch sisters said in unison. Falla looked down with frustration as Apoch shook her head at her.

"We just brought about peace between the two worlds, we put an end to Alucard…and you're willing to risk ending all that just because some boy caught your eye?" she said with a raised eyebrow. Falla growled then glanced to her.

"We need to talk to Mr. Razico at lunch, and get those keys away from those three as soon as we can." Astreal said with a nod.

"I still need to call Tsukune too, he needs to know about this." Kyouko said worriedly. Falla growled a bit then walked around Apoch towards the door.

"Where are you going now?" Apoch asked turning back to her.

"I'm going to class, then I'm going to find Ceal and talk to him." Falla said simply.

"About going out with you?" Apoch said with a scoff. Falla stopped then glanced back to the witch.

"I'm going to talk to him about going with him tonight for the box. And so what if I do ask him out, that's _my_ choice Apoch." she said sternly.

"Ms. Falla you can't-" Astreal started before Falla glared at her.

"First off, it's just _Falla_! Secondly I can and I will. Ceal saved my mind…I can never thank him enough for that." Falla said looking down. After a pause she looked back up to Astreal with a determined expression.

"I'm going to help him, him as well as Render and Leon." she said firmly.

"And then what, you're going to let Ceal kill Render and Leon once you open the box? Remember, only one wish for all of you, and Ceal's not going to let anybody get in his way of that." Kyouko said worriedly. Falla looked down at that comment with a closed eye.

"He said it himself he's ready to kill for that wish, and not only Mr. Render and Mr. Leon, but also Mr. Razico. You're probably expendable to him as well." Apoch said sternly. Falla clenched her fists and trembled a bit as Kyouko walked up to her.

"Falla, please." she said softly as she rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. In a flash Falla appeared away from her and behind Astreal, the three girls looking in surprise to seeing Falla near the doorway and glancing back to them.

"He's not bad, I'm sure of it." she said softly.

"You don't know that." Apoch said firmly.

"Falla don't do this." Kyouko said worriedly.

"He's not bad..." Falla said looking down. The girls glanced to each other then back to her as she paused for a moment.

"I know he isn't." she said quietly.

"And you're willing to risk the world to prove that point?" Apoch said with narrowed eyes. Falla growled then glared back at the witch.

"He is bad news Falla, please trust us on this." Kyouko said gently.

"Just stop already!" Falla barked at her.

"We will not Ms. Falla, not when the safety of the world is being jeopardized by your blind attraction to some lousy bastard with a freakish hand." Apoch said with discontent.

SLAP!

The group looked with surprise as Falla had appeared instantly before the witch and had her hand held off to the side, the chronofly glaring at the witch she just slapped across the face. Apoch recoiled then looked with wide eyes at the girl.

"Don't you _dare_ speak about him like that, you hear me?" Falla yelled out.

"Ms. Falla…" Apoch said softly.

"You all are so quick to judge him, and based on what? Even Razico doesn't know for a fact what's in the box, so why's his word better than Ceal's? I'm not going to listen to this crap, he did something major for me, and I'm going to return the favor. And yes, I do think he's pretty hot, so why can't I ask to be his girlfriend? We came to the human world to move on didn't we Apoch? Well guess what, that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Falla yelled at her. She growled then walked towards the door, the girl stopping before Astreal with a glare.

"Move aside. Now." she said sternly. Astreal looked to Apoch then slowly stepped to the side. Falla walked towards the door then glanced back to the girls.

"I'm going to go find Ceal right now, and assure him that despite what _you_ all are saying, I'm with him on this. I don't desire any wish from the box, but I will help him achieve his." she said with anger.

"You don't even know what his wish is for this time, let alone what it was for last time." Apoch said with discontent.

"I'll find out beforehand. You'll see, he's not a bad guy. Got that?" Falla said with a narrowed eye. She then walked out as the three girls looked to the doorway with surprise.

"I'd rather trust Mr. Razico than Mr. Ceal." Astreal said softly.

"What are we doing to do? They have all the keys, and Falla's not going to listen to us." Kyouko said with worry.

"We'd better think of something before tonight. If Mr. Ceal really does get to wish for anything he wants, it could be just as disastrous as Alucard." Apoch said with narrowed eyes. The three girls looked to each other then to the door. Their friend had made her choice, to help the three hunters with their goal of opening Pandora's Box. To open it even knowing that monsters sealed away by the Almighty lie within. To open it even knowing that Ceal would be prepared to draw blood from those that would not give him his wish.

"C'mon, let's get to class and then after that we'll find Mr. Razico during lunch." Astreal said.

"Falla…" Kyouko said looking down with worry.

"We won't let her make this mistake Ms. Kyouko. She may be blinded by Mr. Ceal, but we won't be swayed. To allow that boy to make any wish he desires, honestly, I doubt anything could be worse than that." Apoch said shaking her head.

* * *

**"RUN!"** Inner Moka yelled out to the nearby crowd of students at the school festival. Students were looking with wonder and awe as a large vampiric aura radiated from nearby. However the aura wasn't from Inner Moka, even though hers would normally draw a lot of attention in her unsealed state. No, the aura was much larger, and was coming from the boy that was growling like an animal as he looked at the crowd of passerbys. But he wasn't seeing just students and guests walking around during the day, he was only seeing their blood which was illuminated for him brightly. The light that shined from the dozens of nearby monsters was all he could see around in the shroud of darkness, and was the only thing his mind was fixated on.

**"Get away from here, run!"** Inner Moka yelled looking back to seeing Tsukune dashing towards them at high speed. The silver haired vampire gasped as Tsukune raced up towards her and the crowd of students behind her.

Blood shot into the air as a loud scream was heard. Students all around looked to see others running away from something screaming. Some were pushing and plowing their way through the dense crowd while others were trampled on and knocked into nearby stands. From the source of the chaos Inner Moka was shaking her head as she slowly sat back up, the girl having been steamrolled by her aggressive mate who had charged a random female student in the crowd, and had that girl pinned down on the ground with his fangs dug into her neck.

"AHHHH! HELP!" she cried out as Tsukune growled loudly, the boy digging his fangs deep into her neck as he started to drink from the blood of the girl. She gasped and screamed as Tsukune kept his fangs dug into her neck, the boy growling furiously the entire time. Inner Moka looked with wide eyes as she felt the lifeforce from the girl drain rapidly while surrounding students were looking with shock.

"Hey, get off her! Hey!" A boy yelled as he ran over to them. He was quickly swatted away by Tsukune, the boy being sent flying back and crashing through a nearby stall. Tsukune stood up while holding the screaming girl in his arms tightly, the boy keeping her neck pressed against his mouth. She coughed out blood as she twitched in his arms, the girl's world blurring around her quickly. Other students ran over to her and tried to pry her free only to be knocked away quickly by the vampire boy with one arm while his other held his prey close. Tsukune growled then bit down further, a loud crunch echoing out as a spurt of blood shot out from her neck.

"Please…stop…" she coughed out as her eyes slowly closed. The girl thrashed about for a few seconds, then fell limp in his arms as the boy continued to feed from her bleeding neck.

**"Oh…god…"** Inner Moka breathed out as she saw the lifeforce of the female student disappear completely. Slowly the boy glared around the area and growled with blood dripping from his mouth. He let go and the girl dropped to the ground, her eyes wide with shock and her skin pale. Inner Moka looked at the girl who was remaining motionless with wide eyes of disbelief then to her mate.

**"Tsukune…"** she breathed out. Before she could move the boy dashed towards another student near him, the vampire grabbing onto a male student and biting down onto his neck furiously. The student yelled out as he was dropped to the ground with a spurt of blood shooting from his mouth. Others around screamed and backed up as the student twitched and coughed weakly in the grip of the vampire boy. Inner Moka stood motionless as she watched with horror the sight of her mate drinking the blood of others nearby. But he wasn't using any control like Moka and Kokoa have with their mates before, he was acting like a wild monster and drinking his prey dry.

**"No…"** Inner Moka said softly as she felt her heart ache for her mate. Tsukune bit down onto the boy's neck with a loud snarl, the student screaming as blood was coughed out all while he thrashed around in the vampire's grip. Slowly he started to weaken and he stopped screaming, the boy falling limp as Tsukune held him down with great force. Inner Moka watched with horror as the lifeforce of the student faded away completely.

**_Tsukune…_**

_Oh god…no…TSUKUNE!_

Tsukune arched back and roared into the air as the student below him was lying on the ground with pale skin and closed eyes. The crowd around them screamed and started running around wildly.

"It's a vampire! A rogue vampire!" a boy cried out.

"He's gone crazy! It's a bloodthirsty vampire!" a girl screamed as everybody started running around in a panic.

A girl was grabbed by the hand and stopped, then screamed as Tsukune held her tightly from behind while biting into her neck. She screamed as blood came from her mouth, the girl then dropping to the ground as others ran around with fright. Inner Moka stared with shock, the girl unable to move as her eyes were locked onto her mate with horror. The female student he had pinned thrashed about and screamed for a moment, then fell limp on the ground as her lifeforce started to fade away. Inner Moka blinked then screamed out.

**"NO!"**

From the rotting forest a group of monsters were running towards the festival as fast as they could. Dark had his earbuds in his pocket as he had his eyes narrowed, the shadow demon wondering how much bloodshed would follow in his crazed friend's wake. Mizore was running next to him, the snow maiden fearful for what kind of chaos would be caused at the school festival from Tsukune's bloodlust. Near them Gin and Kokoa were following closely after with Kou on Kokoa's shoulder. The younger vampire was worried about her big sis and what would happen with Tsukune being near so many sources of blood. Gin was running with a focused expression, the boy knowing full well that nothing good would come of Tsukune being led towards a place with so many potential victims. Up above in the sky Rason was flying with his shirts tied around his waist, the angel flying side by side with his girlfriend Kurumu as the two were anticipating serious trouble ahead of them.

The group raced out of the forest, regrouped on the outskirts of the festival, and stared with wide eyes at the sight. Students and guests were seen running around while stands and booths were knocked around and destroyed. Screams were heard as everybody was in a panic.

And bodies of students and visiting guests were seen lying around on the ground, all with pale skin and not breathing, all that had bloody bite marks on their necks. The group looked around with shock at the sight of Tsukune's fallen victims.

"Oh…my…god…" Rason said with disbelief. Kurumu covered her mouth as she looked with wide eyes at the sight.

"He's…he's…" Kokoa said shaking her head with fright.

"Feeding." Gin said with a pained voice.

"We're too late." Dark said with a growl.

"He's feeding on everybody." Mizore said looking around with fear.

"This is horrible." Kurumu said grabbing onto Rason's arm.

"There'll be no stopping him now." Kokoa breathed out. She blinked then looked around.

"Where…where's big sis?" she asked with fear.

**"NO!"** Inner Moka's voice yelled out from deeper in the festival.

"She's still alive." Rason said looking to the source of the voice.

"What…what do we do now?" Kurumu said with worry.

"We find Tsukune, and stop him." Dark said sternly.

"But…how?" Mizore asked. The demon glanced to her then to the sight of the festival.

"By any means necessary." he said with a glare.

Elsewhere in the festival grounds Inner Moka was pulling back on Tsukune's shoulders, the silver haired vampire trying to pull her crazed mate off of a screaming female student. The girl cried out as Tsukune held her close and was biting into her neck, the boy growling as he drank from her blood quickly. She coughed out blood then fell limp in the boy's arms as Inner Moka tried to stop her mate with no success.

**"No! NO! STOP!"** she cried out.

Tsukune finished sucking all the blood from the helpless student then tossed her body away which crashed into an empty booth like a ragdoll. The boy roared then darted forward and tackled a male student to the ground with a vicious snarl while Inner Moka was thrown off of him and over onto the ground. She looked back to see Tsukune digging into the boy's neck and growling as the boy screamed and thrashed about.

**"No don't!"** Inner Moka cried out with devastation. There was no stopping her mate, the boy could not be reasoned with. His mind was completely gone as his bloodlust had taken over, the vampire boy now on a feeding rampage in the festival grounds. And with his full strength and power not even the silver haired vampire could stop him from running loose.

"Please! Stop! STOP!" the boy cried out as Tsukune dug his fangs deeper into his neck. He coughed out blood then slowly fell limp as Tsukune continued to feed. Inner Moka watched with horror as the student's lifeforce vanished before her eyes. Tsukune then stood up and roared like an animal, the boy standing over the fallen student who had look of shock on his face and pale skin. He turned his cold eyes towards a nearby glow of light, the vampire growling as a female student was looking at him with fright as she backed up against a nearby booth.

"Please…no!" she cried out as Tsukune rushed at her and tackled her into the booth. The stand collapsed as her screams echoed out along with Tsukune's snarls. Inner Moka raced over towards it only to see Tsukune having the girl pinned down on the ground, the female student screaming as he had dug his fangs into her neck. Inner Moka grabbed onto Tsukune and tried to pull him off with all her strength.

**"Stop! Stop this now!" **she cried out.

"HELP ME!" the girl cried out as she thrashed in his grip. Slowly she started to stop moving as she coughed out blood. The girl fell limp in his arms as Inner Moka watched with horrified eyes.

**_There's no stopping him…no…Tsukune…_**

Slowly the girl stopped breathing as her lifeforce vanished completely. Tsukune let the body drop down onto the ground as he stood up, the girl's expression of horror as her skin was pale. Tsukune growled loudly then dashed out into the crowd of students as Inner Moka looked at the body of the fallen student with remorseful eyes. She then looked over to see Tsukune tackling down another boy to the ground, the student screaming as his friends tried to pull the crazed vampire off of him. They were all swatted away effortlessly as the pinned boy cried out while his blood was being drained. After Tsukune drank every last drop from the boy he stood up and looked around with a crazed expression still. Inner Moka looked at him with a pained expression as she held back her tears.

**_Oh god Tsukune…what's become of you? How much blood will you take before you come back?_**

She shook her head then raced after the boy with a few tears forming. The girl got close to the boy before he spun around and tackled her to the ground, the girl looking with a pained expression as he held her down. He roared at the girl as she tried to push him off, the girl unable to free herself from his incredible strength.

**"Tsukune…I'm so sorry…" **she breathed out. Before the boy could latch onto her neck he was blasted off into a tumble, the vampire then crashing into a stand nearby. Inner Moka looked to see a large werewolf standing next to her and glaring at the crazed boy.

"Big sis!" Kokoa cried out as she ran over and helped Inner Moka stand. The vampire looked at the two then over to see Tsukune suddenly being lifted into the air.

"Get him out of here now!" Gin called up to the sky. Inner Moka watched her mate being carried by an unseen pair of flyers. Tsukune roared and thrashed around, then bashed his head behind him and knocked free from Dark's grip. The two flyers staggered as they phased into view while Tsukune dropped down onto the ground. As he landed down his feet and lower body froze over while Mizore walked over next to Inner Moka. Kokoa grabbed her bat and raced towards the boy as he broke free from the ice with little trouble.

"Kou transform, do the same thing again!" Kokoa yelled out. Kou squeaked then shifted into a large morning star mace again. The vampire leapt up into the air as Rason flew by while Dark kicked Tsukune in the jaw. The vampire boy staggered back before slipping on a newly formed ice patch on the ground. He fell back onto the ice as Kokoa landed down with her mace across the boy, the girl pushing the handle down again to pin the boy down.

"Increase in ma-" she started before Tsukune swung his arm out and knocked the redhead clear off her feet and into a nearby empty booth.

"Kokoa!" Gin yelled out as the redhead crashed into the stand and took it to the ground.

"That's not going to hold him now." Mizore said with frustration as she kept trying to freeze the boy down. That too was proving useless as his strength allowed him to break free instantly from any ice she created.

"Dark and Rason can't get him out of here when he's free like that." Gin said shaking his head.

"Guess we're going to have to weaken him before we can do anything." Mizore said softly. Inner Moka looked around to see her friends around the area, along with the crowd of students that were trying to put distance between them and the crazed vampire. Well, all of her friends except for one.

**"Wait…where's Kurumu?"** Inner Moka asked.

"She said she would try her hand if we couldn't get him out of here or keep him down." Gin said looking up.

"Which I would imagine is now." Mizore said looking up. Inner Moka blinked then looked up as well.

From the sky the blue haired succubus was diving down towards the vampire boy. Her fists were clenched, her eyes were narrowed, and her tail and wings were smoking. She flew down and landed right before the crazed vampire, the boy looking to see the brightly glowing blood from the girl. She growled then geared back for a punch.

**"Is she crazy? She can't fight Tsukune like this!"** Inner Moka yelled out. Dark and Rason looked down to see the girl as Kokoa staggered to her feet carrying her Kou-mace.

"Sorry Tsukune…" Kurumu said as her eyes glowed a soft purple. Tsukune roared at her and tried to grab her, the girl darting around and yelling out.

"But you need to STAY DOWN!" she roared as her tail and wings ignited, the group watching with surprise as her demonic limbs burst into a purplish flame.

WHAM!

Tsukune flew back and crashed through a vacant booth from the girl's punch, with everybody staring with shock. In a flash Kurumu raced towards the vampire boy and punched again, the girl's strike connecting to his face and blasting him back into a loud crash into another stand.

"Wow…" Gin said with wide eyes.

"Her strength…I never knew she was that strong before." Mizore said with wonder.

**"That makes two of us."** Inner Moka said with surprise. She couldn't believe that the succubus was able to strike with such power like that all while she herself couldn't even budge her mate. Up in the sky Rason was looking at his girlfriend with amazement as the succubus stood prepared with her demonic limbs burning ablaze.

"Unreal." the angel said softly. Dark merely nodded as he watched the girl closely.

"How…did she do that?" Kokoa said with disbelief.

Kurumu looked to her hands with a glance as Tsukune climbed back to his feet.

_I can feel it…so much energy…it's…it's insane. It's overwhelming._

She could feel her muscles tighten as her senses increased. The fires from her limbs didn't burn or scorch her at all, all while her eyes glowed a soft purple. A massive amount of demonic energy seemed to ignite within her once she concentrated on it, just as she did during her time down in hell. However something else lit up within her, something that was not present when her soul was in the underworld.

_What...is this? It's…I'm…I'm so…_

She started breathing heavily as her face flushed, the girl shakily looking back to see Dark and Rason landing down near the group. At the same time Tsukune dashed towards her with a roar, the boy's eyes locked onto her blood signature as she stood there.

"Kurumu watch out!" Rason called out. The girl looked to see Tsukune dashing towards her, the boy reaching out to grab her. In a flash she reached out and grabbed both his hands, the girl skidding back a bit as her feet dug up the ground before she stopped. The group watched with shock as she was holding Tsukune back with a growl, the girl seeming to be nearly as strong as him. Tsukune snapped at her while the girl held him back, her eyes glaring at him while her wings and tail burned with a purplish flame.

"I don't…believe it." Mizore said with wide eyes.

"She's…stopping him." Gin said with amazement.

"It's…amazing. Look at her aura." Rason said with wonder. The girl's monster aura was not only swirling around her, but was also darker by far. It was purplish with black streaks flowing around it, all seeming to emanate around her on a massive level. At first glance it seemed to be nearly as potent as Tsukune's, perhaps even larger.

"She really is the Lord of Hell's daughter." Dark said with a nod.

"Big sis…are you seeing this?" Kokoa asked as she walked over to the group, the girl looking with awe as her bat returned to her shoulder. Inner Moka could only nod as she watched with surprise as Kurumu was able to hold Tsukune off even with his full strength.

Kurumu growled with glowing purple eyes as she swung Tsukune around and slammed him into the ground, then swung him over her head and into the ground again. The group watched as she slammed the boy around a bit before spinning around and jumping into the air. With a powerful throw she launched Tsukune down and crashed him into the ground, the boy creating a powerful explosion and a large dust cloud. Kurumu landed down as her wings and tail burned brightly, the girl's power flowing through her wildly. Her strength, her speed, her reaction time, her hearing, everything was amplified as she called upon her inner dark power. All amplified, along with something else. She looked over to see Rason staring at her with wonder.

"She's doing it, I can't believe it." he said with amazement.

"That must be the power of hell itself, because she certainly couldn't have done that before." Kokoa said with a nod.

Rason smiled at his girlfriend then glanced to Dark.

"Ha, that's my gir-" he started before he was tackled to the ground by a fast moving purplish blur. The group looked over with shock as Kurumu was kissing Rason, the girl holding him down with one hand as her other pulled his pants down in haste. He looked with wide eyes as she sat up on him, the girl reaching down and grabbing something of his as she licked her lips. She had a lustful smile on her face as her wings and tail continued to burn.

"Kurumu what are you doing?" he cried out as the girl not only kept him down with one hand, but pushed something of his into her with a loud moan. The group stared with shock as she started humping him wildly while pushing him down with a furious kiss, the girl holding his head down with one hand while her other dug into the ground next to him with great force. Her full power was flowing through her, all amplified by her demonic blood. Not only was her strength and power increased, but also her succubus libido, which drove the girl into a mating frenzy. Having a physical body in the real world her own urges were present, something that she didn't experience in hell during her first use of her full power. Her mind couldn't think straight, the girl consumed by her desire to make love with her Destined One.

"Oh. My. God." Mizore said with wide eyes.

"She's…_doing_ him? Now?" Kokoa cried out with disbelief.

"Holy shit." Gin said with shock as Kurumu savagely started to hump her mate, the girl continuously kissing and moaning as Rason thrashed about with wide eyes. Dark just watched with a raised eyebrow then glanced to the others.

"So, do we have a plan B?" he asked simply as he looked back to Tsukune climbing back to his feet and growling at the group. The group just looked with shock at the sight of Kurumu having sex with Rason right then and there to slowly looking over to Tsukune. The boy roared at them and started to run towards them before the ground below him blasted up and tumbled him back. The wall of earth crashed down onto him as the group watched with surprise. They then looked over to see Ahakon and Yukari running towards them.

"Hey, we heard the screams, is everybody- WHAT THE HELL?" Yukari yelled out as she and Ahakon just watched with wide eyes the sight of Kurumu forcing herself on Rason before the group. The two young casters watched with open mouths as the succubus moaned wildly during her carnal act before shakily looking over to the group.

"What are you two doing here?" Gin asked.

"What are _we_ doing here? What the hell are _they DOING _here?" Ahakon yelled pointing to the intimate couple on the ground. The group looked to see their friend in a mating frenzy while Tsukune crawled out through the dirt.

"We have no idea, she was using her full monster power to stop Tsukune, was doing great, then…started doing this!" Kokoa cried out with disbelief and a blush.

"What's with her wings? And her tail?" Ahakon yelled with wide eyes as he saw the purplish flames burning from the succubus.

"Forget about that, what's with her doing Rason _now_?" Yukari cried out. She looked to see Tsukune racing towards them again, the young witch then waving her wand and causing the earth to blast up and knock him back. The vampire boy roared out before the wall of earth crashed down on him. In a flash he jumped up through the dirt then raced at the group. The witch gasped then fired out a powerful blast of energy, the ball hitting the vampire with great force. The group then watched as Tsukune darted _through_ the ball of energy, the magical sphere detonating as he raced towards the group. The vampire boy ran up to the group before he was blasted back a bit by purplish burst of light. The vampire growled before Ahakon fired off a blast of lightning along with Yukari using the earth to throw Tsukune back into another tumble. The group looked over to see Ruby standing there holding her wand towards Tsukune while looking at Kurumu with wide eyes.

"What. The. Hell?" she asked shaking her head.

"That's what we wanted to know." Ahakon said looking to the couple with wide eyes.

"We don't know, she just seemed to lose control." Kokoa said shaking her head.

"Lose control? That's what you call losing control? Tsukune losing control with this bloodlust thing these two mentioned is one thing, but this…what the hell?" Ruby shouted with disbelief. Kurumu arched back and moaned loudly, the girl having a flushed face as she rode her angel in front of all her friends. Rason cried out as he tried to push the girl off of him, the succubus having her hands pushing down on his chest with great force.

"Kurumu! Stop! What are you DOING?" Rason yelled as he tried to stop his girl from going crazy with her lust, which he seemed incapable of doing. Ruby looked around with shock then back to the couple.

"There are dead students everywhere, Tsukune's gone crazy…and she picks _now_ to have sex with her boyfriend?" she cried out.

"Believe me, the choice is not up to me!" Rason cried out as he continued to try to free himself.

"Look out!" Kokoa yelled as Tsukune was running towards them again. Ruby and the two young casters aimed their magic at them again, with Ruby calling forth her rings of containment, Ahakon using his lightning blasts, and Yukari rolling another wave of earth at the boy. Tsukune crashed through the walls of earth, shrugged off the blast of electricity, and broke free from the rings of containment with no problem. Mizore tried to freeze the ground around Tsukune, the boy slipping and tumbling down before scrambling towards them with his hands digging into the ground and ice.

"We can't stop him!" Mizore yelled out.

"Only Kurumu seemed able, and she's lost it!" Gin said looking back to the blue haired girl who was moaning and yelling out in ecstasy while riding her freaked out boyfriend. Inner Moka, Kokoa, and Gin ran towards Tsukune quickly while Dark vanished. Tsukune raced up to them before Inner Moka grabbed his left arm, Gin grabbed his right, and Kokoa jumped into a kick at his chest. The three then knocked Tsukune back onto his back as the silver haired vampire and werewolf tried to hold his arms down. Kokoa straddled his chest and grabbed Kou from her shoulder, the familiar then forming the mace again. She held it tightly as she used the weight from it and herself to try to keep his chest down. Dark appeared in front of them and tried to hold Tsukune's jaw closed with one hand while holding the boy's head with his arm, the demon trying to wrestle the boy into keeping still.

**"We can't hold him like this for long!"** Inner Moka called out as the four were bucked around a bit.

"What are we going to do with him?" Yukari said shaking her head.

"What about them?" Ahakon said with a disturbed face looking back to Kurumu and Rason. Yukari looked to them then held her wand up.

BANG!

The succubus jerked about as the golden washtub connected to her head, the girl wavering as the flames around her tail and wings died out. She sat there for a moment before collapsing down onto her boyfriend out cold. Rason rolled the girl off of him while scrambling away a bit, the boy quickly pulling his pants up as he looked at his girl with wide eyes.

"Thank you…Yukari." he said softly. The young witch just nodded while looking at her unconscious friend with wonder.

"What the hell got into her?" Ruby said shaking her head.

**"Would you forget about her and help us?"** Inner Moka yelled out. As soon as she said those words she and Gin were tossed away as Tsukune roared out, the boy thrashing around then lunging forward. Dark was flipped over the boy and rolled into a tumble as Kokoa was pinned down on the ground with her mace being pushed down across her. The giant spiked ball dug into the ground as Kokoa tried to push back up on the handle, the handle which was all that was keeping Tsukune from biting into her neck. His arms were holding onto her shoulders as he snapped at her, the boy's neck resting against the handle as she screamed with terror.

"Help! Get him off!" she cried out as the boy tried to snap at her again and again while she kicked around wildly.

"My god, he really is like a wild animal." Ruby said with sorrow.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Kokoa yelled out as she tried to lean back away from the wild vampire boy. Dark got back to his feet then tried to pull Tsukune back by the arm with Gin while Inner Moka grabbed his other. They got him to budge slightly before Tsukune snarled and dove towards the two boys. Dark grabbed Gin and the two vanished while Tsukune snarled around wildly. Inner Moka grabbed him from behind and tried to keep him steady while Kokoa got to her feet then kicked Tsukune's legs out from under him. He fell down onto his knees before Inner Moka pushed him down. Gin and Dark appeared as they grabbed his arms and held them out before the boy roared out and swung them into each other. They slammed into each other before Tsukune dove at them and knocked them all to the ground. Before he could bite into Dark's neck Gin grabbed Tsukune around the neck and threw him to the side, the vampire boy stumbling to the side before dashing towards more of the bright glows that he saw. Ruby gasped as the boy ran towards herself and the two young casters, the witch raising her barrier around them only to watch as Tsukune crashed right through it.

"You're kidding right? You'll never hold him off with that!" Kokoa cried out. Ahakon fired another blast of lightning at Tsukune while Yukari shifted the earth around underneath him, the vampire boy stumbling about as he was zapped with the bolt of electricity. Ruby cast out her rings of containment again as Ahakon grabbed Yukari's hand and started running her off to the side. In flash Tsukune dashed through the magical rings and tackled Yukari, the girl screaming as Tsukune rolled onto the ground with her leg in his grip.

"NO!" Ahakon yelled as he turned to see Yukari trying to claw away while Tsukune held on to her leg. The witch screamed as she turned to see Tsukune snarling at her with a crazed look in his eye.

"Yukari!" Ruby cried out.

"Let her GO!" Kokoa yelled as she swung her morning star down at Tsukune. In a flash the boy darted forward and tackled the witch while Kokoa's attack struck the ground behind him. Yukari screamed as she was pinned down by the snarling vampire boy.

"NO!" She screamed as her wand lit up brightly. The ground near them blasted up into small spires around the young witch and launched Tsukune back into Kokoa, the redhead being sent tumbling back while her weapon bounced away.

"Yukari!" Ahakon yelled as the young witch scrambled back on the ground. Tsukune staggered to his feet with only a few scratches before he dashed towards the witch, the small girl watching with fright as he closed in again.

"No!" Dark yelled as he ran after the boy along with Gin and Inner Moka. Yukari quickly got to her feet and looked to see Tsukune lunging towards her. She let out a scream as she backed away, only to be yanked away at the last second while Tsukune pounced onto the ground.

The group watched with surprise as Akua drove by with the witch in hand, the vampire screeching the cycle to a stop near Rason and Kurumu. Yukari looked with awe as she was set down while Tsukune snarled at the new vampire. Before Tsukune could charge her Dark and Gin raced up behind him, with the shadow demon sweeping the vampire's legs out from under him while Gin grabbed him around the arm, the wolf then throwing the boy with all his strength towards an empty booth. Tsukune crashed through the stand as Akua dismounted her bike then dropped to her hands and knees.

"Akua?" Yukari asked as she looked down at the vampire. She then looked over to see Ahakon running over and hugging the young witch.

"Yukari! Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. She saved me." Yukari said with wonder as the two looked over to the vampire. Dark walked over to the elder vampire as she slowly stood up, the girl shakily taking her helmet off to show her deep blush. She trembled then collapsed into the demon's arms.

"Akua? Are you ok?" he asked as he held her up. She shivered a bit then held the boy close, the girl having her face buried in his shoulder.

"Dark…" she said shakily.

"What's wrong with her?" Gin said as he and Inner Moka ran over. Mizore ran over to see Akua breathing heavily before looking up to Dark with pleading eyes.

"Spank me." she said softly.

Silence.

Mizore blinked then looked at the girl with narrowed eyes.

"What did she say?" she said with anger.

Dark merely raised an eyebrow at the vampire.

"Not…what I was expecting you to say." he said flatly. Akua blinked then shook her head.

"Dammit, I didn't mean that." she stammered.

**"Akua?"** Inner Moka said raising an eyebrow. Akua stumbled back and regained her balance as she shook her head, the girl then holding her hands down over herself.

"This is crazy…I'm never going to be able to ride a bike again thanks to you Dark." she said with embarrassment.

"Thanks to me?" Dark asked simply.

"Every time I'm on a cycle now…I can't help…but think about when…arg!" Akua yelled out with frustration. Mizore shook her head with narrowed eyes at the vampire then looked over to where Tsukune was getting back up again.

"Um, Akua? Before I kill you for asking my husband to spank you, please tell me you've brought Tsukune blood." she asked worriedly. Akua then looked to Tsukune with caution.

"I brought blood as per my sister's request, although I wasn't aware it was for him. What the hell is going on here Moka, why was he trying to attack your friends?" she asked.

**"He's fallen prey to a vampire's bloodlust, he's out of control."** Inner Moka said with remorse as she saw her mate look at the group with a crazed expression.

"Bloodlust? That's impossible, how can-" Akua started before Tsukune raced towards them. Gin and Dark ran at him as the demon cloaked the two, the invisible werewolf then striking and knocking Tsukune back into a tumble.

**"There's no time right now, we need to slate his thirst. How much blood did you bring?"** Inner Moka asked quickly.

"I only brought five transfusion packets." Akua said glancing to her.

**"What? Five? Just FIVE? That's not going to be enough, he's already drained more than five students dry and he's still going!"** Inner Moka yelled out.

"Excuse me, but I wasn't informed what the blood was needed for or even a number of packets you wanted. And I sure as hell wasn't informed of Tsukune suffering from this!" Akua shouted looking to see Tsukune charging them again. The boy tackled the invisible monsters in front of him, the vampire snapping at Dark while Gin pushed back on the boy with his legs. The wolf pushed Tsukune back before the vampire lunged at them again. The two boys rolled to the sides as the ground below Tsukune blasted up and back, launching the vampire boy back into the ground with the wall of earth crashing down on him.

"What are we going to do now?" Kokoa cried out as Tsukune jumped back up from the ground and dashed towards the group again. He slipped and tumbled down from an ice patch before the ground once again blasted up and threw him back into the destroyed booth behind him.

**"Dammit, five packets won't be enough for him." **Inner Moka said with frustration.

"Just how much do you think he'll need?" Rason said with worry as he held his unconscious girl close on the ground, the boy holding her as he was sitting up from his ordeal.

**"I have no idea, I had hoped what Akua would bring would be enough. But it seems his thirst is greater than what I thought."** Inner Moka said shaking her head.

"We can't hold him back like this forever, we need to do something." Yukari said with fear as she held her wand towards the vampire boy who was clawing his way up through the rubble and dirt.

"Dammit, we can't beat him down and we can't outrun him. Nothing's stopping him with his full power out like this. How the hell are we going to keep him down?" Gin yelled out with frustration.

"Allow us to try our hand." a trio of voices said from behind. The group looked over to see three winged girls flying by and then up over the vampire boy. The three circled around then landed down around Tsukune, the boy looking around to seeing the glowing light of their blood landing down nearby.

"What are you three doing here? I told you to wait with the headmaster." Ruby called out as the group watched Ran, Rin, and Ren look at Tsukune with focused expressions. Rin was still wearing her repaired headphones as the girls narrowed their eyes at the vampire boy.

"Who are they?" Akua asked.

"New students here, it's a long story. They are sirens by the names of Ran, Rin, and Ren Otonashi." Ruby said as the siren sisters watched Tsukune cautiously.

"Otonashi?" Gin said with surprise and a jump at the witch. He then looked to the sisters with wide eyes as Kokoa glanced to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked. The wolf just stared at the sisters with surprise as an image flashed before his eyes briefly, the image of a silhouette of a girl with long hair and feathered wings.

_It couldn't be…she never mentioned she had sisters._

"What's up with this dude?" Rin asked as Tsukune raced at her, the girl taking off into the air quickly with her wings while he tried to grab her.

"Ruby mentioned he was suffering from some form of sickness, I'd say she was correct." Ran called out as she adjusted her glasses. The boy snarled then turned to growl loudly at her.

"He certainly seems less eloquent than before." Ren commented dryly. Tsukune dashed towards the two other sources of blood he saw, the sisters then taking off into the air quickly as he swiped at them. The girls sang a quick and fast melody, the girls flying around as the wind picked up around the vampire boy. The group watched as a small tornado seemed to form around the boy and toss him around. He spun around in the air before flying off and crashing into the ground away from the group. The three sirens circled around then landed down near the group facing the vampire boy with focused expressions.

"Um, Ruby? I know we promised not to charm anybody here again, but…" Ran said watching the vampire boy snarl at them.

"Do you think it would be ok if we break that promise just this one time?" Ren asked curiously.

"You know, before he kills us?" Rin asked glancing back to the witch.

"Please, by all means! Just do something!" the witch cried out. The sisters nodded then looked around at the group while Tsukune roared and charged at them.

"Cover your ears!" the girls shouted as they turned to face the vampire boy again. Everybody covered their ears as Tsukune raced towards the glowing light before him. The three sisters started to sing a soft and slow melody, the words being in unknown tongues as the group watched with fear at the approaching vampire boy. Tsukune growled and snarled at the group as the sisters continued to sing a gentle song. In a flash he tackled Ren to the ground, the girl looking up at him with wide eyes as she still continued to sing. She trembled a bit as Tsukune saw the glowing light from her veins, the blood and heartbeat of the siren calling to him as she and her sisters continued to sing their song.

"Ren!" Ruby cried out as she aimed her wand at Tsukune. Ran grabbed her hands and put them back over the witch's ears as she continued to sing, the elder witch looking with surprise at her then to Ren. Tsukune snarled at his prey wildly, then started to waver. The group watched as he growled and wavered a bit while being on top of the pink haired siren. The girls kept singing as Tsukune seemed to fall into a daze. He wavered then fell off to the side of the girl, the siren then scrambling back up and looking down at him while they kept singing. Everybody watched as Tsukune twitched and growled a bit before he lost consciousness. After a moment the girls stopped their song then looked around at everybody. They all lowered their hands and watched as Tsukune seemed to be fast asleep on the ground.

"That was close." Ran said looking to Ren.

"Are you ok?" Rin asked worriedly. Ren just nodded and rubbed her neck a bit.

"Yeah…I'm fine." She said softly.

"Amazing, what did you do to him?" Yukari said with wonder.

"We used a song of sleeping on him. He should be out for a while." Ran said as Tsukune slept soundly at their feet. Inner Moka walked over then knelt down and clinked on the boy's seal, his power then dropping as his hair returned to normal. Everybody watched as his aura was suppressed once again as he had blood dripping from his mouth. Inner Moka looked at her mate with a pained expression as the group just watched them in silence.

**"Thank you girls, for-"**

"What the hell is going on here?" Akua yelled out looking around at the group.

"That's what I want to know. Explain what happened with him Moka, and why there are dead students everywhere around here." Ruby said with discontent. The siren sisters looked around with fear and worry as they saw the ravaged festival grounds and the bodies of Tsukune's victims lying around. Inner Moka nodded and slowly stood up.

"What is this about Tsukune being consumed by bloodlust? That can't be possible Moka." Akua said shaking her head.

"Look around you, I'd say it can be possible." Gin said as he shifted back into his human form. Akua looked around at the festival grounds with caution then back to Tsukune. Rason stood up and held his unconscious girlfriend in his arms as he eyed his sleeping friend carefully.

"Moka, explain now." Ruby said crossing her arms. Inner Moka slowly nodded as she watched her mate sleep peacefully after his rampage around the festival grounds. She told everybody what happened with Tsukune, what he described and what he was going through, about what he was suffering from although she couldn't figure out why. After she explained the situation a hand was raised in the air.

"Question." Rin asked. Inner Moka looked to her as the siren tilted her head curiously.

"Who's Tsukune?" she asked. The group blinked and looked at her with blank expressions while Inner Moka looked at her puzzled.

**"What? He's Tsukune, how could you not know that?"** Inner Moka said shaking her head.

"Give it a minute." Ruby said watching Rin. After a pause she blinked then held her head with a tired expression briefly.

"Oh…right. Him." She said looking down.

"What is wrong with her?" Akua asked.

"It's another long story. Many things happened and so on, but right now we need to deal with…this." Ruby said looking down to her sleeping friend.

"Will he be ok now?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

"Yeah, what if he's crazy when he wakes up still?" Yukari asked with a tremble.

"Maybe sealing him for now wouldn't be such a bad idea. I mean, look at this place." Rason said looking around at the ravaged grounds and the fallen students.

**"Nobody is sealing my mate!"** Inner Moka yelled out. The group looked to her as she trembled while looking at her sleeping mate with frustration. Ruby glanced to the silver haired vampire then down to Tsukune.

"That Moka, will be for the headmaster to decide." She said firmly. Inner Moka glanced to her then to her mate with frustration and worry. Rason looked at his sleeping friend with worry then to his girlfriend, the angel also worried about what got into her earlier. Mizore held onto Dark's arm as the silent couple watched Tsukune carefully. Ahakon held Yukari's hand as the young witch rested her head on his shoulder, both of them worried about what was happening to their friend. Kokoa looked at her sister with concern then down as Gin held her gently from behind, the two also worried about their friend's condition. The siren sisters looked to each other with worry then back to the sleeping vampire boy while Akua looked at the boy with a bit of wonder. Inner Moka knelt down beside her mate then gently brushed her hand through his hair.

**"Tsukune…"** she said softly.

* * *

Outside the headmaster's office the group was standing around. Ruby and Tsukune weren't present as the group was instructed to wait for the headmaster to speak to them. Moka had her rosary attached again and was leaning against the wall, the girl looking down with worry for her mate. She had seen what transpired from the eyes of her other self, and was mortified and devastated knowing what her boyfriend did during his blood frenzy. Gin was holding Kokoa from behind as the two were looking at her with concern. Dark was listening to his music again while Mizore was holding onto his arm, her lollipop gently rolling around as she had a blank expression again. Yukari and Ahakon were looking at the doors to the headmaster's office with wonder as they thought about what he was going to say about all this. Akua, Ran, and Rin were standing off to the side as they were waiting as well, with the elder vampire trying to think of why Tsukune was suffering from a vampire's bloodlust while the Ran was looking at Rin as she had another lapse of memory again. Ren however appeared to be missing.

And Kurumu was looking with shock and embarrassment as Rason was explaining what exactly happened with her, from her massive increase in strength to her massive increase in her sex drive. After he told her the girl shakily looked around at everybody. Akua and the three siren sisters were looking at her with surprise while the rest of the group merely nodded in agreement to the story.

"I…did…what?" Kurumu cried out. She trembled and looked at her boyfriend with disbelief as he nodded.

"You did…_him_." Kokoa said simply. Kurumu looked at Rason with an open mouth and wide eyes as he looked down nervously.

"You…_may_ have been a little out of control then." he said weakly.

"A little?" Mizore asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I _raped_ you?" Kurumu said with disbelief and tears forming. She choked back a sob then hugged her boyfriend closely.

"Oh Rason, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! Oh my god, I can't believe I did that, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me, I just couldn't control my body, please forgive me Rason!" Kurumu cried out while holding her angel close to her.

"Um, Kurumu?" Gin said worriedly.

"Please forgive me my angel, I promise I would never want to do anything to hurt you! Oh god what have I done? What have I done?" Kurumu cried out with sorrow.

"I think you should be more concerned about what you're doing to him now." Akua said flatly. Kurumu looked to her with watery eyes then down to see Rason passed out in her chest. She screamed then started shaking the boy franticly.

"Rason! Rason wake up! I'm sorry!" she cried out.

"Poor angel." Yukari said shaking her head.

"How on earth does he stay with her willingly?" Akua asked curiously.

"It's a miracle if there ever was one." Mizore said simply.

After a moment Rason jumped up with a gasp as Kurumu held him worriedly. She trembled and looked at her boyfriend with worried eyes as he slowly regained himself.

_If Luna was here she would have killed me for doing that to him, she would have literally torn me to pieces. Oh god what have I done?_

"Rason…" she said as she started to cry again. He looked at her with sympathetic eyes as she held him around the waist, the girl then burying her face into his chest.

"I'm so sorry." she sobbed.

"It'll be ok my dear, you just…weren't yourself. Really, it'll be ok." He said gently to her. She looked up to him with watery eyes and choked back her sobs.

"Please forgive me Rason, I never wanted…I didn't mean to…" she said worriedly.

"It's ok my dear, I promise. I'm ok now, really." Rason said gently. She nodded and wiped her tears away as she tried to calm herself down.

"But how did you do that Kurumu? How did you…fight on Tsukune's level like that?" Rason said with wonder. The girl looked at him curiously as the group watched her.

"Yeah, you were unbelievable. You were actually able to hold him off when even Inner Moka couldn't." Yukari said with wonder. Moka glanced to her friend, the pink haired vampire also curious about her friend's surprising strength earlier.

"She was?" Akua asked with surprise. Kurumu looked around then to her angel.

"I just fought with my all against him. When I was with my father I felt a strong burning energy within me, so I focused on that again hoping it would help. It did, I felt my body become stronger and faster…and then…" she said looking down with worry.

"And then you lost it." Gin said simply. Kurumu nodded then looked to Rason with remorse.

"I couldn't help it. I was so…turned on. It was unbearable, my entire body felt like it was burning up from the inside. Everything in me seemed to increase...including my 'urges'. I just blacked out when I saw you." She said softly.

"I still don't understand, she was able to surpass my sister in power? How?" Akua asked.

"It's not too surprising if you think about it. After all, her father is the Lord of Hell." Yukari said looking at Kurumu curiously.

"What?" Akua and the siren sisters yelled out. They looked to Kurumu as she nodded slowly.

"She's…the Lord of Hell's…daughter?" Akua said with wide eyes. The siren sisters screamed then ran over behind Dark and Mizore. The shadow demon merely glanced back to them as they hid from Kurumu the best they could.

"Really? You're going to hide behind my husband because of that? You do know that he's from hell as well right?" Mizore asked softly. The siren sisters blinked then looked to Dark with fright. They screamed then ran over and hid behind Gin and Kokoa, the two looking at them curiously.

"She's…_his_ daughter? Really?" Akua said with surprise.

"Yeah, she came face to face with him earlier when she died." Kokoa said looking back to her friend. She blinked then looked around as Akua and the siren sisters were looking at her with confusion.

"It's…a long story." Kokoa said weakly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…act like that with you." Kurumu said with remorse looking to Rason.

"It's alright, I don't blame you. You just…lost a bit of control." Rason said nervously.

"A bit?" Dark asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's alright my love, I promise. I know you would never try to hurt me like that." Rason said as he held his girl close. She sighed with a soft smile as she felt the bond flow through her. Akua just looked at the couple with wonder.

"An angel dating the daughter of the Lord of Hell, today really is a strange day." She said simply.

"Why is everybody around here from hell?" Rin asked with fright.

"It's not so bad, they're our friends." Gin said looking back to them. Rin looked up at her boy and tilted her head.

"And…who are you?" she asked. Gin and Kokoa looked at her worriedly as the siren had a confused expression. After a pause she shook her head and tapped on her headphones.

"Sorry…I forgot again." She said softly. Ran looked at her with worry then over to Kurumu again.

"Thank you Kurumu…for trying to hold him off." Moka said softly as she looked down with worry. The group looked to her as she trembled a bit.

"I'm sorry Moka." Kurumu said looking down while her angel held her.

"I hope Tsukune will be ok now." Yukari said looking back to the headmaster's doors.

"Can he be cured of this?" Ahakon asked as the group looked to Akua.

"I…I'm not sure. We vampires rid ourselves of this troublesome…condition long ago. I still don't understand why he would be affected by it." She said with a shrug.

"We just have to wait and see I guess." Gin said worriedly. He then looked to the siren sisters as they slowly walked back out from behind them.

"Um, can I ask you two a question?" he asked curiously. They glanced to him and nodded before looking back to Kurumu with a bit of worry.

"Do you by chance have another sister, one who isn't here right now?" he asked. They looked at him puzzled and shook their heads.

"No, we've never had any other sisters, why?" Ran asked. Kokoa glanced back to her boyfriend curiously as he smiled a bit.

"Ah, never mind. It's just your last name, it's the same as somebody else's I knew." He said.

"Same as who's?" Kokoa asked.

"It's nothing. There was another girl that went to this school, but she graduated two years ago. I was just confused that her last name was the same as theirs. I guess it's just a coincidence." Gin said assuredly. Kokoa nodded then looked to the siren sisters curiously.

The doors to the office opened and the headmaster walked out, the man looking around at the group with his glowing eyes. Moka ran up to him with worry as she looked back into his office.

"Where's Tsukune, is he ok?" she asked quickly. She didn't see any sign of Tsukune or Ruby in the office.

"He's seems to be alright my dear, my assistant is tending to him right now." the headmaster said calmly. Moka looked at him with worry as she backed up a bit.

"I'm so sorry, please, don't seal him away or kill him. We can fix this, I know we can. I beg of you don't take him away from me again!" She said franticly. The man merely looked at her without saying a word.

"Is he back to normal? Where is he?" Rason asked.

"I'm not sure of his current status, like I mentioned Ms. Tojo is overseeing him right now." The headmaster said simply.

"Where is he? Can I see him now?" Moka asked worriedly. The man shook his head with a solemn expression.

"Not right now Ms. Akashiya, not until we can determine if he is indeed safe to be around." he said simply. She looked at him with worry as her tears started to form again.

"Don't cry now my dear, I assure you that we are doing what we can to help the dear boy with his problem. I myself do not wish for him to be killed either." The man said calmly.

"What are we going to do about the school? Tsukune attacked so many students out there…and killed a good amount of them too." Kokoa asked worriedly.

"Looks like it's back to being hated by everybody for him." Rason said with worry.

"We've already taken care of that little detail. It is known that a vampire was running loose in the festival, however nobody seemed to make the connection that it was Mr. Aono that was doing the killing. We have instructed the staff to let the school know that a vampire was here, and that our famous heroes have already…dealt with him." The man said calmly.

"It must have been from the hair and eyes…and his aura. He probably seemed like an entirely different boy to everybody." Akua said with a shrug.

"Oh Tsukune…" Moka said looking down with worry, the girl fearful how her gentle hearted boyfriend would take the news that he killed so many innocents today.

"We'll keep the school in the dark about that while we try to assist the dear boy with his…condition." The headmaster continued.

"How are you going to help him with this?" Gin asked.

"Where is he? Please tell me. I want to see him again." Moka pleaded. The headmaster looked around at the group with his glowing eyes as he smiled calmly.

"Someplace where he cannot harm the innocent, someplace where he can learn to control himself without endangering the school." He said simply.

"Where's that?" Kurumu asked.

"Hey, where's Ren?" Kokoa asked looking around.

"I'm not sure, she wasn't here when we arrived." Mizore said softly.

"Hey yeah, where did she run off to?" Yukari asked curiously. Everybody looked over to Ran and Rin as they glanced to the headmaster.

"She has been asked to assist the boy as well." The man said with a chuckle.

* * *

Tsukune stirred a bit and slowly woke up, his eyes normal and brown as he slowly sat up. He rubbed his head and coughed a bit, the boy having a strange taste in his mouth still. He was dressed in his normal pants and shoes, along with a black t-shirt. His seal was attached to his wrist still as his eyes started to focus.

"What…happened?" he asked wearily.

"Looks like he's awake now." Ren said from nearby. Tsukune looked over to see the pink haired siren standing next to Ruby. The siren had her normal outfit on along with her unique hat while Ruby was dressed the same and holding her wand.

"Yes, and he seems to be in control still. I think. Tsukune? Are you ok now?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Ruby? Ren? Where…what happened?" the boy asked as he slowly stood up. He looked to the two girls, then noticed what was behind them. It seemed to be a lush forest with large healthy trees. There was green grass below them as the two girls watched the boy carefully. Ruby smirked a bit then glanced behind the boy. He blinked and looked behind him, the boy then jumping and staring with surprise. They were standing near a cliffside overlooking a blue sea, with the waves gently crashing into the rocky walls. However what stood out was the sky and horizon, which was bright blue with green streaks through it along with a large moon that was very close high above. White clouds were around in the sky and down by the water as Tsukune stared at the sight with wide eyes, the boy never having seen such a place before.

"What…where are we?" he said with surprise.

"Welcome Tsukune…" Ruby said, the boy then looking back to her with wonder.

"To Paradise."


	19. Through The Rift

Up in the heavenly city monsters were coming to know what true bliss in the afterlife was. Originally when monsters died they would generally be sent to hell or to a cold and dark afterlife of nothingness. They were monsters after all, and there was nothing awaiting them after their lives came to an end unfortunately, the same as there is no afterlife for simple insects of the world. However after a group of young monsters made it clear that those from the otherworld could have good souls after all the rules had changed drastically. For one, certain angels were being chosen to watch over the monster realm and its inhabitants to watch for those that would be worthy of being allowed into heaven. Another was a heavenly city was being constructed to allow such monsters a peaceful afterlife once they did pass on. To put such beings in a place where human souls were enjoying their afterlife would cause a bit of a stir and problems for the time being, so they were given a place of their own to reside in. Still, they were granted true heaven by the Almighty for leading good lives, just as any human would have been allowed. Yes, each and every monster that went to heaven was given whatever they wished for as they enjoyed their peaceful and relaxing afterlife.

"Dammit!" Arial cursed out loud.

Well…mostly what they wished for.

Down in the city monsters of various types were enjoying their afterlives. It had countless houses/dens/caves/towers/fields for the different types of monsters that were sent to the heavenly realm. The council of angels and the Almighty had been at work plucking souls out of the monsters limbo and bringing them here, although the process was taking a while as there were countless monster souls in the dark void of their original afterlife.

"This is a nightmare…this is a nightmare and I can't wake up!" Arial screamed out.

However bit by bit more and more monsters were being brought to the city to live happily. The near endless expansion of the monster city was still being forged by the Almighty's power while guardian angels were overseeing the souls' introduction and settlement. Monsters came in many shapes and forms, and the city was being designed to accommodate for all of them. Of course, there were some things that had to be done to ensure monsters could live here comfortably.

"This is so unfair, I thought this was heaven!" Arial cried out.

Certain monsters had special needs or requirements for life down on earth. For example, the snow people needed a cold environment to survive. However the city couldn't be frozen or chilled down to such a degree otherwise other monsters would be uncomfortable. Snow people did originally use other means to stay cool when outside of their home, like portable freezers, ice magic, or lollipops imbued with a frozen core. As a way of keeping them comfortable the Almighty granted the souls of the snow people a perpetual state of being cold while in the heavenly realm. That meant that even though the city itself wasn't freezing, they would still feel the comfortable cold they desired everywhere they went. That also meant that they could be around other monsters without having to expose them to colder temperatures, thus allowing them to socialize with the other souls of their city.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening to me!" Arial yelled out.

Something else all souls of heaven, monster or human had was of course a healthy and able body to move around in. That meant that if somebody lost a leg or an eye they would be granted their missing limb in the afterlife. They were also blessed with eternal youth, the soul's body remaining the same age as when they died.

Whether they liked it or not.

"So unfair…so unfair…" Arial said softly as she was looking in the mirror in her room. She and her parents had a two story house in the monster city. There wasn't any snow around and the building resembled a normal human home. Upstairs in her room the snow girl was looking with disbelief in front of her full sized mirror she had on her wall. Her room consisted of a window that showed the sunny day outside in heaven, a bed with black and gray sheets, a desk that had a few mp3 players on it, a closet, and the mirror that showed her disappointed expression. She was wearing a white t-shirt, white panties, her usual mp3 player clipped to her side with her earbuds playing music for her, and her hands holding her chest with remorse. Her frosted feathered wings were retracted behind her as she turned a bit to examine herself from the side. The girl was looking with sorrow at her figure which remained the same age as when she died.

"It's not fair, they're never going to get bigger now." Arial said looking down at her flat chest. She growled then stomped her feet around.

"It's not FAIR!" she screamed out. The room around her frosted over instantly as her power raged out of control, her hair freezing solid before slowly returning to normal. The girl groaned loudly and looked at herself in the mirror while hopping up and down a bit.

"There's no bounce, no allure, nothing there at all. What will Dark think of this when I marry him? What we he even be able to do with these…these…these pairs of nothing!" she screamed out shaking her head.

By her open door her parents stood watching their daughter with weak expressions. They were dressed in casual clothing, white shirts and pants along with their frosted feathered wings retracted behind them. The mother had long purple hair that went down past her shoulders while the husband had short dark blue hair. They both had clear blue eyes that glanced to each other then back to their temperamental daughter. The two snow people were very aware of their daughter's obsession with the shadow demon, as was pretty much everybody in heaven. The parents knew to be somewhat thankful for the girl's devotion to him, for it was because of her that Dark existed and they were brought to heaven. However they still wanted their daughter to abandon her crusade for the demon's heart as they knew it was just not going to happen.

"Um…Arial dear?" the mother said worriedly.

"She can't hear you." the father said tiredly.

"I know that, she hasn't even noticed that we've been standing here for 10 minutes yet." the mother said shaking her head.

"Dark…I'm so sorry I didn't grow more before I died. Please forgive me." Arial said looking down with remorse. The parents looked to each other worriedly then back to their daughter. She trembled then looked at her body with worry.

"I promise I'll still take care of you like a wife should when you get here, even with this body." she said genuinely. The parents glanced to each other nervously at that remark.

"Dear, say something to her already." the mother hushed out.

"Like we haven't tried before? You know how she gets when we talk about this with her." the father said worriedly. The parents knew their daughter had a bad temper, the girl having that for as long as she was alive. She always listened to her music to avoid talking to her parents and to be alone, the quiet snow girl having always been alone in the village as she never really made friends before, mostly due to her being angered easily.

"We have to do something though, she needs to know eventually." the mother said worriedly. Arial looked up suddenly then over to them.

"I need to know what?" she asked. The parents glanced to each other quickly then back to their daughter, both having the same thought in mind.

_Music was changing tracks again._

"Um, dear? Don't you think you're taking this a bit far?" the father asked nervously.

"Taking what too far?" Arial asked simply.

"What he means dear is…this obsession of yours with…the shadow demon." the mother said nervously. Arial looked at her for a moment then tilted her head.

"Obsession?" she asked.

"Yes dear. We're worried about you. The town is worried about you. Your little friend Complica is worried about you too." the mother said gently. Arial just looked between the two with a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about?" she asked plainly. The father sighed then shook his head.

"Listen Arial, you need to understand that this Dark fellow, he's not-" he started before the temperature started to drop at a rapid rate in the room. Arial just looked at her father with a blank expression still while her hair slowly frosted over.

"He's not…what?" she asked as her eyes narrowed. The parents trembled a bit and looked at their daughter nervously, both knowing their little angel could snap and become a real monster if provoked.

"He's not…going to be here for a while, after all he is alive and well." the father said with a nervous smile.

"Yes, maybe you should…consider finding somebody else…to be with. There are plenty of others…your age here." the mother said with an eager nod. Arial stared at them for a moment then looked back to the mirror with a blank expression.

"Nobody will ever measure up to Dark. He will be the only husband for me." she said firmly. Her eyebrow twitched then she shook while holding her chest.

"Dammit why can't I grow more here? This is so unfair! My husband needs me to be a woman, not a child!" she yelled out. She started sobbing then dropped down onto the floor, the ground around her freezing over. The parents looked at her worriedly then to each other.

"What do we do now?" the mother asked. The father looked back to his daughter then showed a confident expression. He marched over, pulled the girl up to her feet by her arm, and looked her right in the eye.

"Enough of this Arial. You need to stop this crazy obsession with this demon. If you really want to stop being a child, then start acting more mature." he said firmly. The girl just looked at him with surprise as he shook his head and held up a finger to her.

"You need to understand that you and this Dark aren't made for each other. This is unhealthy Arial, and you need to-"

From outside the house Complica was floating down towards their front door with a worried expression. She still wore her elegant white dress from before as her wings fluttered gently behind her. She landed down and raised a hand to knock on the snow people's door.

CRASH!

Complica looked up to see a window on the second story shatter as large ice spires jettisoned out from it and through the walls, followed by a furious scream from a young snow girl. Complica blinked then smiled weakly.

"Tried to reason with her again huh?" she said softly. She glanced around to see other monsters just looking at the house with worried expressions, everybody already knowing just what happened again. The chronofly sighed and then knocked on the door. After a moment the mother opened it as more screaming could be heard upstairs.

"Yes yes, we're sorry about the noise. We won't let…oh, Complica, its you." she said looking down at the chronofly.

"Hello ma'am. Um, is Arial…ok?" the girl asked looking up. Another large ice spire shot up from the roof as the snow girl kept screaming out in her rage. The mother sighed and looked down tiredly.

"She's ok, it's our peace and eternal bliss that's falling apart. But never mind that, what brings you here?" she asked looking at the young girl.

Another ice spire shot down behind the woman inside the living room from above, the two looking to it with surprise then shaking their heads.

"I…I was hoping to see Arial. Should…I come back later?" Complica asked worriedly.

"I don't know if it'll get any better later to be honest. Although maybe she could use a friend right about now. If you're brave enough, go right on up Complica, maybe you can calm her down." the mother said motioning the girl in. The chronofly looked up then shrugged as she walked in. She was already dead, why not. The girl walked up the stairs then down the hall towards the door that was cracked apart with an ice spire shooting out from the room. Inside Arial's screaming could be heard along with her father's cries of terror. From the room the father jumped out waving his arms around franticly in front of him.

"Calm down Arial, calm down-" he started before he ducked just as a large ice shard shot out and crashed into the wall behind him. The man looked back with wide eyes at the very large flying object that nearly took his head off then back to the room with worry.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Kuyumaya?" Complica said softly. The man darted over into the hall as another ice shard flew out of the room and struck into the wall.

"Oh, Complica. So nice to see you again. Um, I wouldn't go in there right now. I'm afraid Arial is having another…tantrum." the man said worriedly.

"I noticed from outside. What did you say to her this time?" the blue haired chronofly asked curiously.

"The usual I'm afraid. However she just doesn't want to hear it." the father said shaking his head.

"I thought so. Want me to see if I can calm her down?" the girl asked.

"Well I wouldn't be a gentleman sending a sweet innocent girl into that fire zone, but I guess it might help her to see a friend right now. Just…don't mention Dark's name to her." the father said nervously.

"Well aware to stay clear of that minefield." Complica said dryly as she walked past the man. She stopped near the edge of the doorway and listened closely. Arial's screams of anger and frustration were heard along with more crashing sounds. The chronofly sighed then peeked in. The snow girl's room was destroyed all over, with ice spires seeming to shoot out from the floors and walls. Her furniture was demolished, her ceiling was cracking apart, and her mirror was cracked as the snow girl was thrashing about on the ground. Her arms and legs were flailing about as she yelled out at the top of her lungs. Complica blinked then just shook her head as she walked in.

"Mother and father would never have approved of any of us acting like this." she said simply. The girl walked over and gently kicked Arial's leg, the snow girl looking up to see her friend standing there with a raised eyebrow.

"Complica?" Arial asked softly. The chronofly looked around the room then back to her friend shaking her head.

"I know this is heaven, and that your house will be fixed up like new before you know it, but still, isn't this a bit…much?" she asked flatly, although her tone didn't really matter as Arial was just reading her lips. The snow girl jumped back up and shook her head with worried eyes.

"Oh it's horrible, it's the worst thing ever Complica!" she cried out. The chronofly looked at her cautiously and stepped back a bit.

_Oh no, did she learn about Mizore? Oh no…I…I need to get out of here! This is the end of heaven as we know it!_

"Dark…he…he…" the snow girl said as she choked back her sobs.

"He…what, Arial?" Complica asked carefully, the girl ready to bolt out of there if need be. Arial looked at her with teary eyes then to the broken fragments of her mirror that were still standing.

"He won't be able to play with my breasts when he gets here because they're never going to grow!" she cried out before breaking down into tears. Complica just blinked and kept looking at the girl cautiously. After a moment she dropped her stance and looked at her friend with bewilderment.

"Your…breasts?" she asked confused. Arial sobbed loudly then screamed in anger, the girl's power flaring up around her. More ice spires crashed around from all angles as the chronofly looked around with wide eyes. She couldn't die, but she had a pretty good hunch she would feel pain nonetheless if she got impaled.

"Arial! Calm down, please!" the girl begged as she looked to her friend. Arial wiped her tears away and sniffled as she looked down at herself.

"It's so unfair, why can't I have a more mature body up here? Dark will be so disappointed on our honeymoon." she said sadly. Again Complica just blinked, the girl trying to fight off the urge to call out the many flaws in the snow girl's fantasy.

"Um…I'm sure…he won't mind?" she said unsurely.

"Don't encourage her Complica!" the father's voice yelled out from the hall.

"If that's what it takes to keep her from destroying the neighborhood for now then so be it, all our neighbors are watching." the mother said worriedly from outside as well. Complica looked back to the doorway then to her crying friend.

"Arial?" she asked as she walked up to her friend. The snow girl looked to her and wiped another tear away.

"I'm sorry, it's nice to see you again Complica." she said softly. Complica smiled and nodded at her.

"It's good to see you too. Um, do you maybe wanna fly around for a bit?" she asked gently.

"Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes." the father chanted outside in the hall.

"Flying? Well, ok. Let me get something to wear first." Arial said as he walked over to her closet, that had a large ice spire going through it. She opened the door to it, which fell apart and crumbled to the ground, then picked out some new clothes. As she started getting dressed Complica glanced to the window worriedly, the girl then looking back to her friend with impatient eyes. Arial slipped on a new set of clothing, with short black pants that went down to her knees, a black t-shirt, and a gray button down shirt that she left unbuttoned. Complica looked at the girl curiously as the snow angel smiled a bit.

"Wow…you…really like that color." the chronofly said simply.

"The elder angels say this is the color style that Dark wears down on earth. I like wearing the colors of my husband." Arial said looking down bashfully. She had other traditional clothing from the snow people in her closet, but she always wore this particular set of clothing when she was feeling down as it helped cheer her up.

"Well…you look great." Complica said with a weak smile. Arial nodded as she fastened her mp3 player to her hip and made sure her earbuds were in properly.

"Mom? Dad? I'm going to go flying with-"

"Have a good time!" the parents called out quickly. Complica giggled then the two flew out of her broken window into the air. The parents walked into the room and looked around with tired expressions.

"Oh my…" the mother said softly.

"Don't worry, it'll all be back to normal when she returns." the father said with a sigh.

"It's not that. It's her relentless pursuit of this demon. What will we do dear?" the mother asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure. But we'd better think of something soon. One day that demon will likely be here, and with him his wife." the man said with a nervous expression.

"Oh dear…" the mother said with worry as she looked down, the woman frightened by the idea of her daughter having a catastrophic breakdown then.

Outside in the air the two young angels flew over the heavenly city together. They then flew up a bit and into the clouds above, their wings fluttering gently behind them. As they came out of the cloudbank Complica looked up at the heavenly palace that floated high above them. Arial stopped and glanced to her, then up at the palace.

"Something wrong?" she asked. Complica looked around then to her friend.

"Listen, I need to ask you a favor." she said softly. Arial tilted her head a bit as the chronofly looked back up towards the palace with worry.

"A favor?" the snow girl asked.

"Yeah, can you…sneak me into the palace?" Complica asked worriedly. Arial looked up towards the grand building. There were plenty of other angels flying around the area, most of them guardians of the palace. The two girls were allowed to fly around in the heavenly skies of course, but only near the monster city. The heavenly palace was off limits to all normal residents of the realm.

"Well…" Arial said softly looking back to her friend.

"Please, I need to get up there Arial." Complica begged. Arial blinked and looked at her curiously.

"I was going to say yes anyway. What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's my sister." the chronofly said worriedly.

"Your sister? Oh, you mean the one that the Almighty had come up here?" Arial asked.

"Yeah, she's been gone since yesterday and I haven't heard anything about her. I'm getting worried. She went into that black rift thing and it looked scary and bad and horrible and oh so dark and- oh Arial I just have to know if she's ok!" Complica said franticly. The snow girl looked at her worriedly then glanced up.

"I know you can get me in there, you sneak in there all the time. Please Arial. I just have to find the elder and ask what happened to my sister." Complica said worriedly. Arial glanced to her then nodded.

"Ok, but stay close to me." she said, and with that she flew up. Complica nodded eagerly then followed after her. The two raced up near the edge of the base of the floating building with the snow girl looking around carefully. They flew up and landed down on the courtyard of the palace, the two hiding behind a bush as the snow girl peered around. The floor of the courtyard was smooth stone bricks while there were gardens around with flowers and small trees.

"Just out of curiosity, how come you don't use your time magic and sneak in on your own?" Arial asked glancing to the chronofly.

"I'm not that good to stay shifted that long, they'll spot me for sure up here." Complica said embarrassed. Arial smirked at the girl.

"I thought you chronoflies could control time easily." she said with a snicker.

"It's not as easy as everybody says it is. Besides…" Complica said looking down embarrassed. Arial looked at her curiously as the chronofly fidgeted around.

"My magic has always been a little…erratic." Complica said softly.

"Erratic?" Arial asked. She blinked then raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Hey, come to think of it, you've never used your magic once since we met. How come?" she asked.

"I just told you. My control never has been the best, I would probably just cause more problems here if I tried. But never mind that now, please just get me inside of there." Complica begged. Arial nodded then looked around carefully. After a moment she took the hand of the chronofly and led her towards the building with haste.

Inside the building Gabriel was talking to the elder angel and a few other guardians, the protectors of the realm having swords sheathed at their hips. They were walking down a hallway together as light was shining in from a few nearby open windows.

"We've lost contact with another search party, this isn't looking good." Gabriel said worriedly.

"I know, and Luna hasn't come back yet either. I fear what this might mean." the elder said looking down with concern.

Outside the building the two young children were running while ducking behind bushes and creeping around the palace walls. Arial was leading Complica around while looking around carefully. She led the chronofly over near the wall of the building and looked around cautiously as a few angels flew overhead, the girl pushing her friend against the wall and keeping them close to it without moving. The snow girl watched them pass by then looked around carefully.

"Ok, wait here a sec." she said as she slowly walked forward and peeked around a stone pillar that was built into the side of the palace. As she did Complica looked around nervously, then glanced to the side of the building as she heard voices from inside the window.

"We can't send any more search parties in, we should send our warriors in to get to the bottom of this." one of the other guardians said. The group of angels passed by the window as Complica peeked in.

"Would that be wise? We might be sending more of our own to their slaughter." another guardian said cautiously.

"There's Gabriel, and the elder." the chronofly said softly, not being heard by her friend who had her music playing still. The group of angels stopped nearby and continued to talk while the chronofly watched them carefully.

"If Luna didn't return from there that must mean that something powerful lies on the other side of that rift. A chronofly would be able to handle nearly any threat, let alone escape from one." another guardian said shaking his head.

"Sister?" Complica said quietly.

"Allow me to at least go in and see what has happened. What if she's really in danger, she could need help." Gabriel said worriedly.

"I'm afraid sending any more into the rift now would be unwise. The Almighty cannot see through to the other side of the gateway and there could be no telling what you would come up against. It appears we have a serious problem on our hands." the elder said with remorse.

"But elder…" Gabriel said with concern. The blonde haired elder held his hand up and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but we need you here right now along with our warriors. We need to make sure nothing comes out of this rift until we can figure out how to deal with it. We cannot allow such a threat to endanger the heavenly cities." the elder said looking at his comrade. Gabriel nodded slowly as he looked down worriedly.

"What…what happened to my sister?" Complica said quietly as she started to cry a bit.

"Rason and his friends aren't going to like the news." Gabriel said softly.

"Nor will her family I'm sure." the elder said shaking his head. Complica's eyes widened and she started to tremble.

"Sister?" she squeaked out with fear.

"The rift in our realm and the human world so far has shown no activity. Nothing has come out of either gateway at all." a guardian angel said with a nod.

"I suppose that's good the humans haven't at least found it yet, but that could always change." Gabriel said cautiously.

"What happened to my sister? Where is she?" Complica said as she started to break down.

"Ok, I think the coast is clear, ready Complica? …Complica?" Arial asked as she looked back, the girl seeing her friend jumping through the window. The snow girl looked with surprise then ran over to the window to see her friend running towards the group of angels.

"Complica? What are you doing?" Arial barked out in a hushed tone. She then ducked down to avoid being seen by the guardians.

"What happened to my sister?" Complica cried out as she ran up to the angels. They looked over to her with surprise as she was crying and shaking her head.

"Complica? What are you doing here?" Gabriel said with surprise.

"Where is she? What happened to my sister? Tell me!" she cried out. The angels looked to each other then back to the young chronofly.

"I'm sorry my dear, but…we don't know." the elder said with remorse. Complica looked at them with watery eyes and shook her head.

"But…but…" she said shakily.

"We're still working on finding her Complica." Gabriel said gently.

"But…you sent her in there! You told her to go in there and she went in there and now she's not coming back out of there! Bring her back! Bring back my sister! Please!" the young girl cried out.

"We are going to my dear, we are working very hard to deal with this problem and bring your dear sister back to us." the elder said gently.

"We won't leave her in there Complica, you have my word." Gabriel said softly. The chronofly looked at him with teary eyes then down with fear.

"Sister…" she said quietly.

"I'm sorry child. Rest assured that we are doing all that we can to bring her back to us safely." the elder said.

"Then send in more angels! Send in an army and bring her back! Please bring her back to us!" Complica pleaded.

"It's not that simple my dear. We have been trying, we've been trying since yesterday after she went into the rift." the elder said shaking his head. The girl looked to him with watery eyes as he looked down a bit.

"We've sent in many scouting parties to find out what lies beyond the rift. Not even the Almighty can see what lies within, and we have lost contact with all that have gone in search of your sister." he said gravely. Complica started to cry as Gabriel walked over and held the girl close.

"No…no! Bring her back! Get her out of there! Get her out get her out get her out!" the girl cried out loudly.

"We will Complica, I promise. We won't let her be taken like this." Gabriel said gently. The girl looked up to him and sobbed as he held her gently. The boy nodded with a soft smile.

"We'll get her back, even if I have to go in there and fly her out myself. I promise you that." he said gently. The girl slowly looked down with closed eyes as the angel held her.

"You promise?" she asked softly.

"I promise Complica, on my life." Gabriel said assuredly. The girl looked up to him and nodded slowly.

"Gabriel, please escort this one down to her family. And please assure them that we are working to bring back their daughter as we speak." the elder said. Gabriel nodded and gently took hold of Complica's hand. The angel led the girl out of the hall as she whimpered and softly wept for her sister.

"The poor kid." a guardian angel said with worry. The elder nodded then glanced to the guardians.

"Monster or not, my heart does ache for that child." He said gently.

Outside the palace Arial watched as Complica was led out by Gabriel, the two then flying off and down towards the city.

"Why would you run in like that? That's not being sneaky at all." Arial said shaking her head. She sighed and watched her friend disappear over the edge of the palace, the snow girl then walking along the wall back towards the courtyard.

"Amateur." she said simply. She glanced to the side then ducked down behind a bush as the elder and guardian angels walked outside.

"I want you all to watch over that rift nonstop. Make sure nothing else happens until we know of our next move." he said firmly. The guardians nodded and stood at attention with a salute while Arial watched their lips move carefully.

"And make sure we keep a sharp eye on the rift over the human world. If these two gateways are connected to the same location then whatever is threatening us is also threatening the humans, and that cannot be allowed." the elder continued. The angels nodded then flew off with determined expressions. The elder then flew off into the palace while Arial was looking down at the ground with wonder.

"Gateways? Human world? Connected?" she breathed out. Her eyes darted around a bit then she looked to where the guardian angels were flying off to.

"If they're connected…then that means…" she said softly.

* * *

Gabriel was walking away from a small palace in the heavenly city. It was a multicolored structure that seemed to take up a decent amount of space, even though with the laws of the Almighty in heaven space was never a concern as it could be folded indefinitely when needed for countless more souls to live comfortably in the city. When the angel had delivered the young girl back to her family the mother and father were grief-stricken to hear about their daughter's disappearance. Even though Ultima demanded he be allowed to search for his daughter through the rift, the great king not being afraid to tackle any foe for his little girl, the angel was quick to point out that he absolutely could not leave the heavenly realm under any circumstances. There was a reason why the Almighty asked Luna, who was still alive, for this mission rather than the chronoflies that already existed in the heavenly realm. The family was devastated about the girl's fate and was huddled together in the front entrance of their home when Gabriel slowly walked away with remorse, the chronoflies praying with everything that Luna would be safe and brought back to the world of the living. He could feel their pain and fear for Luna, the angel also fearing what happened to the girl.

"I really hope she's ok." he said softly as he took off into the air. He remembered when he brought the chronofly up to heaven, the girl looking around with wonder at the city then smiling at him. She really was beautiful to him, even though she was a monster she looked remarkable to the angel.

_"What is it?" she asked as she glanced away with a soft smile as the angel looked at her curiously._

_"Oh…it's just…it's just hard to believe that you're the same girl Rason saved that night." he said with a smile._

"That and you really were enchanting, even if you were a monster." Gabriel said softly as he looked ahead at the heavenly palace. He looked away with a remorseful expression.

_Luna, I hope you're alright._

As he flew over the monsters heavenly city he looked down to a familiar sight. One of the houses in the city had large ice spires jettisoning from the roof and sides of the building while a crowd of monsters were gathered nearby. The angel shook his head with a sigh as he flew down towards it.

"Arial…again?" he said tiredly. He landed down as other monsters parted for the angel, then everybody looked back to the damaged building. Standing in front of it were the two parents of the young snow girl, the snow people glancing back then looking at the angel with worry.

"Oh, Gabriel. Hello again." the mother said nervously.

"Hello again Ms. Kuyumaya, I couldn't help but notice the redecorating you've done here. I take it Arial had another fit?" the angel asked looking around casually.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Sorry to be such a bother to you." the father said rubbing the back of his head with a weak smile.

"Let me guess, Dark again." Gabriel said with a sigh.

"Yes…sorry." the mother said looking down.

"We tried to talk to her about it again but…it didn't go well." the father said looking back to the house that his little girl tore apart with her tantrum.

"It's ok, don't worry about it. I'll have a few helpers down here and we'll get this sorted out for you. Say, where is the little angel that did this anyway?" Gabriel said looking around as she walked up to the two parents.

"Oh, well she went out flying with her chronofly friend Complica a little while ago. She hasn't come back yet." the mother said looking up into the sky. Gabriel glanced to her with a raised eyebrow.

"With Complica?" he asked. He distinctly remembered seeing the young chronofly at the palace, but didn't recall seeing the young snow girl with her.

"Yes, she managed to calm her down and get her out of the house before any further damage could occur." the father said remorsefully. Gabriel looked up towards the sky with a bit of annoyance.

"Did she now?" he asked.

_Complica wouldn't have been that sneaky to get into the palace…but I know who would have been._

"Oh dear, is she causing trouble again? I'm so sorry, really, we're trying to get her under control." the mother asked looking up at the sky worriedly.

"She didn't try to sneak into the palace again did she? I keep telling her the Almighty's going to be angry with her if she keeps defying you like this." the father asked tiredly.

"Oh, she didn't _try _to sneak in this time. I have a feeling she succeeded." Gabriel said rolling his eyes.

"I am so sorry Gabriel, really." the mother said worriedly. The angel looked back to the damaged building as his wings arched out behind him.

"If you'll excuse me, I have something I need to tend to. I'll be sure to send some helpers down to assist with your house." he said simply before taking off into the sky. The parents watched him fly off then looked back to their home.

"What are we going to do with that girl?" the mother asked shaking her head.

"I have no idea, she gets this rebellious nature from your side of the family." the father said flatly.

Up in the sky Gabriel was flying towards the palace with a dull expression.

_I should have known Arial would be up there if Complica was. What is that girl thinking sneaking into the palace all the time? This obsession with Dark has got to stop before she gets into real trouble…which she already is in anyway._

* * *

Flying through the cloudy skies three guardian angels were heading towards their designated area to watch over. The angels soared in the sky together then flew down towards a rift that seemed to be ripped open in the clouds. It rippled and pulsated erratically with a bright darkness while clouds gently floated by it. The three guardians looked at it cautiously as they flew in place a safe distance away from it.

"So that's the problem I've heard about." one of them said as he eyed the black rift.

"If the Almighty can't see through it or get rid of it…what does that mean?" another said with fear in his voice.

"It means we need to be on guard here, I doubt this thing is friendly." the third said with a grunt as he watched the rift closely.

From behind them in the clouds Arial was looking at the rift with wonder, her eyes wide as she floated in place.

_What kind of gateway is that? It's so…creepy looking._

"Alright, keep a close watch men. No telling if anything's going to come out of it today." one of the guardians said as the three flew over and started to circle the rift with a good distance between them and the opening. Arial looked at the dark anomaly with wonder then slowly smiled.

_If that thing is a gateway…and it's linked to the human world…then that means…_

The guardians circled around the strange rift while watching it closely, all of them gliding around and eyeing the opening from all sides. As they did one of the angels glanced over to see a girl with wings shoot out from a nearby cloud towards the rift.

"What the- hold it!" he yelled out as Arial raced past him towards the rift at high speed, frost shimmering behind her wings. The guardians watched with surprise then dove after her.

"Stop! Don't go near that thing!" another yelled out.

Arial raced towards the rift with a bright smile on her face.

_If this leads to the human world, that means it leads to Dark!_

"I'm coming Dark! I'm coming back for you!" she cheered out with energy. The girl shot into the darkness headfirst as the angels watched with shock.

"Oh no, was that…" one of them said with worry.

"That was a monster's soul, that was a soul from the heavenly city." another said with surprise.

"Don't just sit there, we need to get her back here right away!" the third yelled out, the three guardians then diving after the girl into the darkness.

Arial was flying down at high speed through a dark blackness all around her. She couldn't see anything yet pushed on with all her might, the girl only focused on getting back to her beloved demon at any cost.

_Dark, I'm coming back for you. Nothing will keep us apart, nothing._

As she traveled down through the blackness her body gave off a faint bluish glow, the light seeming to ripple from her head to her feet before fading away. She flew down at high speed, then saw a rift below her. The girl shot out of it and banked up, then landed down suddenly on a stone courtyard. All around there were dark swirling clouds as she looked about with wonder. Nearby there was a large palace that seemed to be built right into the dark mountain she appeared to be on now, with its stone pillars being seen at the front with nothing but darkness inside of it.

"Wow…where is this place?" she said in wonder as she looked around. All around were howling winds and lightning from the clouds that swirled around. The girl looked around then glanced over to edge of the courtyard. She walked over and looked down to see dark clouds swirling around the mountain below her. And through the clouds she saw small glimpses of land below with sunlight being seen shining up.

"Is that…the human world? Am I back?" Arial said looking down at herself. She still had her wings, and she didn't feel any different.

"Hold it right there!" a voice yelled out. She looked back to see three angels shooting down from above and landing down on the stone ground, their feet hitting down and cracking the stones slightly as they narrowed their eyes at the girl. Arial looked at them worriedly as the three retracted their wings a bit.

"You shouldn't be here little angel, you need to get back to heaven right now." one of them said sternly. The other two were looking around cautiously as all that was heard was the howling of the wind and the crackling of lightning.

"No, I'm going to find my husband, you won't keep me from him!" Arial said shaking her head.

"Oh crap, I remember this girl now. This is that snow girl who's obsessed with that shadow demon from down below." one of the guardians groaned.

"Obsessed?" Arial said with annoyance.

"Oh yeah, that one, I remember her now. Well it makes no difference, you're coming with us little angel." another said firmly. Arial backed up towards the edge of the courtyard overlooking the swirling clouds below, her gray shirt and long purple hair flowing in the wind behind her as she eyed the three guardians closely.

"C'mon, we need to get you back before it's too late." the third angel said as he walked towards the girl.

"Keep away. I said get back!" Arial yelled as she focused her power…and watched as nothing happened. She blinked then focused again, the girl trying to freeze the angels in place. The three guardians looked at her cautiously as she held out her hand in front of her with a strained expression. She blinked then looked to her hand with puzzlement.

_What? But…I can't freeze anything…why?_

"What is she doing?" one of the angels asked.

"Who cares, grab her and let's get the hell out of here." another said quickly.

Arial looked back behind her down to the glimpses of light shining through the dark clouds then back to the angels.

"Don't even think about it kid, you can't leave heaven like this. We need to get you back before it's too late." one of the guardians said firmly. The snow girl shook her head with sorrow.

"No…I'm not going to back without him…I'm not leaving my husband!" she screamed out.

"You don't understand girl, if you're not in heaven you-" one angel started to say before a black talon pierced though his chest from behind, the guardian coughing out blood and screaming as he was lifted into the air. The other two angels and the snow girl looked with wide eyes to see a giant black ball of feathers with a bird's leg struck out at the angel. Slowly the feathers parted and the creature's large black wings spread out to reveal a bird monster of sorts. Its large body had black feathers all over while its head had three separate mouths lined up across its face, the monster's one dark red eye staring at it's prey as the angel thrashed about while trying to pull himself off of the beast's talon.

"What…what the hell is that?" another guardian yelled as they unsheathed their swords.

The bird monster screeched out as it slammed the angel on his foot down into the ground, the body being crushed under the foot as the monster spread its wings out.

"Where did that come from? We were all alone here a second ago!" one of the angels yelled out. He geared back to charge the beast with his sword before a long slender reptilian tail shot through him from behind, the angel yelling out as he was whipped around and thrown over into a tumble. The other guardian looked over to see a large black scaled beast seeming to appear from a distorted rift, the monster walking on all fours as its large reptilian head had dark spines sticking out from it. The monster hissed as it's tail whipped around, then lunged over and crushed the wounded angel into the ground with a roar. Arial watched in horror as the monster clawed and thrashed at the downed guardian and tore him to pieces.

"Get back to heaven now kid! Run!" the last guardian yelled as he flew towards the lizard and struck at it with his sword. The monster howled as the blade dug into it's back then whipped it's tail back, sending the angel flying back into a tumble. His sword remained lodged in the lizard that thrashed around while he collapsed down onto the stone ground. As he slowly started to get up he was yanked back into the air from a large muscular brute, the dark skinned monster having red eyes that glared at the angel while he roared at him with a set of tusks in his mouth. The angel thrashed about before the monster swung him over his head and into the ground with a loud crack. He then swung him over again and slammed him into the ground, then again and again. Arial looked around in horror as more distorted rifts seemed to appear around the shadowy courtyard and more dark and strange beasts shifted into view. Most were black and dark colored while others were masked by the shadows completely, all except for their red eyes that glared around at the girl.

"What…what is this place?" she said as she backed up to the edge with fright.

The bird monster started chewing and clawing at his crushed prey while the lizard finally whipped off the sword in his back and began to maul the remains of his kill. The brute savagely smashed the other guardian around until the body splattered on the stone floor. The beast roared then looked over to Arial with a glare and a drooling mouth. Other dark monsters started to creep closer as the girl looked around with fear.

"Well well well…" a dark voice said from the group of monsters. The girl looked to see a figure walking towards her. It looked to be a man with dark feathered wings. He wore dark dress pants and shoes along with a white shirt and a black dress shirt over it that was left unbuttoned. He had dark messy hair and black eyes as he grinned at the little angel.

"Aw, are you lost?" he said with a chuckle. She looked at him nervously as the red eyes of all the monsters around him glared at her. The two monsters that finished eating their prey looked to her with blood dripping from their mouths.

"Oh, what's wrong? Are you scared?" The man said with a smirk. Arial looked at him as she trembled while he flexed his hand at his side.

"Such a cute little thing, I'm sure you and I could have some real fun." He said before he dashed towards her. She screamed then dove down over the edge towards the swirling clouds. Thunder and lightning echoed out as the howls and roars of the many dark monsters up above sounded off. The winged man took off after her with a laugh while the girl raced down towards the swirling dark clouds. She flew down through the clouds and shielded her eyes as light seemed to engulf her. After a moment she slowly looked to see she was flying down amongst white fluffy clouds with the sun shining brightly all around. She looked back up to see the rift nearly concealed by the clouds, and the winged man flying out towards her still.

"No! Leave me alone!" Arial screamed as she dove down through the clouds. She was breathing heavily as she flew as fast as she could, and was looking around franticly. She raced down through the white clouds then flew out into a bright sky over the seaside, the blue ocean being down below and next to what looked to be a human city.

"What…is that…the human world?" Arial said in surprise. She looked back to see the dark figure closing in on her and screamed loudly. Suddenly ice spires seemed to form around her and shoot off toward the dark being, who merely swatted them away effortlessly with a laugh.

"Haha, where do you think you're running to little girl? Come back here so I can make you scream louder!" he yelled out with a wild laugh. She looked back to him then focused her power, the girl firing off another ice shard from her hand toward the dark monster. Again he swatted the projectile off to the side with his arm as he dove down towards her still.

_No…my power works now, but it's not strong enough!_

She looked around as she neared the water then banked up, the girl flying low towards the shore where houses were built next to the ocean. She looked back and focused her power, the girl creating ice spikes that shot up from the waves below. The dark being weaved around them with a laugh before shooting toward her again.

"How cute, you're trying to kill me. You're just so adorable I can't wait to peel you apart!" he laughed out loudly.

She shook her head with fright then looked ahead again, the girl's frosted wings moving her as fast as they could. She started breathing more heavily as she wiped her forehead. The girl started to feel very warm as her vision was beginning to blur slightly.

"What…it's so…hot here…" she said wearily as she felt the sun warming her body up. She coughed a bit and wavered as she flew towards a house near the seaside. It was a two story building with a large sundeck and glass windows. The girl staggered a bit in the air then careened down towards the beach. She splashed into the water then rolled onto the sandy beach coughing, the girl feeling weakened suddenly as her body felt hotter. Her vision started to blur as the dark winged man landed down next to her. He laughed and looked down at the girl as she struggled to move.

"Oh dear, what's the matter? I was sort of enjoying that little game of cat and mouse." He said with a dark smile. Arial groaned and tried to scoot away, the girl slowly moving back through the sand while watching him slowly walk after her.

"Well, that was entertaining for a little bit at least, however I'm afraid the game comes to an end now. However I'm still in a playing mood, how about we head back and have a little more…fun?" he said with a dark gleam in his eye. Arial whimpered as she tried to back up, the girl feeling weak and hot as she crawled back through the sand. The man chuckled then started to shift into his monster form before her, with his body growing and tearing apart his clothing while his skin turned dark and scaly. While he grew in size his wings expanded out, with the feathers shifting into leathery scales and melding together. As he finished turning into his form, a large humanoid lizard beast, he chuckled with his red eyes fixed on the young angel.

"Now then, let's see just how loud you can scream for me while I feed the others your flesh." He said as he reached down for her with a dark claw.

"No…get…back…" Arial said weakly as she collapsed down on the sand. The monster laughed a bit, then looked ahead at something. Arial's vision started to blur as she watched the monster slowly stand upright and stare at something.

"And who might you be?" the monster said with a smirk.

Silence.

The monster looked at something carefully then chuckled to himself.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Haha, do I scare you?" he said amusingly.

Silence.

The lizard man looked at something with a raised eyebrow then chuckled again.

"Well I bet I can get you to scream along with our little friend here, how about we go for a little joyride?" he said as his wings flexed out behind him.

Silence.

Arial breathed heavily as her body was warming up in the sunlight. Slowly she looked over behind her at something. There was a figure standing on the beach, obscured by the light shining down from the sun. It was a girl with long hair that went down to her shoulders. She appeared to be wearing a dress of some sort while she was holding something under her arm, what appeared to be a sketchpad. The snow girl tried to call out for help but her voice fell under a whisper. She shakily looked back to the monster as she felt her mind starting to blur, the girl groaning softly then passing out.

* * *

Slowly Arial's eyes opened, the girl blinking and letting her mind focus again. She was lying on a bed inside a home, the girl still dressed in her clothing with her wings lying still on the bed. She blinked then glanced down to see a lollipop in her mouth, and felt the cold chill from it flowing through her body.

"Wha…" she breathed out as she slowly sat up. Inside the room was the bed she was lying in, a dresser next to a wall, a window overlooking the blue sea and bright sky, a ceiling fan set to low to keep the air circulating, and a chair in the corner. Her earbuds and mp3 player were sitting on a small table next to the bed. She blinked then looked over to see a figure standing by the doorway. It was the same girl from before, only this time she was visible properly. She had blue eyes and blue hair which was tied back in a polka-dotted ribbon. She wore a long sleeved, knee-length white dress with red polka-dot with a red ribbon on her chest along with white dress shoes. In her hands was a sketchbook as she slowly walked up towards the snow angel.

"Who…who are you?" Arial asked. The girl tilted her head at the angel with a curious smile and eyed her over slowly. Arial looked at her for a moment then around.

"Where am I?" she asked softly. She jumped then looked back to the girl, causing her to look at her with a bit of surprise.

"What happened to that monster? Where…what happened?" she asked franticly. The silent girl just looked at her for a moment then smiled calmly and shook her head.

"What happened here? Why are you just smiling like that?" Arial said with surprise. The girl giggled silently and tilted her head with a calm smile at the angel. Arial looked at her carefully then glanced around.

"Is that monster…gone?" she asked cautiously. The girl just nodded in response. Arial looked at her carefully.

"Did…you…" she asked slowly. The silent girl smirked and nodded with a wink. Arial looked at her with wonder then reached up to her lollipop.

"And…did you…give this to me?" she asked softly. The girl nodded again while still remaining quiet. Arial glanced to the lollipop then to her body.

"How did you know…" she asked softly. Still the other girl remained quiet while smiling at her. Arial looked at her for a moment then down at her own body.

"Why did I get hot like that? I thought…but…does that mean…" she said as she glanced behind her. Her wings were still there, she was still dead. Yet her body had felt warm again as if she were alive. Looking outside she saw the bright blue sky, along with the white clouds high above.

"Is this…am I…" she said looking back to the silent girl. The girl looked at her curiously as Arial just examined her body in wonder.

"Is this…the human world?" she asked. The silent girl looked at her curiously then nodded once. Arial looked at her with a bright smile and then outside again.

"It is? This is? This is the human world? I'm back in the human world?" she said excitedly as she stumbled to her feet and raced over to window, the girl looking around at the blue sea and the wide beach before her. The waves were gently rolling along the sandy beach as the wind gently blew in the air. The silent girl giggled quietly and looked at the snow girl with wings curiously.

"Oh my god, oh my god I'm back! I'm back! This is…this is great!" she cheered out as she looked again to her body with amazement. She felt her body with her hands then jumped around the room with joy, the silent girl looking at her with an amused smile. Arial bounced around happily then over to the silent girl, the snow angel then taking her hands into hers and jumping around her joyously while laughing.

"This is incredible! This is unbelievable! I'm really back! I'm back I'm back I'm back!" she cheered out as the silent girl laughed quietly while looking at the young angel with a warm smile. Arial stopped bouncing around and looked at her hands with amazement.

"This is real, I'm really here! This is a miracle! Now I can see him again! Now I can be with my husband again!" she cheered out. The silent girl raised an eyebrow to her with a small smile, the girl not knowing what to make of what she just heard from the young angel. Arial looked at her body then to the girl with amazement.

"I'm really back, this…this is a dream come true! I can't believe…it's like…" she said shaking her head with joy. She stopped and looked at the quiet girl with wonder. Silence filled the room as the two just looked at each other.

"Thank you…thank you helping me out there. I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." Arial said graciously. The girl nodded and waved her hand to dismiss the claim selflessly. The snow girl looked at her with wonder then smiled at her.

"This is a dream come true for me, you have no idea. I mean…I'm not sure how I…and where I was before…but still, thank you for helping me out there with that evil monster." She said gently. Again the silent girl just nodded with a smile. Arial looked at her curiously then smiled a bit around her lollipop.

"My name is Arial Kuyumaya. Um…what's yours?" the snow girl asked curiously. The silent girl brought up her sketchpad and wrote something down, then turned it to show the angel with a smile.

My name is Sun Otonashi, nice to meet you.


	20. Welcome To Paradise

In the human world a large crowd of spectators, news reporters, and armed guards were seen outside the entrance of a large building amongst a human city. It stood tall overlooking the surrounding city with glass windows that reflected the sunlight and blue sky above. At the front entrance the doors opened as the crowd started cheering and yelling out at the same time. The armed guards stood against the crowd to keep a path clear towards the street where a few black limousines were parked. From the glass doors two figures walked out as camera flashes and questions from the crowd were heard over all the yelling.

"Mr. Shuzen! Mr. Shuzen!" a reporter called out.

"A question if you please!" another called out.

Down the path cleared by the guards Issa and Kahlua walked, both keeping their eyes looking forward as reporters took pictures and called out questions.

"Is it true that there are countless monsters already in the human world?" a woman called out.

"Are these monsters spies of yours?" another man yelled out while taking dozens of pictures.

"What are you going to do about monsters that are hiding in our world?" a man called out while holding a pen and pad of paper.

"Is some form of invasion being planned?" another man called out.

"Are you really here for peace?" another woman called out.

Kahlua glanced around worriedly then back ahead while her father remained unfazed by all the human reporters. The two got to their limo as their driver opened the door, the vampires then entering their vehicle while remaining quiet. The driver closed the door then drove them off down the street. As the limo drove through the human city Kahlua was looking out the window with worry.

"What are we going to do father?" she asked softly.

"We continue as we have been doing of course." Issa said simply.

"But the humans are starting to distrust us again, they think we're up to something with all those other monster hiding here." Kahlua said shaking her head.

"As I said, we continue as we have been doing. We're not hiding anything, and we've already explained why there are already monsters in their world." Issa replied calmly while glancing out the window.

"I don't like that Jenner guy, he kept glaring at us the entire time we were there." Kahlua said with a pout.

"Yes, I'm not too fond of him myself. However we must tolerate him for the time being, he is a representation of mankind's fear towards us." Issa said simply. Kahlua looked down as she crossed her arms before her.

"But the HDA keeps saying Alucard was our doing, that we're the bad guys here." She said worriedly.

"The humans of course would fear us and try to set blame for Alucard in their world, however we must show them that we are indeed peaceful and are not here to conquer this world. For now we must tolerate the HDA's mudslinging until we can make more progress with the treaty." Issa said looking out the window at the passing city.

"I guess." Kahlua said softly.

"By the way, have you received any word from your sister? I'm curious as to what emergency she had to attend to for Moka." Issa said glancing to his daughter. Kahlua shook her head with a shrug.

"I didn't get any call from her yet either, I'm not sure. I hope everything is ok with them." She said softly. Issa nodded then looked back ahead as he brought out a cell phone. He dialed some numbers then waited for the other end to pick up.

"Hello father." Akua's voice said from the other end.

"Hello daughter. We are just leaving the meeting now so I thought I would check up on you. Care to explain why Moka had you leave earlier like that?" Issa asked simply as he started to twirl one of his bangs casually with one finger.

"Oh, it was just…a little problem with Tsukune." The girl's voice said unsurely.

"A problem with Tsukune? What sort of problem?" Issa asked cautiously. Kahlua looked at her father worriedly at that remark.

"Well, he was just…a little sick." Akua said slowly.

"Sick? Your sister had you leave our meeting with the human officials because her mate was sick?" Issa said with a raised eyebrow.

"Sick? Is he ok?" Kahlua asked worriedly.

"Is Moka with you? I'd like to speak to her." Issa said firmly.

"Oh…yes, one moment." Akua said. A moment passed and another girl spoke up.

"Hello father." Kokoa said happily.

"Kokoa? Where is Moka, I wish to speak to her about her mate's condition." Issa said firmly.

"Oh, she's…not available at the moment. She's…talking to the headmaster." Kokoa said nervously.

"Your sister just said she was available. What is she talking to the headmaster about?" Issa asked with an annoyed tone.

"Um…nothing really." Kokoa said innocently.

"What's this I hear about Tsukune supposedly being sick then?" Issa asked carefully.

"Oh, that. Um…well, I don't know all the details myself, but it's not…really that bad I'm sure." Kokoa said nervously.

"YOU QUARANTINED MY MATE?" Moka's voice shouted out from the phone. Issa held the phone back a bit then glanced to it as he listened again.

"What's going on?" he asked sternly. There was a pause before the girl spoke up again.

"Nothing father, just…um…" Kokoa said shakily.

"WHERE IS HE?" Moka cried out in the background again. Issa paused for a moment then looked ahead with an annoyed expression.

"Kokoa…" he said sternly.

"It's not that bad father, he's just a little…um, sick." Kokoa said weakly.

"A little sick that requires him to be quarantined?" Issa asked flatly.

"Quarantined? Oh no, does he need chicken noodle soup?" Kahlua asked worriedly.

"It's not…_that_ bad." Kokoa said shakily.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE NEAR HIM, LET ME SEE MY MATE NOW!" Moka shouted out in the background.

"For gods sake would somebody shut her up?" Kokoa barked out in the background. There was another long pause before she spoke up again.

"So…how was your morning father?" Kokoa asked sweetly.

"Kokoa what is going on over there? Explain." Issa demanded.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, I'M GOING TO GO SEE HIM!" Moka yelled out with anger in the background.

"Moka wait! You can't!" Akua yelled out.

Issa just sat there with a blank expression as the limo drove through the city, the man still twirling his bangs with one finger.

"Well?" he asked with a bit of discontent.

"Well…I gotta go father, big sister needs…emotional support. Bye!" Kokoa said quickly with a cheery tune, and then hung up the phone. Issa slowly lowered his hand then glanced to his daughter.

"Is Tsukune ok? What happened father?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure, however I am expecting a very good excuse for all this when I see them next." He said with a hint of anger in his voice. Kahlua nodded nervously then looked out the window at the passing buildings.

Behind them another limo was driving through the city. In the back a man was talking on his cell phone while a few other men were in the back looking at paperwork in their hands.

"That was a waste of my time. It's so obvious these monsters can't be trusted, how are we even still talking about peace with them?" Jenner barked out into the phone. He growled as he listened to the other end then shook his head with frustration.

"No, that is bullshit. In case you haven't forgotten, they're called monsters for a reason. That's what they are! And to allow such things into our world is utterly insane. In fact, they already have been in our world for some time, plotting and planning their next move. Their attack dog Alucard or whatever it's name was failed so they make themselves out to be heroes to us, only so they can worm their way into our world then attack again!" the man yelled out. The others in the back glanced to him then returned to talking amongst themselves.

"I won't stand for this, you hear me? The HDA isn't about to let mankind just give the world over to these things on a silver platter." He barked out again. He listened to the other end then growled loudly.

"Listen to yourself prime minister, you're talking about welcoming _monsters_ into _our_ world! That sort of crap won't bring about anything but the end of the world, I can personally guarantee it!" Jenner yelled out again. He shook his head as he listened to the other end then grumbled a bit.

"Yes sir, I understand I am to treat them like guests in this world, but that sure as hell doesn't mean I'm going to do so with a fucking smile. Let me make one thing crystal clear to you sir, if these monsters try anything, ANYTHING in our world, the HDA will not hesitate to take action." He said firmly. He nodded then hung up the phone.

"We're not to use any force with any…monster that comes forth in our world, as per request of our brilliant leader." He growled as he tossed the phone over onto the seat.

"So how do we deal with all these monsters that have been hiding in our world all this time?" a man asked curiously.

"We follow standard procedure. Get them registered in the human world and put them under observation. We have to try to be tolerant of them having lived in our world all this time." another said simply.

"Tolerant of potential spies, what a joke." another scoffed.

"So far none that have stepped forth have been hostile with our kind, we can't just pull the trigger on them if they've done no wrong." another said raising finger.

"And what if they do turn hostile when they reveal themselves?" another man asked as he glanced to Jenner. The man smirked and looked out the window as he ran a finger along his thin mustache.

"Like I explained to him over the phone, if any monster tries to make a mess in our world, we will not hesitate to take action. As soon as one of them strikes, this ridiculous notion of peace will be a distant memory." He said with a bite.

* * *

At Yokai Academy the group was dealing with the news that their friend had been placed somewhere for his own protection and theirs until he could get a hold of his vampire bloodlust. According to the headmaster the vampire boy was taken somewhere with Ruby and Ren so he could gain control of his urges without another bloody rampage occurring. Among the group there were two that were freaking out more than the rest.

"LET ME GO! I NEED TO SEE HIM!" Moka yelled as she thrashed about while Akua held her from behind, the elder vampire struggling to keep her enraged sister still.

"I hung up on father…oh god, I'm so dead!" Kokoa cried out with tears forming, the girl slowly lowering the phone in her hands as she looked down at the ground with wide eyes.

"Moka calm down, please!" Yukari cried out as the group watched the pink haired vampire buck around with anger and frustration.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME FROM HIM LIKE THIS!" Moka yelled out with frustration.

"I'm going to get such a spanking…I won't be able to sit for weeks!" Kokoa cried out shaking her head with fright. Everybody but Akua and Moka looked to her with blank expressions as she trembled in fear.

"What?" Gin asked slowly.

"Um…more than I needed to know, but ok then." Kurumu said unsurely.

"LET GO AKUA! LET GO!" Moka yelled out.

"You need to calm down Moka, we can't have you going crazy here as well. Besides you don't even know where he is now anyway, where are you going to go?" Akua grunted as she held a tight grip around her sister. As the pink haired girl kicked and screamed while Kokoa was looking down with fear the group looked to the headmaster.

"Explain, where is he?" Dark demanded.

"He's been taken to one of my own little getaways from this world. Ruby and your siren friend will be watching over him while he gets a hold of his little…problem." the headmaster said calmly.

"Where is that? Where did you send them?" Rason asked.

"_Little_ problem?" Kurumu said shaking her head.

"How do you expect those two to help him with this?" Mizore asked carefully.

"Our sister is going to be stuck with him until he gets better?" Ran said in disbelief.

"But…the fireworks are tonight! She'll miss them!" Rin said shaking her head.

"Can we see them? Where are they?" Ahakon asked.

"Your father still gives you spankings?" Gin asked nervously to Kokoa, the redhead glancing to him then down with a blush.

"LET GO!" Moka yelled as she thrashed around. She started crying while struggling to free herself still.

"You can't take my mate away, you can't take him from me again!" she cried out as she broke down, the girl slumping down in her sister's arms as she started to cry. The group looked to her worriedly as she cried while Akua held her up.

"Moka…" Yukari said softly.

"I'm sorry my dear, but we had to remove him from the grounds before he harmed anybody else here. We had to consider the safety of the school, and it's just too dangerous to have him stay here right now." the headmaster said with a solemn tone.

"I don't care if it's dangerous, I don't care! Just…let me be with him!" Moka cried out. She started sobbing while the group looked at her with sympathetic expressions. Everybody watched as Akua held her sister while the girl cried out of sorrow.

"I'm sorry sister." Akua said gently.

"Where is he?" Dark asked sternly while Mizore held onto his arm, the snow maiden looking at the headmaster with narrowed eyes.

"Tsukune…" Moka whimpered in her sister's arms.

"Please, he's our friend." Rason said worriedly as Kurumu watched her friend cry out of sorrow.

"Tsukune." Moka sobbed out as she stood and held her hands to her face.

"You can't just take him away like that." Gin said shaking his head while Kokoa was still freaking out about how much her father was going to punish her later.

"Oh man I'm so going to get it." Kokoa said as she whimpered in fear.

"What did you do with him? Tell us." Ahakon said with discontent as Yukari watched Moka cry with worry.

"Tsukune!" Moka cried out with tears still flowing.

"Where is our sister?" Ran and Rin shouted out with worry.

"I understand your caution regarding his condition, but you cannot take my sister's mate away like this. She deserves to be with him, now where is he?" Akua asked sternly. The headmaster looked to Moka as she nodded with pleading eyes.

"Please…please let me see him again." she said softly as she wiped her tears away. The man looked at her for a moment then towards his office.

"If you all wish to see him that badly, I suppose I could show you the way. However, let me make something clear. Mr. Aono will not be allowed to leave until he has his bloodlust under control. I will not allow a repeat of today's massacre." The man said firmly.

"He can't leave until then? But I thought it took generations before vampires got rid of this condition." Ahakon said worriedly.

"You mean Tsukune's confined to this place of yours until he gets better? But…what if he can't?" Rason said shaking his head.

"Then for all your safety he will remain there." The headmaster said simply.

"You can't keep our sister with him like that though, we never agreed to that." Ran said shaking her head.

"And I don't think Razico will like his girlfriend being trapped in there as well." Kurumu said worriedly.

"Ms. Tojo and Ms. Otonashi are free to leave whenever they like, they are not confined to that place at all." The headmaster said calmly. The siren sisters looked at each other worriedly then back to the headmaster.

"But Tsukune…how is he going to be able to cure his condition there?" Yukari asked worriedly.

"Just where is he anyway?" Akua asked carefully. The group looked at the headmaster cautiously as he chuckled a bit.

"Why, Paradise of course." He said with a creepy smile.

* * *

Tsukune was looking around with amazement as he stood by a cliffside overlooking a blue sea. There were white clouds in the sky and down by the water along with a large lush forest nearby. But the strangest sight to the boy was the fact that sky was bright blue with green streaks flying through it along with a large moon that was very close in the horizon. Behind him Ruby and Ren were watching the boy as he was looking around with an open mouth.

"Pa…Paradise?" he asked as he slowly looked back to the girls.

"Yes, it's a special place in the monster world that the headmaster uses as a private retreat. He's allowing you to stay here until you can get a hold on your…condition." Ruby said with a bit of remorse.

Tsukune blinked then looked at the witch with worried eyes.

"Ruby what happened? How did I get here, and…what happened…with Moka? Oh god, I didn't hurt her did I?" he said nervously. He remembered lying on the floor in her room, after having tried to suck her blood. He remembered throwing up the blood then keeling over, the boy lying on the ground shaking and feeling hungrier than ever.

"Oh god…what have I done? I tried to drink her blood." He said looking down with remorse.

_"Why…why is this happening to me?" he said shakily._

_"What you're experiencing Tsukune…it's…it's a vampire's bloodlust." Moka said quietly._

_"What? Bloodlust?" he asked softly._

_"Yes, vampires used to be primal, hunting down prey and drinking their blood like wild animals. What you're seeing…is your monster's nature not being suppressed. It's something we've gradually learned to control and resist Tsukune, both for our own safety and others." Moka said softly._

"Bloodlust." Tsukune said looking down with worry.

"So Moka told you?" Ruby asked. The boy nodded and looked back to her.

"She did, right before…I…I…" he said shakily. The image of him pinning her down and biting into her neck flashed before his eyes, the boy shaking his head with fear.

"Oh god…what have I done?" he cried out.

"Tsukune, you may want to sit down. We need to talk to you about what happened." Ruby said softly. The boy looked to them as they both had remorseful expressions.

"What happened? What…what did I do?" he asked fearfully.

"Please sit down Tsukune." The witch said with remorse. The boy looked between then sat down on the grass. The girls walked over and sat down across from him.

"Now, before I begin, I want to make something clear to you Tsukune." Ruby said assuredly. The boy nodded and waited for her to continue.

"What happened, and what I'm about to tell you, it wasn't your fault at all. You weren't in control, your…vampire urges took control of you. So please, do not blame yourself for anything I say." She said worriedly. Tsukune looked down and nodded slowly. He knew hearing that warning beforehand meant that something bad happened.

"Ok. Well, here is what happened then Tsukune…" Ruby said softly. She explained what the group had told her before, how he lost control and tried to attack Moka and Kokoa. How he took blood from Dark and Rason before the entire group just barely got him contained. How he broke free when the seal over his wrist was removed, and how he went on a killing spree in the festival. And how the sirens put him to sleep after everything else failed to bring him back to his senses. After the tale was told Tsukune was looking down with a horrified expression.

"Oh god…" he breathed out.

"Like I mentioned before, it wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for this Tsukune." Ruby said worriedly. The boy just stared down at the ground in silence as the two girls watched him worriedly.

"Tsukune?" Ruby asked gently. The boy looked to his wrist and gently held the seal with one hand as he tilted it a bit. He gazed at it with remorse then looked down with closed eyes.

"Tsukune, please don't blame yourself for this. We're not blaming you at all." Ruby said worriedly.

"I hurt my friends. I killed innocent students. Their blood…it's in me now." Tsukune said as he shuddered a bit. Ruby and Ren looked at the boy with remorse then down.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that Tsukune." Ruby said softly.

"Why…why am I here?" Tsukune asked under a whisper.

"We brought you here so you can learn to control yourself without endangering anybody around you." Ruby said hopefully. Tsukune shook his head as he slowly got back up on his feet.

"No, I mean…why am I here? Why am I still alive?" he said with anger as he clenched his fists.

"Tsukune?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Why wasn't I killed? Why am I being kept alive if that…that monster within me is still there?" he said looking to the witch with devastation and frustration. Ruby and Ren got to their feet as Tsukune shook his head while gripping his hair.

"I nearly killed you all, I killed innocent students! This is just like it was with the ghoul, I'm nothing but a walking time bomb!" he yelled out.

"But you're still you, you can beat this Tsukune. The headmaster and I agreed that you can overcome this." Ruby said hopefully.

"Overcome this? Moka told me what this is, this damned curse of my blood! It took generations of vampires to get it out of their systems! I can't just make it go away with my one lifetime!" Tsukune yelled as he shook his head.

"But Tsukune…" Ruby said with sorrow.

"How long…how long before I get too hungry again? How long before I attack you all again? Oh god, I can still see it, I can still see the look on Moka's face when I sucked her blood. I could have killed her!" Tsukune cried out as he backed up a bit shaking. The image of Moka's frightened face flashed before his eyes, the girl looking with terror and tears as he bit down into her neck.

"Tsukune you can't give up from this, you've overcome so much in the past. You overcame a ghoul infestation, you took down Fairy Tale, you even defied time itself! You can do this, I believe in you, everybody does!" Ruby said with energy.

"You need to get away from me, both of you. You're not safe near me, nobody is." Tsukune said backing up some more.

"We're not going to abandon you Tsukune, we're here to help you." Ruby said as she held a hand out to him.

"Just get away now!" Tsukune yelled out. The girls looked at him with worry as he trembled a bit.

"I can still feel it…the hunger…I'm still so thirsty for more blood. It's not going away…it's going to come back again and again. You need to get away from me while you still can." He pleaded loudly.

"You can beat this Tsukune, I know you can." Ruby said hopefully.

"Please…I don't want to hurt anybody else. Get away before I lose control again." Tsukune said shakily.

Ruby looked at him with sorrow as the boy trembled, his eyes looking down with remorse and sorrow. Before she could say a word Ren ran over and hugged the boy, the siren burying her face into his chest.

"What? Get away Ren, get away from me!" Tsukune yelled as he tried to pry the girl off of him She shook her head then looked up to him with pleading eyes.

"No, I won't let you just throw your life away like this." She said worriedly.

"What are you talking about? You need to get away, before I…before I…" the boy said as he shook his head with closed eyes.

"You saved me Tsukune." She said softly. He looked to her as she smiled gently at him.

"You saved me and my sisters. You saved us from being taken back by our old master. After all we did…after all the pain we caused…you saved us. You gave us another chance at life." She said softly. She hugged him tightly and shook her head.

"I won't let you give up your life now, I won't. You helped us with our dark controller, now I'm going to help you with yours." She said softly.

"But Ren…you can't…" Tsukune said worriedly.

"I'm not going to leave your side Tsukune until you are all better." Ren said firmly.

"But why, if I lose control again…I could kill you." He said worriedly.

"No, you won't. That's why I'm here Tsukune, to help you with that." Ren said as she backed up. Tsukune looked at her curiously as she smiled at him.

"She's here to make sure you don't go into another feeing frenzy Tsukune. Should you lose total control of yourself at any time here she'll sing a song to put you to sleep." Ruby said walking up next to the siren. Ren nodded and smiled at the boy.

"You won't go on another rampage, I promise." She said assuredly.

"But…" Tsukune said looking around.

"She can't just keep putting me to sleep forever. How…how am I supposed to overcome part of my own vampire nature?" the boy asked worriedly.

"It's all a matter of willpower Tsukune. You're here to overcome this condition and become stronger than it. To rise above it like all the other vampires have done in the past." Ruby said gently. Tsukune looked down and closed his eyes, the boy showing a strained expression.

"Tsukune? What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"I can still see it…" he said shakily.

"See what?" Ren asked. The boy looked back to them with worried eyes.

"Your blood." He said softly. He could see their blood illuminating before him, the world around him darkening as their veins and heartbeats lit up brightly. He shook his head and looked down with frustration, the boy trying to fight off the thirst that was building in his throat. His hand twitched and curled into a fist as he closed his eyes tightly.

"It's going to happen again soon…I know it…you both need to get away before-"

He stopped as he looked up to see Ren standing before him, the girl resting her hand on his chest.

"Then take some of mine." She said softly. Tsukune and Ruby jumped a bit and looked at her with surprise.

"What?" he said with shock.

"I said take some of mine, see if it helps." Ren said gently.

"Um, Ren? You don't have to do that, really." Ruby said worriedly.

"It's ok, I want to." Ren said as she flicked her hair away from her shoulder and tilted her head slightly. Tsukune trembled a bit as he looked at her neck, the girl's veins and blood lighting up for him brightly.

"But…I can't…" he said shakily.

"It's ok Tsukune. Just take a little bit, see if it helps." Ren said softly.

"Really Ren, you don't have to do this. If anybody should offer blood it should be me, you're needed if he loses control." Ruby said shaking her head with concern. She walked up to the boy and tilted her head while flicking her hair away from her shoulder.

"Please Tsukune, I insist." She said in a professional tone. Tsukune looked between the girls as their blood was lit up for him brightly, their heartbeats calling to him as the world around him turned darker.

"It's ok Tsukune." Ren said softly.

"Just take a bit of my blood. I don't mind." Ruby said gently. Tsukune looked between the two then shook his head with closed eyes.

"I…don't want to-"

"The more you fight it the worse it's going to get." Ruby said worriedly. Ren walked up to him and held him close, the girl holding his head with one hand gently behind him while her other arm went around his waist. Tsukune trembled a bit as she had her neck right in front of his mouth.

"You need to feed." She said softly.

His eyes widened as the image of his hallucination from before flashed in front of him, the boy seeing Ran holding Ren towards him for the boy to drink her blood.

"It's ok." She said gently with closed eyes.

He remembered the frightened expression of the girl before from his vision, how she begged him not to.

"I'm going to help you Tsukune. For all that you've done for me, I'm going to help you through this." Ren said softly.

Yet now here she was, offering willingly to have him take some of her blood. He closed his eyes as he tried to fight the urge, the boy feeling the warmth from her blood and the smell drawing him closer. She smelled so nice to him, the boy seeming to be able to taste her blood almost.

"Ren…" he said quietly. She held him gently and securely as she nodded.

"It's ok. Do it." She said softly.

Ruby watched them worriedly as Tsukune looked at her neck with hungry eyes. He gulped then slowly opened his mouth, the boy being drawn to the girl's blood as his hunger was starting to rise again. He bared his fangs and prepared to bite into the girl's neck, his eyes showing him the veins that were the closest to the skin. Her scent filled his nose, the boy seeming to be drawn to her like a hungry animal. He paused for a moment, then gently bit down on her neck. She jumped a bit and let out a small gasp then quickly regained herself. She glanced to the side to see him drinking her blood, his eyes closed as he did so.

_Tsukune…_

The boy felt her blood flow down his mouth and into his throat as his tongue licked the skin gently, the taste seeming to overwhelm him a bit. It tasted beyond wonderful, the blood seeming to be perfect to him in everyway. Tomato juice didn't even come close to the sensation the blood provided, the boy savoring every drop as it passed over his tongue. His arms slowly reached around and held the girl gently as he drank the siren's blood.

_This taste…it's…incredible…_

Ren's mouth started to open more as her hands gripped a bit more tightly.

"Tsukune…" she breathed out. Ruby watched her carefully as her eyes started to close a bit.

"How much…do you need?" the girl asked quietly as her grip started to loosen.

"Tsukune!" Ruby called out. The boy jumped a bit and let go of her neck, then looked at her with wide eyes. Her knees buckled and she collapsed into his arms, the boy holding her up as she had one hand around his neck still. She looked up at him with timid eyes and a small blush as her breathing was a bit heavier.

"Ren? I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Tsukune said nervously.

"Are you…ok now?" she asked quietly. Tsukune blinked then looked to Ruby. He saw her normally as she watched him worriedly. He then looked down to Ren, the siren also appearing normal to his eyes.

"I…I feel…" he said softly.

"Yes?" Ren asked hopefully.

"I feel great…I feel perfectly fine." Tsukune said with a smile. Ren smiled a bit and nodded as Ruby breathed out in relief. The boy looked down at the siren with wonder. He felt perfectly normal again, no cravings or strange visions. His hunger had died down completely as well.

"I'm…glad…" she said softly as she smiled.

"Ren? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take that much. Are you ok?" he asked worriedly as he held the girl up.

"I'm fine…really." She said as she slowly stood up again. Tsukune looked to her neck, the bite mark already closing up nicely.

"Do you feel hungry or thirsty still?" Ruby asked curiously.

"No, I feel normal. No hunger…or strange visions. I feel great now." Tsukune said with a smile.

"That really stopped it?" Ren asked curiously.

"It looks like it did." Ruby said with wonder. Tsukune looked around the area, the boy feeling his thirst slated and his vision having returned to normal.

"How come when he took everybody's blood before that didn't stop him, but mine did?" Ren asked looking to Ruby. Tsukune looked down at that and thought about it. He had to have taken a good amount of blood from a lot of other students before he was put down, yet he didn't calm down then.

"Maybe he needs drink blood before he loses control. That must be it, you drank her blood before the bloodlust consumed you." Ruby said looking at the boy carefully. Tsukune's smile slowly faded as he looked down with worry.

"Am I going to have to drink other's blood for the rest of my life?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I'm sure you can overcome this Tsukune. I mean you're ok now, right?" Ruby said hopefully. Tsukune slowly nodded then looked to the two girls.

"We'll work on your willpower against it while we're here. You just need to try to fight it with all your might, and try to suppress the urge completely." Ruby said with a smile.

"But I thought you said it would get worse the more I fight against it." Tsukune said worriedly.

"Well…yes. But that's what we're here for Tsukune. If you feel like you're losing the battle you can drink a bit of our blood. If that doesn't work Ren will just put you to sleep." Ruby said with a slight smile. Ren nodded in agreement. Tsukune looked down at his seal with concern. He had managed to repress his bloodlust by drinking the siren's blood before he lost it, but he knew the hunger would be coming back soon. To overcome it would take a great amount of willpower and self control, something that took generations of practice for the vampire world to get through. Not only that, but he knew the more he resisted it the harder it would get to control.

"Please Tsukune, don't give up. I know you can beat this, I just know you can." Ruby said hopefully.

"Yes, we're here with you, you're not alone in this." Ren said in agreement. Tsukune looked between the two then nodded.

"Ok, I'll give it my best try. Thank you…both of you, for helping me." He said with a gentle smile.

"We won't abandon you Tsukune, you're going to be ok. If anybody can beat this, it's you." Ruby said confidently.

"Well, I suppose so. Still…what do we do now?" Tsukune asked looking around at the strange place they were in. He still had no idea how they got there or how far they were from his friends.

"Well the first thing we should do is find shelter before night comes." Ruby said looking to the forest.

"What? Find shelter? But…I thought we were staying at the headmaster's place." Tsukune said looking around puzzled.

"Paradise is his Tsukune, but there is no house or cabin here. We need to make our own shelter and find our own food." Ruby explained. Tsukune looked at her with confusion. He thought that if the headmaster sent them here he would have sent provisions with them as well, or at least sent something for the girls.

"Um…ok then. Well I guess we should get to it then." He said unsurely as he started to walk towards the forest.

"Of course. And Tsukune, I just want to say thank you in advance." Ruby said with a timid smile. The boy stopped and looked back to her curiously.

"Thank you? For what?" Tsukune asked.

"For protecting us." Ren said with a giggle. The boy looked between the two with an awkward smile.

"What? What are you talking about?" he asked.

* * *

The group was walking into the headmaster's office as the man himself walked over to his desk. He turned to face the group as they all looked around curiously.

"So where is he? Why are we just coming back in here?" Moka asked looking around worriedly.

"He's not anywhere near us my dear, he's in another part of the monster world entirely. Someplace that cannot be traveled to on any road." the headmaster said calmly. The group looked at him with confusion as he smiled at them.

"So then…where's that?" Rason asked.

"It's a dimension of the monster world that I've kept private for some time, sort of like a little vacation spot if you will." the man said with a chuckle. He held out his hands and formed them into a steeple, the hands then glowing bluish with green flashes around them. The group watched as he tossed a small blue and green flame from his hand down towards the ground. Before it hit the flame hovered in place then flared around. The group watched as the fire shot up wildly into a large flame, then seemed to swirl around like a tornado. As it did a light seemed to form within it and grow brighter.

"Only myself and Ms. Tojo know how to enter and leave this place. I will allow you to say hello to Mr. Aono but then you will need to leave him to his work. Is that understood?" the man asked. The group just nodded as the fiery tornado seemed to shift and tilt around. Slowly the fire started to recede as the light from within grew and grew. The fire flickered and died off as the bright light spread out and formed into a two-dimensional opening, the edges glowing blue and green as the center flared around with a shimmering light.

"This is the gateway into Paradise. Do not be alarmed when it closes behind you, that's an intended effect so nothing else can come out. When you find Ms. Tojo she will send you back out here." The headmaster said simply.

"Nothing else? What else is in there besides our friends?" Mizore asked curiously. The man chuckled and glanced to her.

"Plenty my dear, plenty. Find Ms. Tojo, say your hellos to Mr. Aono, then return here at once. And for your own safety, stay out of the forest." He said with a smirk. The group looked to each other then to the gateway.

"What's in the forests?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

"The local wildlife of course. Now, you have your gateway, and your warning. If you wish to proceed that is up to you." the man said motioning towards the gateway. Everybody glanced to each other then looked at the strange portal. Without another word Moka walked up to the gateway, glanced back, then walked through it. Her body seemed to shift right into the flat gateway and pass right through with a crackle. The others looked to each other then back to the gateway.

"Go on if you desire, just remember what I said." the headmaster said with a smile. Dark walked towards the light then glanced back to the headmaster.

"If this thing kills my mp3 player we're going to have a problem." he said with narrowed eyes. The man chuckled as the demon walked through the light. Mizore walked up to it then glanced to the headmaster, the girl then walking through without saying a word. Rason walked up with Kurumu holding his hand. The two glanced to each other, then walked through together. Yukari and Ahakon followed after, along with Gin and Kokoa. Ran, Rin, and Akua walked up to the portal with Rin showing a bit of fear.

"You should wait here my dear." the headmaster said calmly to the blonde haired girl. The girls looked to him as he smiled at the siren.

"What? Me? Why?" Rin asked.

"Because I'm not sure if your headphones will survive the trip, and since I cannot undo the spell over your mind, that would be most unfortunate." the man said simply. Rin held the device over her ears then looked to Ran worriedly.

"Wait, but what about Dark's…" Akua said looking to the portal. She blinked then glanced at the headmaster.

"He's going to be angry with you, not wise to piss off a shadow demon in your school." she said shaking her head.

"Haha, I'm quite aware of Mr. Kuyumaya's attitude with me, and the countless amount of replacement player's he possesses. He'll be fine one way or another." the headmaster said with a shrug. Akua gave the man a small glare then walked through the portal.

"Say hi to Ren for me." Rin said softly. Ran nodded then walked through the portal as well. Afterwards the light flashed and then the rift seemed to vanish completely.

"Now all we can do is wait for their return." the headmaster said simply. Rin nodded then looked at him curiously.

"Um…ok, but one question." she said. The man tilted his head as she looked at him puzzled.

"Who are you?" she asked. He chuckled then walked over to his desk.

"Yes, that would have been most unfortunate indeed." he said to himself.

Inside the other world the group was looking around with wide eyes at the strange sights. Blue skies with green streaks flowing through in the air, the large moon that appeared very close to them, the endless blue sea with the white clouds in the sky, the large lush green forest that was nearby. Everybody was looking around with amazement at the area.

"Wow…" Moka breathed out.

"This is…amazing." Kurumu said with wonder.

"I've never seen such a place before." Yukari said looking at the moon that was close to them.

"It's…beautiful." Kokoa said with awe.

"Ok, now I'm pissed." Dark said flatly. The group looked to him as he removed his earbuds and dropped them and the player to the ground, the device smoking slightly. He and Mizore were looking down at the destroyed player with narrowed eyes as the group looked at it with wonder.

"Huh, didn't survive eh?" Gin said simply.

"That asshole." Mizore said shaking her head with discontent for the headmaster.

"Yes, the headmaster mentioned that such things might not survive the jump when we walked through." Akua said crossing her arms and looking at the device with a raised eyebrow.

"Good thing he had Rin stay back after all." Ran said with relief.

"That's right, her headphones. Oh man, if they were damaged during the jump…" Ahakon said looking down with worry.

"At least she'll be fine back at the academy then." Yukari said in agreement.

"Yeah, we're the ones stuck here with an angry shadow demon." Gin said looking at Dark with worry. The demon growled a bit then looked ahead.

"I'll deal with him when I get back." Dark said with discontent.

"Oh goodie, after we find Tsukune we can look forward to more hell breaking out upon our return." Rason said tiredly while looking up.

"Um, where _is_ Tsukune?" Kurumu said looking around. Everybody looked around to see no sign of the boy, witch, or siren that was supposed to be there.

"Not sure, I wonder if that gateway was supposed to take us right to him, or just into this place." Akua said curiously.

"He could have at least warped us right to him." Gin muttered.

"Asshole." Mizore said with discontent.

"Yeah, we should be used to him screwing us over. Anyway let's just get going and find him." Rason said as he started walking forward. He stopped, looked around, then sighed.

"Of course." he said softly.

"What's wrong?" Kokoa asked.

"Remember what the headmaster said?" the angel said glancing back to her. She looked up thoughtfully then nodded.

"Oh yeah, he said we should stay out of the forest." she said simply. Rason nodded then waved his arm around.

"We're _surrounded_ by the forest." he said flatly. The group looked around and saw the forest all around their clearing, the grassy field the only spot next to the cliffside that wasn't covered in trees.

"Oh great, wherever we go we're going into the forest." Gin said holding his head tiredly.

"And I have a hunch Tsukune and the others probably went in there as well." Kurumu said with a sigh.

"And I doubt the headmaster gave Tsukune any warning like he did with us, not like it would have mattered since he would have nowhere to go _but_ into the forest." Rason said flatly.

"Asshole." Mizore said with narrowed eyes.

"C'mon, let's get going then. I'm not about to let any local wildlife get in my way right now." Moka said firmly as she started walking toward the tree line. The others looked to each other then followed after the vampire in search of their friends.

The group was walking through the forest, everybody looking around carefully for any possible danger. All around them large healthy trees were seen, their branches extending out with green leaves while the wind gently rolled through the area. There were no animals or sounds heard as the group walked through the lush forest.

"So...does anybody else find it odd that it's so…quiet here?" Rason asked carefully.

"I know, it's actually kinda peaceful here." Kurumu said looking around at the trees. Sunlight was seen above between the braches and trees as they walked quietly through the grassy forest floor.

"I wonder where Tsukune is, I don't hear anything around here." Yukari said curiously.

"Tsukune? Tsukune!" Moka called out.

"Ren? Are you out here?" Ran called out.

"I don't think you should be shouting you two, we're supposedly not alone in here." Akua said carefully while looking around.

"If the headmaster warned us not to go into the forest because of the wildlife, he probably meant it." Ahakon reasoned.

"Yeah, and the fact that we had no choice _but_ to walk through the forest is some sort of sick joke on his part?" Rason said dully.

"Are we even heading in the right direction? They could be anywhere out here." Gin said looking around.

"We'd better hope so. Ruby is our only way of getting back home now." Kokoa said worriedly.

Dark took a few more steps then stopped. Mizore instantly halted by his side and glanced to him as the group looked to him curiously.

"Dark?" Rason asked. The silent boy held up his hand to silence the angel and glanced around slowly.

"What is it beloved?" Mizore asked quietly as she looked around carefully. The group looked around but saw nothing but trees and heard nothing but the gentle breeze as it rustled a few leaves above them.

"I thought I heard something." he said as he looked around carefully. The group gazed around the area carefully as they all started to get that feeling that they were being watched.

"Something tells me we're not alone out here." Akua said carefully.

A loud roar echoed out from nearby along with the crashing sounds of a few trees.

"I'd say you're right." Rason said as the group looked to see a large demon crashing through the trees towards them. It was a large lizard type monster, the gray and yellow skinned monster trampling towards the group on all fours as its mouth snapped at them. The group tensed up as the monster knocked down several trees while it raced towards them.

"That's a big one." Rason said as he got into a fighting stance.

Suddenly the lizard was crushed down by a large claw, the group looking to see a monstrous giant crashing through the trees as well. It looked to be a giant wingless bird, the body being round and covered in yellow feathers while it's two long legs were the size of tree trunks. It had a long scaly neck with a bird head on it, it's large beak screeching at the group as it's bright green eyes were focused on them.

"That's an even bigger one." Rason said nervously as the group backed up a bit.

"AHHH!" Ran screamed from behind. The group looked back to see her and Ahakon being yanked into the air by long green vines, the two being swung around near the trees as the ground below them unearthed with a large dust cloud. From the ground was a swirling tangled mess of vines, all attached to a monster below the dirt. All that could be seen from it was it's open mouth as a few long sticky tongues whipped out, all of them snapping at the boy and girl.

"Ahakon!" Yukari cried out.

"Ran!" Kurumu yelled as she ran over towards them with her nails extended out.

"Help!" Ran cried out.

"Hold on!" Ahakon yelled as he aimed his hand down towards the monster's mouth, the boy then shooting down a ball of fire towards it. The blast hit one of the tongues and erupted into a small explosion, with the monster down below howling while the fried limb screeched and hissed as it flailed about. Kurumu flew over and swiped the vines apart, the boy and the girl then dropping down towards the ground. Ran extended her wings and caught Ahakon, then flew him back over towards the group. Before she could reach them she screamed again and shot into the air as several winged serpents flew at her from the trees. They were each the size of Ahakon himself and were hissing at the siren as they closed in, the scaled wings of the monsters moving them at high speed. Kurumu looked up with wide eyes then started to fly towards them before the vine monster below grabbed hold of her leg and tail, the girl looking down with frustration as the monster howled at her.

"Looks like we woke up the locals." Rason said as he took of his shirts and extended out his wings. He flew towards Kurumu while the group watched Ran fly up holding onto Ahakon.

"Ran! Ahakon!" Yukari cried out.

"I think we should be a bit more concerned about ourselves at the moment." Akua said as the giant bird monster trampled towards them screeching wildly. Dark grabbed Mizore's hand and the two vanished into a black wisp as Moka, Kokoa, and Akua dashed towards the giant monster. They leapt into a joint kick attack and struck the monster's chest and knocked it back a bit before it started snapping at them. It howled as it tried pecking at them with it's beak, the girls jumping around to avoid it's attack as the large mouth tore apart the ground with each peck. Ice shards flew out from behind it at the monster, and shattered on impact.

"Damn, they're stronger than they look." Akua said with frustration.

"And it looks pretty strong too." Kokoa said worriedly.

"Not as strong as us!" Moka yelled as the three raced towards it again.

"Hang on Kurumu!" Rason called out as he flew over to her, the boy grabbing her hand and pulling her up. A few tarot cards flew by and sliced apart the vines, the two winged lovers then flying up as Yukari aimed her wand towards the vine monster.

"You're in my element now." she growled. Her wand glowed brightly and she waved it towards the monster, the girl sending out a ripple in the ground that expanded out and caused a large wave of earth to roll out. It blasted apart the ground as it reached the monster and the dirt around it seemed to erupt into a cloud. The vined monster was thrown out of the ground partially and crashed into a few trees. Only the head of the monster was seen as the rest of it's large body was still underground, the young witch staring at it with wide eyes.

"Oh my…god…" she said in fright as she saw the monster's somewhat revealed form.

"That's a big one too." Gin said as the large head of the worm monster was seen, the pink and black streaked body section that was seen being about the size of a train car. All around it's head swirling green vine like limbs whipped around it's open mouth. It screeched out then dove down into the ground, the forest floor around it blasting apart as it reentered the earth. The ground seemed to carve apart as the giant beast moved underground towards the group. Yukari screamed then focused her magic to jettison the earth up before her, the girl launching the worm up into the air. Gin shifted into his werewolf form and charged towards it only to be grabbed by a swirling vine from the worm's head and thrown off to the side effortlessly. Yukari aimed her wand at it again, only to be grabbed by Kurumu and lifted into the air as the giant worm dove down onto the ground where she just was. The succubus banked around with the witch in her arms as Rason was chasing after Ran and her followers. The siren looked back to see the several flying snake beasts closing in her with hisses and howls. Ahakon aimed his hand back and fired out a bolt of lightning, and blasted one of the beasts out of the sky. As it fell to the ground smoking Ran banked up then around to avoid the monsters.

"Hold on Ahakon!" Ran called out as she dove down towards the trees. She flew into the forest and weaved around, the girl looking behind to see the snake monsters weaving around just as well. Ahakon fired out another blast of lightning and struck a monster into a fiery tumble.

"Nice shot!" Ran cheered.

"Nice flying." Ahakon said looking back to the girl. She blushed and looked at him with wonder, the girl staring at him with timid eyes.

"Ahakon…" she said softly. Before she could say anything more she crashed into a branch and tumbled to the ground with the boy. They crashed into the ground and tumbled into a roll before the snake monsters flew down towards them. One tackled Ahakon and stated snapping at him, the boy grabbing it by the neck and trying to hold it back while two more flew toward Ran. One coiled around her legs as another wrapped around her chest, the two tightening as the girl coughed out.

"No!" Rason yelled as he flew down and kicked the one on top of Ahakon off. The angel turned to punch another before one more raced at him and knocked him to the ground. Ahakon raced over to Ran and tried to pull the snakes off of her before another tackled him to the ground. More of the snake monsters seemed to shoot out from the trees as Ran coughed out weakly, the girl feeling her body being crushed.

The giant bird monster was attacked again by the three vampire sisters, their kick once again only knocking it back slightly before the beast snapped at them. They dodged around before Kokoa tripped and tumbled to the ground. The beast howled before trying to peck at her, the girl looking with wide eyes as it lunged it's beak toward her. Before impact the head stopped suddenly then jerked about. A black wisp swirled around and Dark became visible, the boy holding the beak under his arm tightly as he growled at the bird. Kokoa looked at him with wonder and one thought came to her mind.

_Say it…say it…_

"I despise those who don't treat women right." Dark said with discontent. Kokoa smiled and giggled, the girl hoping to hear that line again from him as always. From behind Dark a snow girl phased into view, the purple haired girl holding a frozen katana as she leapt up towards the bird monster. She yelled as she swung her blade, the girl piercing her weapon into the eye of the monster…and watching the blade shatter from impact. The monster swung it's head around and knocked all five of them over into a tumble, each of them crashing against a tree and each other.

"You've got to be kidding me…how strong are these things?" Mizore said as they slowly got up.

Moka looked over to see a giant worm monster blasting out of the ground near Gin, the monster having just missed swallowing the werewolf whole, while Kurumu flew nearby with Yukari in her arms. The young witch fired off her magical blast of energy and struck the worm in the side of the head, and did nothing to damage it as it howled and dove back down into the ground. Gin looked around as the ground below him tore apart while the large worm monster tunneled around under him, the wolf then dodging to the side as it erupted again from underneath. It missed Gin by a hair before a vine grabbed him and dragged him towards its mouth. Another blast from Yukari struck the head of the worm, knocking it back and releasing the werewolf, but failed to bring down the monster as it once again bore into the ground.

"I'd say really strong." the pink haired girl said worriedly.

Kokoa looked over to see Rason and Ahakon struggling to fend off the dozens of flying snake monsters while Ran was crying out in pain from being constricted. The angel knocked another one back then dashed over to the girl and tried to free her. He yanked the snake around her chest off and hurled it away before two more snapped at him and took him to the ground. The girl tried to pry off the one around her legs, then reached up and grabbed one that dove down towards her head with its mouth open. She screamed as she tried to fend it off while Ahakon released a fire blast around him, the boy sending a few flying back smoking before more started to attack him.

"We can't stop these all these things like this." the redhead said shaking her head.

"That's not good, because we've got more coming." Akua said looking off to the side. The group looked to see more demons charging towards them from the woods. Various monsters of many sizes howled and screeched as they raced towards the group.

"Now what do we do?" Moka said looking around with frustration as the group was outnumbered and being worn down.

The bird monster howled and raced towards the group, the monster lunging down towards Mizore with it's razor sharp beak.

The worm monster shot up from the ground again toward Kurumu and Yukari, the two looking with shock as the extremely long monster raced up towards them with its open mouth.

The snake monsters took the angel, mage, and siren down to the ground as they struggled to fend them off while more closed in on them.

WHAM!

The bird monster shot straight down into the ground with a fierce explosion, the ground around it blasting up as the monster screeched out in pain.

"Oh my…" Moka said with wide eyes.

WHAM!

The worm monster was instantly knocked down and crashed into the ground from a fierce impact to its side, the monster howling out in pain as its body was bleeding apart in one of its sections.

"That aura…" Kokoa said with wide eyes.

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM!

Rason, Ahakon, and Ran looked with surprise as all the snake monsters were knocked clear off of them and splattered around against the surrounding trees.

"Wow…" Akua said with a blush.

All eyes turned to see a boy standing near the slaughtered snake monsters. He had black and crimson eyes, his fangs were bared, his black hair had a gray streak through it.

And his vampiric aura was immense as his power radiated around him.

"Tsukune." Moka said with amazement.

The boy glanced over the dashed at high speed toward an approaching demon, the large beast having a large muscular body as it raced along with all four legs with a lizard's head. It had curled horns on its head as it the green haired monster charged the group.

WHAM!

Everybody watched with surprise as Tsukune delivered a punch to the monster's face, and the top half of the demon blasted apart into bloody pieces. The boy growled as his vampire aura surged around him violently.

"Holy…shit…" Rason said with wide eyes.

Moving quickly Tsukune dug his hand into the ground, ripped up a large chunk of earth, then hurled it into the air. Kurumu and Yukari watched with wide eyes as the boulder raced towards them then flew past the two and right into a large winged snake demon, the monster hissing and howling as the giant rock slammed into its skull and sent it hurtling down towards the ground into a large explosion. Kurumu and Yukari looked at the downed beast that was about to swallow them whole then over to Tsukune with wide eyes.

"Tsukune? What…how…" Gin said with shock.

The horde of demons in the forest howled as they raced toward the group. Tsukune looked to them and narrowed his eyes, the boy then dashing towards them at high speed. Kurumu and Yukari landed back down on the ground next to their friends as everybody regrouped.

"Are you seeing this?" Ahakon said with amazement.

"He's…he's…" Yukari said with an open mouth.

"He's keeping in control." Dark said as Tsukune started to attack the oncoming horde, the boy instantly blasting a large brute into the ground with a powerful explosion.

"For now, yes." Ruby said from behind them. They looked to see Ruby standing there with Ren, the two girls smiling at the group.

"I didn't know you all would be coming here as well. Welcome to Paradise." Ruby said with a wave.

"Sister!" Ran said as she raced over to her sister. Ren smiled and hugged her as the girl leapt towards her.

"Hey, I'm alright Ran, really." she said with a laugh. Ran looked at her with wonder then over to Tsukune. The boy jumped into a kick and blasted a large spider monster back into a tree before he landed down, grabbed hold of one of it's spiny legs, then swung the monster around and slammed it into another large brute, the two then being crushed down into the ground.

"He really is strong, it's still so unreal to see firsthand." Akua said in amazement. Moka just nodded as she watched with awe at her mate's power.

"Ruby what's going on here? Just where the hell are we...and what happened to Tsukune?" Rason said as the group watched the boy dodge back from a swing by a large ogre with a tree for a club, the vampire boy then jumping up towards it and kicking in its eye. As the giant beast screamed out in pain Tsukune landed down, then sent a powerful kick to the beast and launched it back into a fierce tumble through a few trees.

"Well, we're in Paradise, and I'd say that Tsukune's kicking ass right now." Ruby said with a smirk.

"We can see that…but…" Yukari said with an open mouth.

"What happened to his bloodlust?" Akua asked quickly. Ruby and Ren looked at the group with remorse then over to Tsukune.

"He's still suffering from it I'm afraid. We did manage to stop him from going out of control earlier by giving him some blood before he lost it." Ruby said softly.

"You gave him blood?" Moka asked.

"Yes. Mine actually." Ren said softly. The group looked to her with surprise.

"You gave him your blood?" Ran asked with wide eyes.

"I had to, he needed to feed before he lost his mind." Ren said worriedly.

"It appears that if he feeds before the bloodlust consumes him, he stays in control. For how long however, that we're waiting to see." Ruby said looking back to the boy that sent a powerful punch to a large three headed brute, which then became a two headed brute. Moka looked at Ren with wide eyes then over to her mate.

"So…he's still in control of his body right now?" Kurumu asked worriedly.

"Yes, for now. We're here so he can learn to overcome this condition through willpower and practice." Ruby explained.

"And just how are you going to do that? Please enlighten us." Akua said cautiously.

"Well, in a nutshell we're just going to have to do it with trial and error. Tsukune will start to feel the hunger return as always and will have to fight against his urges. If he could hold a ghoul in before, hopefully he can learn to stave off this as well." Ruby said hopefully.

"The longer he fights it the harder it will get on him though. He'll go out of control for sure if he doesn't feed." Kokoa said worriedly.

"Yes, that's why we're here. If he starts to lose control we'll offer some of our blood. If that fails to help him I'll merely sing him a song of sleeping and put him down safely." Ren explained.

"So that's why the headmaster wanted one of us to come here with Ruby." Ran said looking to her sister. Ren nodded then looked around.

"Hey, where's Rin?" she asked.

"She remained back with the headmaster, her headphones would have been damaged being transported here." Ahakon said. Dark growled and narrowed his eyes at that comment.

"Ok, here's a silly question I'm sure, but…what the hell is with all the demons here?" Gin said looking around, the wolf shifting back into his human form.

"Yeah, I thought this place was the headmaster's vacation spot or something, not some demon infested horror land." Ahakon said looking around.

"Paradise is where the headmaster keeps dangerous and exotic demons here for examination and for other research. There are countless demons that have been brought here, and they get stronger and more deadly the more you venture deeper into the forest." Ruby explained.

"I think a better question to ask is why the hell he named this place Paradise." Kurumu said shaking her head.

"Why would he want Tsukune and you two to come here if it's so dangerous?" Kokoa asked worriedly.

"Well, for one Tsukune can handle it, as you can no doubt see for yourself." Ruby said motioning towards the boy that sent a powerful punch to a large four legged brute, the boy's attack knocking the monster back into tumble before the vampire boy reached down into the ground, yanked up a large boulder around his hand, then raced towards the dazed beast. Tsukune swung his large boulder towards the monster and blasted the four legged demon into the ground with a crash and a loud crunch. The group just blinked and watched their friend lay waste to the hordes of demons in the forest.

"We have noticed that little fact, yes." Akua said with a nod.

"And secondly, we need to keep Tsukune's vampire power going. The more he uses it, the more it will bring out his bloodlust so we can work on eliminating it and keeping him in control of his own body. And what better means of getting him to fight and keep in control than come here where fighting is required for survival." Ruby said with a shrug. The group just looked to each other then back to Tsukune as he sent the last of the demons into the ground with a powerful kick. A few trees fell down around him as the boy looked around at the slaughtered monsters.

"Well…sure beats using our field for practice I guess." Rason said scratching his head.

"He can use as much of his power here that he wants, and nobody from the academy will interfere or be at risk if he loses control. It's the perfect place for him to learn to handle his vampire power while keeping in control of his body and mind." Ruby said as the crimson eyed boy started walking towards the group, the boy clinking back on the rosary seal over his wrist and sealing his power. He walked over shaking his head at Ruby.

"Why did you do that?" he cried out.

"Whatever do you mean?" Ruby asked innocently.

"You started yelling 'We're over here! We're over here!' to those things! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Tsukune yelled out. The group looked at them puzzled as Ruby just shrugged.

"I just wanted to give you a bit of a workout, we do need to keep your vampire blood pumping don't we?" she said with a smile.

"But then you and Ren just _stood still_! Out there! You could have been killed!" Tsukune cried out.

"You needed to protect us Tsukune, we told you before remember? And you could only do that if you used all your power." Ruby said with a raised finger.

"You handled yourself spectacularly though." Ren said with a nod. Tsukune sighed and shook his head.

"We're here to get you under control with your vampire blood, so we have to push you to do that. That's what will make the hunger come back, and that's what will give you the opportunity to overcome it." Ruby said confidently. Tsukune shook his head at the witch, then blinked and looked over to the others.

"Moka. You guys." he said softly as he looked around at everybody. Moka smiled with tears forming then ran over and embraced her boyfriend.

"Tsukune! You're ok again! You're ok!" she cried out as she started crying on his shoulder. The boy smiled gently and held her as the group smiled a bit at their friend, Dark and Mizore not so much of course.

"I'm fine Moka. I'm feeling better now." he said gently. She quickly kissed the boy on the lips and held him from around the neck, the girl relieved that her mate was himself once more. After the kiss ended she looked at him with remorseful eyes.

"I'm so sorry Tsukune, I'm so sorry about all of this." she said as she started crying.

"Moka, this isn't your fault. I don't blame you. But…I am sorry about what…I did before. I couldn't control myself, please, forgive me." He said worriedly.

"Oh Tsukune…" Moka said as she hugged him closely.

"I love you so much." she said softly.

"I love you too Moka." he said as held her close. His girlfriend was alive and well, the boy feeling great relief for being able to hold her again in his arms. After the hug ended the boy looked over to the rest of the group.

"Dark. Rason. I…about before…" he started.

"Hey, no worries man. We kinda had a hunch you weren't yourself. What with the bloodsucking and the drooling and the general lack of cognitive thought." Rason said with the wave of the hand.

"I'm glad you're ok again Tsukune. We were worried about you." Kurumu said gently as she held onto Rason's arm.

"Yeah, you scared us to death earlier." Yukari said with relief and a weak smile.

"I'll say." Ahakon said rubbing the back of his head.

"Glad to have you back buddy, you gave us quite a scare before." Gin said with relief. Kokoa nodded and smiled gently at the boy. Ran smiled a bit at the boy as well.

"Thank you, I…Akua? What are you doing here?" Tsukune asked looking to the raven haired vampire.

"Oh you know, just checking up my sister and her mate, nearly getting killed, the usual." Akua said with a shrug. He just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head then looked around at the group with remorse.

"Sorry about that. I never meant to cause you any harm. I just couldn't control myself. I hardly remember any of it, but I'm sorry for what I did to you." Tsukune said remorsefully. He then looked to Dark who was just watching him with his usual expression. The group looked to him as he and Mizore hadn't said a word yet. After a pause Dark glanced over to where the mutilated and slaughtered demon's from Tsukune's little show lay strewn about. The boy just shrugged and looked back to Tsukune.

"At least he didn't do that to us." he said flatly.

"You're not…mad?" Tsukune asked worriedly.

"After all I've been through being your…friend, I should be used to this." Dark said glancing away. Mizore giggled and held his arm while smiling at Tsukune.

"What he means is, we're glad you're back as well." she said softly. Tsukune rubbed the back of his head with a weak smile.

"Just be thankful your other self didn't touch Mizore. Otherwise I think Dark wouldn't be as tolerant of this." Rason said with a laugh. Mizore blushed and looked down while Dark just rolled his eyes a bit. He knew Tsukune wasn't in control before and had no right to be angry with him, although the bites he received from the crazed vampire still annoyed the demon.

"Tsukune, I'm so glad you're ok now. I was so worried. When you started changing…" Moka said looking down worriedly. The boy held her by the shoulders and smiled gently at her.

"I'm ok now Moka. I won't let that happen to you guys again, I promise." he said assuredly.

"So you're really going to be staying here now?" Ahakon said looking around the forest. Tsukune nodded and glanced to Ruby.

"Yeah, until I can get a hold of this condition it would be safest for everybody if I remained here." he said. Moka looked at him with watery eyes then down.

"Tsukune…" she said quietly.

"Hey, it'll be ok. I'll get ahold of this, and I'll come back to you. I promise." he said gently. Moka looked at him worriedly then embraced him in a hug.

"Can't I stay here with you? Please?" she begged.

"Moka…" the boy said with worried eyes.

"I'm afraid the headmaster wouldn't allow that. However…I'm sure he wouldn't object to the occasional visit." Ruby said with a shrug.

"Sister, are you really going to stay here with him until he gets better?" Ran said worriedly. Ren nodded and looked to Tsukune as the group turned to her.

"I owe him Ran. He saved us all, this is the least I can do for him." she said gently.

"But…why does it have to be you?" Ran asked.

"Well for one apparently Rin's headphones won't go through the rift." Ren pointed out. Again Dark growled and glanced away with annoyance.

"And because this is my choice sister. I'll be ok, he's protected me and Ruby this far." the pink haired siren said looking to Tsukune. Moka looked at the siren with worried eyes. The girl glanced to the vampire then smiled softly at her.

"I promise I won't let him go out of control. One way or another we'll keep him with us as himself." she said softly. Moka nodded slowly then smiled at the girl.

"Thank you Ren. Thank you for helping like this." she said graciously. Ren nodded then looked down bashfully. Moka looked to Tsukune with a warm smile and a tear forming still.

"I promise I'll visit as much as I can. Every day. I swear." she said with a nod. The boy smiled and then kissed the girl, the vampire feeling her heart beating faster from the love of her mate.

"We'll be keeping a close eye on Tsukune while he's here, and I'll let you all know of any progress that we make." Ruby said assuredly.

"Well…at least we know he can handle it here." Rason said looking back to where Tsukune destroyed the hordes of demons with his strength. He chuckled then looked to his friend.

"I could have sworn at one point you couldn't even face an ogre in the hallway, hard to believe you've come this far man." he said with a laugh. Tsukune smiled and looked to his girlfriend with caring eyes.

"I'll overcome anything for my mate." he said gently.

"Oh Tsukune…" she said softly.

"Oh Moka…"

"Tsukune…"

"Moka…"

"What are they doing?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What they always do. Like we said, glad to have him back." Kurumu said with a giggle. Ren looked at the vampire couple curiously then away.

After the couple went through 10 loops and finally kissed, much to the relief of the group, everybody bid their farewells and best of luck to the vampire boy. Ruby waved her wand around and formed the fiery rift that turned into another gateway back to the academy.

"Just speak to the headmaster if you wish to come back, but try to space out your visits. Tsukune is here to work, not to play." Ruby said glancing to the boy with a wink. He chuckled and shrugged at that. Moka walked through the rift, the girl looking at her boyfriend with loving eyes and a small wave before shifting through the gateway. Ran smiled at her sister then followed after the vampire. Rason and Kurumu followed after, with both smiling and waving to Tsukune. Gin and Kokoa followed after as well, both waving to their friends. Dark and Mizore were next, with the snow maiden waving to Tsukune while Dark merely nodded at the boy. Yukari and Ahakon went after them, after wishing the boy luck with his trials. Akua looked at the gateway for a moment then to Tsukune.

"I'll keep this little detail from father for the time being, I don't want to add more problems for him to be concerned about." she said calmly.

"More problems?" Tsukune asked.

"Just peace talks in the human world. There are those that are for the idea, and those that are against it. I suppose that's to be expected, but still." Akua said looking down.

"I see. I guess the entire world wouldn't just be welcoming monsters just like that." Tsukune said looking down.

"Yes, but don't worry, we're not going to give up on peace so easily. Keep up your training here Tsukune, and I promise you'll have a world to come back to, a world where coexistence is a reality." Akua said with a calm smile at the boy.

"You really have changed from when we first met." Tsukune said with a smile at the girl. She smiled and looked down with a slight blush.

"Yes well…it shouldn't be that surprising to you. After all, it seems everybody you meet changes for the better. I suppose I'm like Ren here, I owe you my life." she said looking at the boy then to the siren. She smiled a bit and glanced to Tsukune as he chuckled a bit and nodded.

"Take care Akua, I'll hopefully see you later on." he said.

"I'm sure you will Tsukune. Take care of yourself." the vampire said with a bow before leaving. The portal flashed a bright light then vanished instantly.

"Well then, I hope any thoughts of just giving up now are out of your head Tsukune." Ruby said looking to the boy. He nodded and smiled confidently as he looked back to the forest.

"Yes, I can't give up now. Not when everybody is counting on me to return. I won't let them down, or Moka." he said assuredly.

"Glad to hear it. Now then, let's get going shall we? We have work to do." Ruby said as she started walking off into the forest. Ren took a few steps then glanced to Tsukune.

"You ready Tsukune?" she asked. The boy smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, just try not to attract the entire forest all at once." he said with a weak laugh. She giggled then started walking off.

"From what I've seen with you Tsukune, you can handle anything." she said softly. The boy watched the two girls walk off then followed after. He looked down to his wrist and his seal, the boy thinking about the power he had within. With the blood of all four daughters of the great dark lord in him, he had become more powerful than most monsters would imagine. And with the blood came the return of an age old condition to vampires, the wild craving for blood. He had his goal now, his purpose for being here in this strange land. To overcome the bloodlust within, and remain in control of his body and mind. He looked ahead and saw Ruby and Ren talking to each other and laughing a bit. As they did Tsukune's eyes saw their blood illuminate briefly before everything returned to normal. He shook his head and looked ahead with a bit of concern. It wouldn't be long before the hunger started to come back again, and he would have to try to fight against it with all his might.

"Let's check over this way, maybe we can find someplace suitable for sleeping in tonight." Ruby said as she motioned them with her wand. Tsukune and Ren nodded and followed after while the boy looked around cautiously. He knew powerful and savage demons would be lurking in the forest, and would be increasing in number and strength the more they ventured deeper into Paradise. Still, he had to do this, he had to push himself to gain control. For himself, for his friends, and for his girlfriend.

As they walked through the lush forest Tsukune smelled something for a quick moment, the smell seeming intoxicating to him. His mouth started to water slightly as he grew hungrier. He shook his head and looked around curiously then back ahead of him. Walking in front of him Ren was looking around casually, the girl's long pink hair flowing behind her as she followed Ruby closely. For a brief second he could smell the siren's blood from there. After a moment she glanced back to him.

"You ok Tsukune?" she asked. The boy blinked then nodded with a weak smile.

"Yeah…sorry." he said simply. She smiled and nodded before looking ahead again.

"Just let us know if you get thirsty again Tsukune, I can offer you some of my blood." Ruby called back. Tsukune nodded and looked down. He knew he would have to take some of their blood during these trials, and that he would have to use control when doing so.

"Same with me Tsukune. I don't mind." Ren said glancing back to the boy. He looked at her as she smiled gently at him. Again the boy's eyes saw her veins and heartbeat illuminate before him, the forest around turning dark and hazy. After a moment his eyes saw everything normally again. He nodded slowly and smiled a bit.

"Ok…thank you." he said. As she turned back ahead while they walked through the forest Tsukune looked at her carefully. Her scent was still being smelled easily, the boy being slightly intoxicated by it, while Ruby's wasn't noticeable at all. He shook his head a bit and looked off into the forest as he tried to remain focused on his task. As they walked through the forest Ren glanced back to Tsukune, the boy looking around carefully for any possible dangers to him and the two girls. She smiled softly and looked ahead again.

_You really are something else Tsukune._


	21. Falla's Choice

It was lunchtime and students were heading towards the cafeteria hall to grab a bite to eat. The humans of the school had a relatively normal day at their high school, more so than a certain school in the monster world, and everybody was going about their usual daily routine. The large indoor cafeteria had dozens of tables set up where students were sitting down with their meals and talking with friends. One student had finished grabbing her tray with her food and was looking around curiously. She was getting many waves from students to join them for lunch, but the red eyed chronofly didn't see the one boy she wanted to sit with.

"Ceal, where are you?" Falla asked quietly to herself. She walked over and sat down at an empty table, the girl looking around still for any sign of the boy. She didn't see him during her last class period, however she certainly saw the looks Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko were giving her. The chronofly managed to break away from them quickly by shifting through time and had hoped to find the mysterious boy at lunch.

"I wonder when I'll see him next." she said softly looking down at her meal. She couldn't stop thinking about the boy that cured her dementia all day. She was well aware he had a cold attitude and that her friends didn't trust him at all, but she refused to believe somebody that would do such a great feat for her could be evil.

"I just need to talk to him and find out what he wants from Pandora's Box. I'm sure it's something reasonable, I mean…he's opened it before, right? So obviously it's not something that will destroy the world." she said quietly to herself as she just looked at her tray. She glanced around and saw other nearby students waving to her with smiles. The girl smiled softly and waved back then looked back down to her meal.

_You're not a bad guy Ceal, you can't be. You just can't be…_

Before she could start to eat Apoch and Astreal walked up behind her and lifted her up by the arms. She looked around surprised as the two witch sisters were looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"You need to come with us right now." Apoch said sternly.

"This isn't a game Ms. Falla." Astreal said sternly. The chronofly thrashed around and broke free from their grip, the girl then backing up and looking at the sisters with annoyance.

"Would you two knock it off already?" she barked out.

"We need to go see Mr. Razico right now Ms. Falla." Apoch said sternly.

"Then go see him, I'm not going anywhere until I see Ceal." Falla said firmly.

"You need to come as well, we're not leaving you alone with that monster." Astreal said shaking her head.

"I told you before to stop talking about Ceal like that." Falla hissed. Kyouko walked up to the group and watched her friend worriedly.

"Falla please, you can't trust that guy, he nearly killed us." she said nervously.

"He wouldn't have done that, he was just putting on a show to scare us." Falla growled.

"How do you know? We were all bound down by his dark magic, he could have easily killed us all." Apoch said firmly.

"He just healed your mind to get you onto his side, don't fall for his trick." Astreal said shaking her head.

"He healed my mind because he's not a bad guy. Why don't you all see that?" Falla said with annoyance.

"Why don't you see that he's manipulating you?" Apoch said harshly.

"He's not manipulating me." Falla growled out.

"You saw how he has the teachers here by the leash with blackmail, he said it himself he knows how to use leverage against others. He healed your mind to get you to help him, he's using you and you don't even realize it." Astreal said with concern.

"He is not." Falla said shaking her head.

"He is so, now he's got you following him around like a love-struck schoolgirl, he's controlling you right now." Apoch said with discontent. The chronofly growled loudly then glared at her.

"You're just jealous that I've found somebody already." Falla said with annoyance.

"Jealous?" Apoch said with surprise.

"Yeah, jealous. You two are still stuck on Dark and Rason, and you're angry at me for finding somebody for myself." Falla said with a sneer.

"Are you kidding me? That's not it at all." Apoch said with anger.

"He healed my mind Apoch, he gave me back my sanity _and_ my magic. And all for nothing. Me helping him is my choice and my choice alone. Besides, he's opened it before, there's no problem with him opening it again." Falla said sternly.

"I think you're still insane Ms. Falla, because that's ridiculous." Astreal said shaking her head.

"You have no idea if he's opened that thing before or not Falla." Kyouko said worriedly.

"And you all have no proof that Razico knows what he's talking about either. Why should I believe the thief more than somebody that cured me? Up on the roof he could have killed me, threatened me, he could have done anything to me and I wouldn't have been able to stop him. I was completely helpless with him. So what does he do? He merely explains to me what's inside the box and he cures my dementia. After that he _walked_ away. He would have just left it at that. He gave me my mind back, so I'm going to help him with his wish. End of story." Falla said angrily.

"Falla…I know he cured you…but…" Kyouko said looking down.

"He's not a bad guy. He's not." Falla said firmly.

"Well I don't know about that." Render said from behind. The girls looked to see Render and Leon standing there with their lunch trays.

"I mean I've seen him be rather cruel in the battlefield, but still." the boy said with a laugh.

"So you agree he can't be trusted then." Apoch said firmly.

"I'm not going to say he's not trying to control your friend with this act of kindness, but I'm not going to complain that we actually have a fourth for our hunt either." Leon said with a shrug.

"He's not controlling me." Falla said with annoyance.

"Ok, he's not controlling you." Render said with a nervous smile.

"What are you two doing here?" Apoch asked with narrowed eyes.

"Lunchtime of course." Leon said simply.

"We were hoping to get to know our fellow hunter before we go out tonight for the treasure, if you don't mind." Render said with a smile at Falla. The girl smiled arrogantly and motioned towards the table.

"Please, have a seat." she said kindly.

"Don't mind if we do." Render said as the two boys sat at the table. Falla smirked at the girls with a raised eyebrow.

"If you two want to talk to Razico still, go ahead. But I'm staying here and waiting for Ceal." she said proudly. She sat down at the table across from the two boys and looked at them curiously. Before she could say a word the other three girls sat down as well.

"Um, this doesn't concern you girls." Render said glancing to them. Apoch scooted over to him and looked at him innocently.

"It doesn't?" she asked softly. The boy looked at her curiously as she tilted her head. She then narrowed her eyes and growled quietly.

"Think again." she said harshly.

"We're not letting our friend do this, no way." Astreal said shaking her head.

"It's not your choice, it's mine." Falla said with anger at the witch.

"How can you two want to help him still after what he said? He's going to kill you two if you open that box for him." Kyouko said worriedly.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We have no intention of giving up our chance to claim this treasure." Render said with a smirk. Falla glanced to him then to Leon. The boys looked to each other then to the chronofly.

"That wish belongs to Ceal." she said firmly.

"Again, something we'll deal with when the time comes." Leon said simply.

"So, before we inevitably turn on each other, how about we get to know each other a bit more?" Render asked with a smile. Falla smirked then leaned back in her seat.

"Fine by me." she said with an arrogant smile. She didn't bear any anger towards the two boys, but was firm in her belief that the wish will go to Ceal rather than them. Render nodded then glanced to Apoch who was still glaring at him.

"Um…" he said nervously.

"If you're expecting me to leave think again." she said harshly.

"Must you always be so cold? Seriously, why the bad vibes?" Render said shaking his head.

"Let's see, you two are planning on opening a box that will spawn monsters from long ago, risk the world being destroyed by said monsters, and in turn will be helping this Mr. Ceal with a wish for whatever he wants. Isn't that reason enough?" Apoch said with discontent.

"First off, nothing warranted you trying to crucify me back in the classroom. Secondly, we've been nothing but nice to you girls since we met, you're the one acting like Ceal. Third…why do you keep calling us Mr.?" Render asked puzzled. Apoch growled as she clenched her fists.

"It's just a little…quirk they have. But never mind that. Why are you two so insistent on getting this box when it seems like nothing but bad news?" Kyouko asked worriedly. The boys glanced to her then to Falla.

"We have our reasons." Leon said looking down at the table.

"Personally I'm only after getting rich and famous, that's no so evil is it?" Render asked with a laugh.

"We both have our separate reasons." Leon said rolling his eyes.

"Then you two can wait until the next time to make a wish, but Ceal will be granted his this time around." Falla said with a nod. The boys looked at her as the girl smiled arrogantly.

"Again, we'll see about that." Render said simply.

"What are your reasons for wanting it so badly?" Astreal asked curiously. Leon glanced to her then down as he held his locket around his neck.

"Nothing that concerns you." he said softly. The girl looked at him curiously then at his locket.

"It doesn't matter what they want it for, you're not going to open that thing ever." Apoch said sternly.

"I wouldn't say that." Ceal said from behind her. She jumped a bit as a gloved hand rested on her shoulder. The group looked to see the boy standing behind the witch with a slight smirk. He held her shoulder securely as his hand glowed a black hue, the girl looking back up at him cautiously.

"Get your hand off of me, or else I'll slice it off." Apoch hissed. The boy chuckled then glanced down to her chest.

"Hm, interesting." he said with a raised eyebrow. The girl jumped a bit and held her arms around her chest.

"Pervert!" she yelled out. Falla looked at Ceal with worry as the boy let go of the witch.

"I was merely looking at your demonic mark over your heart, try to calm down." he said as he walked over and sat down at the table next to Kyouko and Falla. Apoch looked down to her chest then at the boy with wide eyes.

"You…can see it?" she said with surprise.

"Demonic mark?" Render asked with a bit of fear.

"Ceal, you can see her mark?" Falla asked with wonder.

"Yes. The mark of a shadow demon. Very unique to see a witch with that marking." Ceal said with a smirk at the witch. Apoch looked at him with wide eyes then down to her chest.

"A shadow demon?" Render asked worriedly.

"How can…how can you see it though?" Apoch asked softly.

"What shadow demon? What's he talking about?" Render asked looking around.

"Her boyfriend from Yokai Academy, he marked her heart a long time ago. However, they're not together anymore. Her heart still bears his demonic insignia." Astreal said softly. Render looked at Apoch curiously as she looked down with a pained expression. She didn't want to be reminded of it again so soon, the girl trying to move on from her old boyfriend from the monster world.

"How can you see it? You're a demon?" Astreal asked with surprise. The boy merely shook his head.

"No? What do you mean no? How else can you see it?" Astreal said with wonder.

"Just what the hell are you?" Apoch growled as she looked at him with narrowed eyes, the witch angered further by the mention of her former love. Render and Leon just looked at the boy cautiously as he glanced around at the group.

"That is no concern of yours." he said simply.

"Everything about you is a cause for concern." Apoch growled.

"Why are you here?" Kyouko asked worriedly. The boy glanced to her and smirked a bit.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked playfully. The girl scooted away from him as she slowly shook her head. He chuckled then looked to Render and Leon.

"So, I assume we're going after school to take care of our little goal?" he asked simply.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Render said leaning back with his arms crossed before him.

"Yeah, why wait?" Leon said simply.

"I'm up for it whenever Ceal is." Falla said looking to him with a smile. The boy glanced to her then back to the others.

"You're not going with them Ms. Falla." Apoch said sternly. The chronofly growled and glanced to her with a narrowed eye.

"Yes I am, you just need to deal with that." she said firmly.

"No, you're not. We have to remain in our home and surrounding neighborhood when not at school, remember? The humans will be watching over us, you need to remain home tonight." Astreal said shaking her head.

"Oh please, I can sneak away easily enough with my magic now." Falla said with a wave of her hand.

"If you're not home we'll call the human officials on you." Apoch said with a growl.

"What? Why?" Falla asked out loud.

"Why do you think? You're not going to have a hand in this madness." Astreal said as she and Apoch stood up.

"So you're going to tell on me? What the hell?" Falla yelled out.

"Where are you going?" Kyouko asked worriedly.

"We're going to talk to Mr. Razico about this. And you Ms. Falla, you _will_ stay home tonight, or else you're going to make all monsters look bad by breaking the rules." Apoch said with her hands at her hips.

"Are you kidding me? You're not my mother, you can't just tell me to stay home at night." Falla said with anger.

"We can't, but the human officials did when we offered to come here to their world. And that means that we all have to follow their rules." Astreal said firmly. Falla growled with frustration as the two witches started to walk away.

"Why you little…you're just jealous!" Falla yelled out at them. The sisters twitched a bit then glanced back to her with narrowed eyes, then walked out of the cafeteria. Falla shook her head and looked down at her tray with frustration.

"Falla, please…" Kyouko said worriedly. The chronofly breathed out then glanced to the boys.

"So…" Render said looking from the exit to the girl.

"What exactly are those two 'jealous' of?" Leon asked. Falla glanced to Ceal then back down.

"Nothing." she said softly.

"I guess if they can't leave their grounds after school none of them can be our fourth after all." Render said looking to Ceal. The blue eyed boy just glanced to Falla as the girl bit her lip a bit.

"I'll still help, I just…need to think of something." she said in thought. Kyouko looked around at the boys worriedly then to her friend.

"So those two are going to a problem are they?" Ceal said glancing to the doorway. Kyouko jumped a bit and looked at him with fear as Falla looked to him worriedly.

"Hey man, we told you before we're not harming the innocent here." Render said cautiously.

"We'll find another to help us. Don't even think about going after those two." Leon said firmly. Kyouko glanced to them quickly then back to Ceal. The boy chuckled and looked at them amusingly.

"Are you two threatening me? That's rich." he said with a laugh. Falla looked at him worriedly and shook her head a bit.

"You're not…thinking about…" she said shakily. The boy glanced to him and smirked.

"Killing them?" he asked. The chronofly gasped and went wide eyed as Kyouko jumped with fear. Render and Leon narrowed their eyes at the boy while he chuckled a bit.

"Ceal, you can't be serious. Please tell me you're not thinking about that." Falla said worriedly. He laughed a bit then looked towards the exit.

"No, I figure doing something like that would be a problem for you Falla." he said simply. Falla watched him cautiously as he just seemed to stare off towards the exit.

"Then…what are you thinking?" she asked slowly.

Outside in the school parking lot across the street Razico was laying in the backseat of Render and Leon's car, the warlock looking out the window with a dull expression as he had his arms behind his head.

"This is turning out to be an ugly mess. First these damned kids get their hands on the keys to Pandora's Box, then they end up going to school with Falla and the others. I need to get one of those keys fast, before they screw over the world." he said with annoyance. He looked up at a passing cloud and thought about the witch waiting for him back at Yokai Academy.

_Ruby, I'll finish this job and get you out of that place. I promise, I'll make sure there's still a world for us to live in._

"I promise…" he said softly to himself.

"Promise what?" Apoch said from outside. The man looked to see Apoch and Astreal standing outside the back window looking at him. He quickly got out of the car as they smiled a bit at him.

"Apoch, Astreal, glad to see you two again." he said with a bit of a smile.

"It's nice to see you as well Mr. Razico, but…we have a problem." Apoch said worriedly.

"Problem? What problem?" he asked cautiously. The witch sisters told him about how Ceal threatened them all with his dark magic in the classroom, how he used his magic to cure Falla's dementia, how the boy claimed to have opened the box before and even knew what was inside of it, and how Falla was now siding with Ceal out of infatuation. After they told him everything the warlock was looking at them with wide eyes.

"He cured her? He really cured her?" Razico asked.

"Yes, and now she's following him around like a puppy. She claims he's not a bad guy and is even willing to help them open the box." Astreal said with worry.

"I'd say you were right, sounds like he helped her just to get her under his control. But still…he could actually cure that dementia of hers? I thought even the headmaster and Ruby couldn't do that." the warlock said in puzzlement.

"Apparently he did. Ms. Falla's perfectly normal now without her headband. She's even in control of her chrono magic again." Astreal said with a shrug.

"And now she's choosing to use her magic to aid Mr. Ceal in his quest for his wish." Apoch said with discontent.

"Monsters and a wish for anything lie within that box? I don't recall any of the legends saying that before." Razico said looking down in thought.

"They're all planning on going tonight to open the box Mr. Razico." Apoch said worriedly.

"What? Tonight?" Razico said with surprise.

"Yes, we told Ms. Falla that if she leaves we shall inform the human authorities, but we're not sure if that will truly deter her from going." Astreal said looking down with concern.

"That's just great, now he's got a chronofly helping him along with those two other idiots." Razico said with annoyance.

"Mr. Render and Mr. Leon are still willing to help open the box, even though everybody is aware it will become a free for all for the wish afterwards." Apoch said worriedly.

"Yes, I got that vibe from them before when we found the box last night." Razico said cautiously.

"With Ms. Falla helping Mr. Ceal those two boys don't stand a chance to win." Astreal said with concern.

"Even without her helping him those two wouldn't do so well. I've seen him and what he can do with his magic, he'll tear them apart like they were nothing." Razico said with concern.

"What are we going to do then?" Apoch asked urgently.

"We need to get one of those keys away from them somehow, that way they can't open the box." Razico reasoned.

"But how? Mr. Render has two of those keys in the magical ether and won't bring them out even with my sister threatening him with her sword." Astreal said shaking her head.

"And I doubt Mr. Ceal will be threatened easily." Apoch said looking down with discontent.

"That leaves Leon, but even with him I don't know how we're going to get the key away. Something about those two tells me they're stronger than they look." Razico said scratching his head. So far the two boys hadn't shown any strength or combat abilities, but seemed very calm with all that was happening around them nonetheless.

"He'll be the best bet we have to getting a key from, we just need the opportunity to do so." Apoch said with a nod. Razico looked behind them and narrowed his eyes.

"Speak of the devil." he said simply. The girls looked over to see Kyouko, Falla, Ceal, Render, and Leon walking towards them from across the street. Kyouko ran over to them then looked back to the other four as they walked up to them.

"The way she runs away like that suggests she still fears me." Ceal said with a smirk at the girl. He then glanced to Razico and shrugged.

"I'm not sure why, I think I've been rather friendly today." he said simply with a shrug.

"I heard about how friendly you were when you used your magic on them, you're just the monster I remember you being before." Razico said as he tensed up. Ceal chuckled and shook his head.

"Really now hunter, are you still wishing to fight me? Surely you're not that stupid." he said simply.

"The thought did cross my mind. You're trying to end the world with your damned quest, and oh yeah, you stole my bike." Razico said with anger. The group looked to Ceal as he chuckled.

"You just left it out there in the hayfield, not very wise of you." the boy said with a shrug.

"What do you want?" the warlock barked out.

"Only to talk." Ceal said without a care.

"We don't have anything more to say to you." Apoch hissed.

"C'mon now, we've all gotten off on a bad foot here thanks to Razico and his paranoia." Render said defensively.

"Paranoia? How stupid are you Render? Pandora's Box is nothing but a curse, it's no treasure." Razico said sternly.

"No it isn't, Ceal's opened it before and he's still standing. The world's still in one piece." Falla said defensively.

"Like hell I'm going to believe you opened that thing kid. You won't fool us, you're not going to be opening that box ever." Razico said sternly. Ceal sighed a bit then looked down at the ground.

"Defiance even in the face of superiority. How trivial." he said before his gloved hand glowed a black hue. Black rifts opened up around the ground near the group as black tentacles whipped out. Razico looked around as the dark appendages flailed about and whipped near them.

"You do realize how easy it would be for me to kill you, don't you? How weak you are in comparison to me." Ceal said looking back to Razico. The warlock aimed his arm towards him as an electrical arc shot around it. Falla looked around worriedly at all the dark tentacles then to Ceal with concern.

"Ceal…" she said softly.

"Don't be so sure about that." Razico said with a growl. Apoch formed her sword and held it towards Ceal as Astreal aimed her hand towards him. Render and Leon just glanced to each other then back to Ceal while Falla watched the boy closely. Kyouko however was hiding behind Apoch with fright as she feared an all-out fight was going to break out.

"I am sure about that hunter. Your magic is nothing to me, not even with your witch friends on your side. That's why I'm not killing you. You're not worth my time or effort. That and…" Ceal said as he snapped his fingers, the rifts and tentacles around the area then vanishing. The group looked around as the boy crossed his arms before him casually.

"That and Falla here has expressed an interest in keeping you alive." he said with a smirk. Falla looked at him with wonder as the others kept their defensive stances up.

"What are you saying?" Razico asked sternly.

"I'm saying you should be thanking this girl for saving your life. However that's as far as my charity goes on the matter. Pandora's Box will be opened by me and I will have my wish granted, no matter what. Should you choose to interfere with me still, I'm afraid not even Falla's words will stop me." Ceal said coldly. Falla looked at him with wonder as the three others glared at him still. Razico glanced to Falla then back to Ceal with narrowed eyes.

_He did it again, just like what Apoch mentioned from before. He showed off his power, then recalled it, all to get Falla to think he's not a killer but merely putting on a show. He's luring her more towards his side with this passive aggressive shit._

"I'd like to point out that we too didn't want any unnecessary bloodshed." Render said raising his hand.

"Why did you come out here then?" Astreal asked cautiously.

"We all should talk about this like civilized monsters, not like savages." Leon said glancing to Ceal.

"Yeah, can't we all just get along here?" Render asked hopefully.

"And just why should we do that when what you're trying to do is destroy all life on earth?" Razico said with a growl. Ceal rolled his eyes then looked to the witch sisters.

"Falla here has seen reason, I would think you two would be capable of that as well." he said flatly.

"She hasn't seen reason, she's blinded by your generosity towards her." Apoch growled.

"I am not!" Falla yelled out.

"Generosity?" Ceal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, you cured her mind only to have her side with you, only so she would help you." Astreal said with discontent.

"Oh, I see. So me choosing to help your friend is something you didn't want? Are you saying I shouldn't have helped her?" Ceal asked curiously. The witch sisters glanced to each other then back to him.

"Are you saying what I did was wrong? That she should still be plagued by her dementia and that would be the only reasonable path of life for her?" Ceal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We're not…saying that." Astreal said looking down.

"As grateful as we are for our friend's recovery we don't trust you at all." Apoch said sternly.

"You don't seem very grateful. She's cured, alive and well yet you still think I'm the bad guy here. You and your hunter friend know nothing about Pandora's Box except for stupid superstitions and rumors yet judge those that wish to open it nonetheless." Ceal said firmly. He then looked to Apoch.

"And you, bearing the mark of a shadow demon, I would have thought you would have more bravery than most, but I can see you're still afraid. Still so afraid on the inside." he said simply. The witch growled and held her glowing blade tightly.

"Why you…" she hissed.

"What? You're judging us without knowing the facts, why shouldn't I judge you?" Ceal asked plainly. He shook his head then looked to Astreal.

"And you, I've seen the look in your eye when you see Leon." he said. The girl jumped and looked at him with surprise as the others looked to her.

"What? What do you mean? I don't feel anything for him." she said shaking her head quickly.

"That's not what I meant. I can see the curiosity in your eye, the wonder. I can see something besides fear." Ceal said plainly. Astreal looked at him puzzled then to Leon.

"Leon said something to you before, something that seems to have gotten you thinking. Your sister is quick to draw her blade, but you are not. Something is poking at your mind, right?" Ceal asked curiously.

"Astreal?" Kyouko asked softly. The blonde haired witch looked around then to Leon.

"You said before that you're not trying to open the box for wealth or power, but because of all you've lost. You said it was…for her that you push on. I don't understand what you meant by that." she said curiously. Leon glanced down while still holding his locket. Razico remembered the picture in the boys home, the picture that had them and another girl standing together for a photo.

"That's none of your concern Astreal." Leon said glancing away.

"You want me to trust you? To believe that you know what you're doing? Then you need to be more open here." Astreal said shaking her head.

"That goes for you as well Mr. Ceal. Just what exactly have you wished for in the past with Pandora's Box? What is it you are planning on wishing for now? Tell us!" Apoch shouted out. The group looked to him as he just stared at the witch with no expression.

"Go on Ceal, tell Falla just what it is that she's going to be drawing blood from these two for when the time comes. Just what is it that you are using her for?" Kyouko said with discontent. The boy chuckled and glanced to her.

"Using her for?" he asked.

"You only healed her mind so she would help you, I know it. There's no way I could ever trust you." Kyouko said with discontent while hiding behind Apoch.

"So if you can't trust me, why should I even tell you what you want to know? How could you know if I'm telling the truth or not?" Ceal asked playfully. Falla looked at him worriedly then down.

"What…what is it that you want?" she asked softly. The boy glanced to her as she looked up at him timidly.

"I agreed to help you, and I will. But…what is it that you wished for before, or want to wish for now?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment then glanced to the witches.

"If you wish to help me Falla, then do it. If not, then don't. However I don't need to explain my desires to anybody here." Ceal said simply. Falla looked down with remorse as the witch sisters glared at him.

"Of course, you wouldn't tell her the truth. I'd be surprised if you even let her live when the box was opened. Or maybe you just wanted her to fight what came out and _then_ kill her." Apoch said with her blade held at the ready. Ceal glared at the witch as his hand started to glow black, then Falla gently grabbed it.

"Please…" she said softly. The group looked to her as she was looking down with a closed eye.

"Please…tell me you're not a bad guy. Please tell me…that you're not a horrible monster. You can't be…you just can't be." she said as she looked up to him with a tear forming. She shook her head and held his gloved hand with both her hands.

"Tell me, what is it that you want, tell me please. I need to know, I need to know you're not some…" she said before struggling to continue. Ceal looked at her for a moment then glanced to the witch sisters.

"I'm pretty curious myself. If you did open that box before, what did you wish for then? And what is it you're after now?" Render asked.

"I can only think of one wish I would want to make, can't imagine what you need two for." Leon said simply. Astreal glanced to him then back to Ceal.

"Please…tell me Ceal." Falla said worriedly.

"He won't say, he doesn't want us to know until it's too late." Apoch said with a glare.

"He's using you Ms. Falla, he has been from the start." Astreal said shaking her head.

"We told you, he's just another heartless monster." Kyouko said with discontent while hiding behind Apoch.

"He's just trying to draw you closer to him, he's using you." Razico said keeping his eyes on the necro caster.

"Revenge." Ceal said simply.

Silence.

The group looked at him as he stood there, the boy looking into Falla's eye with a blank expression.

"Revenge?" she asked. The boy yanked his hand away, the girl jumping back with worry.

"Yes. Revenge. Now either you help me Falla, or you don't. Either way I will not fail in my quest." he said firmly. She looked at him with wonder as the group watched him closely.

"Revenge? Revenge against what?" Render asked.

"What do you mean Ceal?" Falla asked softly.

"I've told you my reason for wanting the wish, that much you didn't deserve. You will get nothing more from me, understood?" he asked sternly. The girl nodded quickly then looked down with worry.

"Why should we believe any of this? What proof do you have that any of this happened? You say you opened the box before, you say you made a wish before, you say you're doing this for revenge, prove it!" Razico yelled out. Ceal merely held up his gloved hand and glanced to him.

"Here's your…proof." he said with a scoff. The group looked at it then to the boy.

"You mean…" Falla said with a wide eye.

_"Your hand…" Falla said with wonder._

_"I lost my old one in an…accident. By finding a powerful necro demon and killing it, I found a suitable, no, better replacement." Ceal said simply._

"I will open Pandora's Box, and nothing will stop me from making my wish." Ceal said coldly. The group looked at him carefully as Falla's mouth opened a bit.

"I'm sure you have your reasons and all, but we're not about to give up the treasure for anybody." Render said with a smirk. Ceal glanced to him with narrowed eyes.

"Then make no mistake, I will kill you when the time comes. I said it before, and I'll say it again, I will kill anyone that gets in my way." he said with a slight amount of discontent. Falla glanced to the boys then over to Ceal with wonder.

"We figured as much. We'll take on your challenge when the time comes." Leon said confidently.

"Sorry, but I'm still not standing by and letting any of you open that box. I don't buy your excuse for one minute Ceal, and like hell I'm going to take the chance on opening that box when I know damned well it'll mean the end of the world." Razico said with discontent. Falla looked to him worriedly then to Ceal.

"Are you ready to die for that petty fear hunter?" the boy asked as he slowly raised his gloved hand toward the warlock.

Falla looked between the two with worry.

"The only one that needs to die here is you." Razico said as he held his arm towards the boy, a black hue flowing around it as he built up his magic.

She looked down as her eye darted around in thought.

"Whether your story is true or not, you will not be opening that box." Apoch said as she kept her sword at the ready.

Falla looked to Ceal, the image of him holding her on the roof as he healed her mind flashing before her.

"I will, and nobody will be stopping me." Ceal said coldly.

The chronofly looked down with a closed eye, the girl's mind racing with inner conflict.

"No, we will stop you Mr. Ceal." Astreal said with a glare as a glow built up in her wrist.

Falla clenched her fists as she tried to decide which side to take.

"I'd like to point out that we're right next to the school still." Leon said glancing behind him at the building across the street that held human students and teachers in it still.

Falla looked ahead with a determined expression as her hand slowly formed into a chopping position.

"That's it, this ends now!" Razico yelled as black lightning arced around his arm towards his hand. Apoch geared back with her blade as the glow on Astreal's wrist glowed brightly.

Suddenly the ground between them blasted apart into a large crevice, with Razico, Apoch, and Astreal stumbling back and looking with surprise. The concrete ground between Ceal and the three others was sliced across, and standing before the blue eyed boy Falla stood glaring at the witches and warlock.

"Don't even think about attacking him." she said sternly.

"Ms. Falla." Apoch and Astreal said softly.

"What are you doing?" Razico said shaking his head.

"I said it before, that wish belongs to Ceal." Falla said firmly. Ceal glanced to her and smirked a bit while Render and Leon looked at the carved up ground with surprise.

"Wow, how…did she do that?" Render asked scratching his head.

"Yeah, I didn't even see her move." Leon said in wonder.

"Falla what are you doing?" Kyouko asked worriedly.

"I'm going to help Ceal with his wish." Falla said sternly.

"You can't do that Ms. Falla." Apoch said shaking her head.

"I can and I will. This is my choice Apoch. I've heard enough from him to know he's not a horrible monster." Falla said with a narrowed eye.

"He was about to try to attack us." Razico said pointing at the boy.

"Actually, I was going to kill you. There would have been no 'trying' involved." Ceal said simply.

"You see, he admitted it!" Kyouko cried out.

"Then just stay out of his way. He's not going out of his way to kill you, you're the ones getting in front of him." Falla said crossing her arms.

"Falla, listen to reason. He's nothing but trouble. What he said was just made up to get you to feel sympathy for him, he just healed your mind to get you to side with him, to help him. He's using you." Razico said shaking his head.

"You know nothing hunter." Ceal said as he walked up behind Falla. He rested his gloved hand on her shoulder, the girl glancing to it with wonder.

"I healed her, because it was I that felt sympathy for her." he said calmly.

"What?" Falla said softly as she looked back to him.

"Sympathy for her?" Kyouko asked. Ceal looked at Falla with a calm expression and nodded.

"You aren't the only one that knows the pain of losing a part of one's self. To have something taken away from you." he said simply. Falla glanced to his gloved hand then to him.

"My magic…" she said softly. She jumped a bit then turned to look at him with amazement.

"You cured me…because…I was like…" she said looking to his hand.

"Like me." Ceal said with a nod. She looked at him with wonder as the others watched him carefully.

"Ceal…" she said softly. He looked at her for a moment then to the others.

"Now then, about you three and your persistence." he said as he raised his gloved hand to them again. They tensed up and got ready to fight before Falla gently took his gloved hand and lowered it, the girl looking at him with gentle eyes.

"I'll help you Ceal, you still have your fourth." she said softly. He looked at her as she smiled timidly at him.

"Ms. Falla you can't do that." Apoch yelled out. Falla growled then glared over at her.

"Either I help him with this, or you're going to have more to worry about than Pandora's Box making your life a living hell." she said angrily. Apoch and Astreal looked at her cautiously, as they both knew the chronofly had a talent for constructing deathtraps.

"But…you can't do this." Astreal said worriedly.

"I can, and I will." Falla said looking back to Ceal. She glanced down timidly then back up to the boy.

"It's my choice after all." she said softly.

"And what about when the box is opened, what about what will come out of it? What about Render and Leon?" Razico asked cautiously. Falla glanced to them and smirked.

"Like Ceal mentioned, I saw reason. Perhaps they will as well." she said simply. The boys smirked a bit at the girl.

"If you're thinking we're just going to back down from our own claim to this treasure, you've got another thing coming." Render said shaking his head.

"We don't want to hurt you Falla, but we can't say the same for him." Leon said looking to Ceal. The girl shook her head and walked over to them.

"If you want him, you're going to have to go through me." she said confidently.

"Don't put yourself in that position, really." Render said with a weak smile.

"Too late, I already died." Falla said with a smirk.

"Then I guess we'll have to deal with that, when the time comes." Leon said crossing his arms before him.

"I guess you will." Falla said as she did the same.

"Just what is it that you want revenge on that you're willing to risk all this?" Razico asked with discontent. Everybody looked to Ceal as he just stood there in silence. After a moment the boy started walking back towards the school.

"Hey! Answer me!" Razico called out.

"That is none of your concern hunter." Ceal said as he stopped. He glanced back to the group for a moment then looked forward again. Falla looked to her friends then ran over to him, the girl looking at him with a timid smile.

"Could you tell me? I could help you with whatever it is you're after." she said gently. The boy glanced to her then ahead again.

"If you wish to help Falla, then open the box for me. That is all." he said as he walked away. The girl watched him cross the street then smiled softly at him.

"Yes sir." she said before she walked off after him.

"Well…" Render said looking back to the group.

"This has been fun." he said with a shrug. Razico gave him a dull glare as the sisters did the same. Kyouko watched Falla walk off toward the school then looked down with worry.

"Look on the bright side, sounds like he's not going to hurt your friend." Render said with a smile. Again he got nothing but silence and glares. He rubbed the back of his head a bit then looked back to the school.

"Well…guess we'll get going as well then." he said simply as they turned to leave.

"Hold it, you two aren't going anywhere." Razico said as he held his hand out towards them. Black rifts opened up around the ground and chains whipped around, the links wrapping around Render and Leon's arms and legs and holding them still. The boys glanced to each other then looked at the warlock.

"You do realize that we don't want to fight you, right?" Render asked with a weak smile.

"You really don't want to do this." Leon said shaking his head.

"Don't give me that Leon. Render may have his keys in the ether, but yours isn't going anywhere but with me." Razico said as he walked towards the boys. Suddenly black rifts tore apart around the ground and more chains whipped around, this time ensnaring Razico, Apoch, and Astreal. The girls and warlock watched with surprise as their arms and legs were bound and they were dropped to their knees. The chains holding the two boys flickered then dissolved as they smirked at the group.

"What…how did you…" Razico said as he thrashed about.

"Anything you can do, I can do better." Leon said with a shrug. Apoch growled loudly then formed her blade in her hand, the girl swiping up and slicing free from the chains while Astreal fired off a blast and shot off the chain holding her hand down. She aimed towards the boys while Apoch dashed towards them. As the witch neared them Leon raced towards her, the boy holding his hand to the side, and then forming an identical barrier-sword in his hand. Apoch looked with shock as he swung the blade and struck at her sword, the boy launching the girl back into a tumble with her sister. Razico and Kyouko looked with wide eyes as Leon stood there holding a blade like Apoch's.

"How…how could…" Razico said shaking his head.

"Impossible, how could you do that?" Apoch cried out as she and her sister scrambled to their feet. Leon dissolved the blade and then turned to walk away.

"How did you do that?" Razico said with disbelief and frustration. He blinked then looked at the boy cautiously.

_No way…could he be one of them?_

"My sister's blade…nobody else knows how to forge such a weapon but her. Nobody!" Astreal yelled out. Leon smirked then the two boys started to walk away. Astreal growled then aimed her hand towards them.

"Stop right now!" she yelled out. The boys stopped and glanced back to her.

"You fire that at me, and I'll return the favor." Leon said simply. Astreal looked at him with surprise as the boys just watched her. After a pause the two boys walked off towards the school. The glow in Astreal's wrist died down and she lowered her hand.

"How did he do that?" she asked softly.

"He created a magical sword just like me, that _was_ my sword. How?" Apoch said in disbelief.

"He's a mimic mage." Razico said in wonder. The girls looked to him as he looked down at the ground.

"A mimic mage?" Kyouko asked.

"Anything you can do, I can do better. That's what he meant by that. He…he copied each of our spells as we cast them." the warlock said looking to the sisters. They looked at him with surprise then over to the school.

"I've only known a handful of mages that could perform such magic before. They can mirror any spell they see for a short time, anything they see cast before them they can repeat without any trouble." Razico said with caution.

"Incredible." Apoch said looking down in thought. She blinked then looked to Razico.

"But then why didn't he ever copy Mr. Ceal's magical attack?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But that's the only explanation I can think of as to how he copied each of our spells right after us." Razico said shaking his head.

"What do we do now? Falla's made her choice final now, she's not going to leave Ceal's side." Kyouko said worriedly.

"We can't steal any of the keys from Render, he has them both locked away. And Leon can duplicate anything we throw at him." Razico said with frustration.

_That explains why Leon's been so calm all this time, mostly. However what's Render hiding still?_

"We have to get one of those keys away from them. Only then can they not unlock Pandora's Box." Astreal said worriedly. Apoch kept her eyes on the school for a moment then looked down in thought.

"Should we call the human authorities?" Kyouko asked.

"No, that might make monsters look bad worldwide if what they're doing becomes known. Besides I think Ceal might get hostile then. We have to deal with this and quietly." Razico said shaking his head. Apoch glanced to her sister then back to the school.

"I'm not sure if we can talk Ms. Falla out of this crusade now, whether Mr. Ceal is using her or not doesn't matter anymore. She's going to help him willingly now." Astreal said with concern.

"We'll just have to try to get those keys from them another way." Apoch said simply.

"How? They won't let us get near them with their magic now." Astreal said worriedly. Apoch nodded then glanced to her sister.

"Come, we need to find Mr. Render and Mr. Leon." Apoch said as she walked toward the school.

"What for?" Astreal asked. Apoch took another step then glanced back to her with a warm smile.

"Why, to invite them over after school of course." she said.

"What?" the others asked with surprise.

"What are you talking about? Why would you want to do that?" Razico asked.

"We need their keys, and using force isn't going to work with them." Apoch said shaking her head.

"So then…what's your plan?" Kyouko asked. The raven haired witch smiled slyly then looked towards the school.

"We'll just have to charm the keys out of them." she said with a coy smile.

* * *

Inside the cafeteria the four hunters were seated at a table talking while eating their meals. The lunch period was almost over as they went over what they would be doing that night.

"So, just so we have everything clear, Leon will drive us after school to the monster world, I will supervise the expedition down towards the treasure, Falla will be our eye candy and raise morale, and Ceal will backstab us and try to kill us when we open the box." Render said with a nod.

"Sounds about right." Leon said simply.

"Eye candy?" Falla said with an amused smile.

"Again, there will be no 'trying' involved." Ceal said simply.

"Hey, I get it that you're after revenge and all, but we did have the keys first. The wish is ours to make." Render said with an arrogant smile.

"Not to mention you only got your key after you killed the hunter we gave it to who would have been our third." Leon said flatly. Falla looked at Ceal curiously as the boy just shrugged.

"Not my concern. The box belongs to me, I will not be denied my wish." he said simply. Falla looked at him for a moment then to the other two.

"Can't you two just hold off on your wishes? I mean being rich and famous, you have plenty of time to wish for that." she said with a weak smile. She didn't want to see anybody die there tonight, but knew Ceal wouldn't hesitate to kill the boys if they got in his way.

"No way, we're not backing down. Not a chance." Render said shaking his head.

"I'd rather take the chance on taking him on than give him what he wants." Leon said with narrowed eyes at Ceal.

"Ok but…_I_ say he gets his wish first." Falla pointed out. She glanced between the two boys as they just looked at her.

"So then do you plan on killing me?" she asked curiously.

"We don't want to kill anybody. Well, at least not you." Render said looking at the girl with a small smile.

"Well logic would state that if I'm not with you on your wish, I'm against you." Falla reasoned as she leaned back a bit.

"If that's your choice, than that's your choice Falla. We bear no grudge against you or wish to see you harmed, but like we've already stated, we will _not_ back down from this." Leon said.

"And you, you have the same wish as Render? Or did you want something else?" Falla asked.

"I desire something else, but I'm not about to kill my friend over it. One of us will go first, then one of us will go again." Leon said with a nod.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, how does that work?" Render said looking to Ceal.

"How does what work?" the boy replied flatly.

"When somebody makes a wish, how does Pandora's Box get reset? I mean, we have all the keys right there, can't we just open it again?" Render asked.

"The keys will be destroyed when opening the box. They will need to be forged again and brought to wherever the box will reappear next." Ceal said plainly.

"Forged again?" Falla asked. Ceal nodded and glanced to her.

"Yes. A new set of keys will need to be created for the new box." he said simply.

"And who creates these keys exactly?" Render asked.

"Yes, that's a very good question." Leon said carefully. Ceal glanced to him then looked down at the table again.

"That is no concern for you." he said simply.

"Of course, the standard response we usually get from you. Should have guessed." Render said with a sigh.

"Hey, at least you know they can appear again. Just wait until they do to make your wish, ok?" Falla asked hopefully.

"Nice try, but no way." Render said shaking his head.

"There's no guarantee we'll find them again or even if they will indeed be recreated. After all we've gone through we're not passing up this chance." Leon said looking down at the table with a focused expression. Falla looked at him curiously at that remark.

_I wonder what exactly they have gone through to get those keys. Or what they lost when doing so…_

"So great, we're back to square one with us trying to kill each other when the box opens." Render said flatly.

"Again, there will be no 'trying' on my part." Ceal said with a blank expression. Falla looked around at everybody worriedly. She didn't want to have to draw blood for Ceal's wish to come true, well, except for the hordes of horrible monsters that would supposedly come from the box when opened. However it was looking like she would have to in order to help Ceal achieve his goal.

"You two can't win. Ceal could overpower you easily, and you won't be able to defend against me in combat. You can't beat us." Falla warned.

"We'll see about that." Render said with a smug smile.

"I mean it Render, I don't want to hurt you, but…Ceal is getting that wish made." Falla said shaking her head.

"And we don't want to hurt you Falla, but we're getting our wishes first." Leon said simply. Falla looked at the two with frustration then down at the table. Before she could think of something else to say Apoch, Astreal, and Kyouko walked over to them. Falla looked over to see them smiling a bit at the group. The boys merely glanced at them as they sat down at the table, with the sisters sitting between Render and Leon and with Kyouko sitting next to Falla.

"What are you three doing here?" Falla asked cautiously.

"It's still lunchtime, what's wrong with us being here?" Kyouko asked.

"For one you don't have any lunches." Falla said flatly as she noticed the girls didn't bring over any trays. Kyouko laughed weakly and rubbed the back of her head.

"We merely came by to…apologize for before." Apoch said softly.

"Yes, we are sorry for how we acted." Astreal said softly.

"Really." Leon said glancing to them with a raised eyebrow. The sisters nodded and looked at the boys worriedly.

"We were just scared. I mean, after all we did to take down Alucard we didn't want the world to be destroyed again." Apoch said softly.

"When Mr. Razico said Pandora's Box would lead to the end of the world, we panicked." Astreal said looking down with remorse.

"We talked to him outside, and then we thought about. If Ceal really did open it before…then it must not be the end of the world to open it again." Kyouko said with a soft smile. Falla looked at her curiously then to the sisters.

"You don't say." Render said plainly, the boy not believing the sudden change in the girls behavior. Apoch leaned closer to him and looked into his eyes timidly.

"I'm sorry about how I treated you before, it was uncalled for. Can you forgive me?" she asked worriedly. The boy looked at her with a bit of surprise then glanced to Leon. Astreal leaned closer to the mage and nodded.

"I'm sorry about prying before, about your reasons for wanting the wish. I could tell…I struck a nerve with you. Please forgive me." she said gently. Leon looked at her for a moment then down at his lunch with a nod.

"Fine, no hard feelings I guess." he said.

"Yeah, I guess that's cool. I mean you guys did take down that giant monster before, so I can see how a little doomsday rumor could get you a little spooked." Render said with a shrug.

"We talked about it, and seeing as how that rumor came from a thief with no real proof of such a danger, we decided to trust Falla." Kyouko said looking to her friend. Falla blinked and tilted her head a bit. Kyouko nodded and smiled at her.

"I mean, Ceal healed your mind right? So he can't be all that bad. I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive of you, or happy for you. I really am glad your dementia is gone." she said kindly. Falla smiled and nodded at her friend.

"Thank you." she said softly.

"And we're sorry too Ms. Falla. We were just being jealous." the witch sisters said in unison.

"Jealous of what?" Leon asked.

"Again, what's with all the Mr. and Ms. stuff?" Render asked puzzled.

"When we came to this school, we were all hoping to move on from our old boyfriends. It's been difficult being away from them, and trying to move on at all. But Ms. Falla is doing just that, she's found somebody she really likes and wants to be with." Apoch said with a smile at her friend. Falla smiled bashfully then looked to Ceal, the boy merely glancing to her.

"Yes, we were jealous that…she found somebody but…we were all alone still." Astreal said looking down with closed eyes.

"It's so hard…being all alone." Apoch said looking down and closing her eyes. Render looked at Apoch with wonder then to Leon, the brown haired boy merely shaking his head and mouthing out 'don't even think about it' to him. Kyouko looked between the two boys then forced a big smile.

"Say. Apoch, Astreal, what about…" she said looking at Render and Leon. The sisters sniffled then slowly glanced to the two boys. Falla looked back and forth then smiled amusingly.

"Wait, are you suggesting…" the chronofly said with a sly smile.

"That we…" Apoch said looking at Render with wonder.

"Date them?" Astreal said looking at Leon with curiosity.

Ceal looked around at the girls then over at Kyouko with a narrowed glance. Render looked at the witch smiling softly at him then stuttered a bit.

"Well…um…I…" he said nervously.

"I'm not really…looking for another girlfriend." Leon said looking back down at his meal.

"Another? So…you had one…before me?" Astreal asked looking to his locket.

"I promise I can be more…gentle with you." Apoch said softly while looking at Render.

"Oh my god you guys, that works out so perfectly." Kyouko said with a forced smile and a wave of her arms.

"Wow, that does actually." Falla said with a laugh. She glanced to Ceal then noticed he was watching the sisters with a bit of caution. She looked at him then to the two girls curiously.

"Wait…isn't this a bit…sudden?" Render asked nervously.

"You're right." Apoch said leaning back from him then looking to Kyouko.

"We can't just ask them out like that can we?" she asked.

"No, that's not proper after all we've done. Besides, they don't seem to like us much now." Astreal said worriedly at Leon. He glanced to her then back down to his food.

"Oh dear, but you guys make such cute couples." Kyouko said forcing a pouty face. Apoch and Astreal shook their heads and looked down with sorrow.

"Mr. Render is right, this is all too sudden." Apoch said softly.

"They don't like us anymore, we acted so foolish with them before." Astreal said worriedly.

"Hey, it's not that we don't like you. We like you, really." Render said reassuringly. Apoch glanced away then slowly looked over to him.

"Really?" she asked quietly.

"Really, it's just…um…I just wasn't…prepared for this. I mean, I get hounded everywhere I go by girls, but…I've never found the right one, you know?" Render said with a weak smile.

"The right…one?" Apoch asked curiously.

"I'm not saying I hate you girls either, but I'm just not looking for a girlfriend right now." Leon said glancing away. Render looked to him and smiled gently.

"You know…she probably would have wanted-" he started before Leon shot him a glare. Render blinked then looked down nervously.

"-for me to shut up and never say a word about it again, you're totally right buddy." he said quickly. Astreal looked at Leon curiously as the boy looked back down at his tray with annoyance. Render regained himself then saw Apoch was still looking at him curiously.

"So…is there still…a chance for me?" she asked softly. He looked at her nervously as she leaned closer, the girl pushing her breasts against his arm.

"Um…well…sure?" he said nervously.

"Mr. Leon, are you ok?" Astreal asked, the girl showing signs of concern. He merely nodded as he held his locket again.

"You know, I think I know what would be perfect for this situation." Kyouko spoke up.

"Somehow I figured you would." Ceal said flatly. Falla glanced to him then to Kyouko carefully. The others looked to her as she smiled brightly at them.

"Date night." she said with a nod.

"Date night?" the sisters asked while tilting their heads curiously.

"Yeah, you all should have a date night. Go out somewhere or…oh, I know. How about staying in watching a scary movie together?" Kyouko said with a wink.

"A scary movie?" the sisters asked again with wonder.

"Staying in?" Falla asked cautiously, the girl starting to see where this was going.

"Yeah. It'll give you a chance to see if you…click with each other." Kyouko said with a nod. Apoch looked to Render timidly while Astreal smiled softly at Leon.

"Um, I'm not so sure about that." Render said worriedly.

"We're busy tonight, perhaps another time." Leon said simply.

"Yeah, we _do_ have plans tonight Kyouko." Falla said with a narrowed eye. The girl looked at her with a nervous smile and nodded eagerly then leaned in closer to her.

"I know that, but think about it. You have Ceal, they have nobody. This could be their chance to find new boyfriends. I mean c'mon, these two are monsters like they are, and they seem pretty cute. Why not?" she asked eagerly.

"Why not? Because we're going to open Pandora's Box tonight, that's why not." Falla said with a hushed tone.

"Please Falla? I'm not telling you not to open the box now. By all means, go ahead. We won't stop you. But just one night, give them one chance to see if they can make this work. I mean look at them." Kyouko said quietly to her before looking over at the sisters. Apoch was smiling bashfully at Render while Astreal was looking at Leon with a curious smile.

"This could be their chance at moving on." Kyouko said with a kind smile. She glanced to Ceal then smiled coyly.

"Don't you agree Ceal? Just a little quality time with Falla, I'm sure she'd appreciate that." she said sweetly. Falla jumped a bit then glanced over to the boy.

"Oh yes, that would be perfect. All of us having a date night together." Apoch said with a bright smile.

"Could we? Please?" Astreal said hopefully at Leon.

"But…Pandora's Box. Treasure. Fight to the death. Treasure." Render said looking around worriedly.

"We have prior plans already set up. We're not staying in tonight." Leon said shaking his head.

"For once I agree with him. We have all our keys, we're not waiting another night." Ceal said glancing to Kyouko, the boy seeing what the girls were trying to do.

"Just one night you guys, that's it. We're not saying you can't go open that box, go right ahead if that's what you want to do. But…can't you just put it off for one night?" Kyouko asked innocently. She looked to Falla and nudged her.

"And…didn't you have something to ask Ceal as well? This could be perfect for you too." she said playfully. Falla blushed a bit then looked to Ceal.

"Well…" she said softly.

"Please?" Apoch asked as she leaned closer to Render, the girl's breasts pushing against his arm. He looked at her nervously as she gazed into his eyes.

"Just one night?" Astreal asked timidly, the girl looking at Leon with gentle eyes. He glanced to her as he held his locket in his hand.

"Well…I wouldn't mind…a movie night with Ceal." Falla said with a bashful smile. The boy raised an eyebrow at her then looked to Kyouko.

"What's wrong Ceal? Just one night, that will show them that you're not a horrible killer. Besides, Apoch and Astreal will need to cover for Falla if she's gone for a night. This would be a fair trade." Kyouko said with a nod. Falla looked to the sisters as they nodded in agreement. The boy narrowed his eyes at Kyouko then glanced to Falla. The chronofly looked down for a moment then to him curiously.

"Could we…do that instead? Just one night, for my friends?" she asked. Ceal looked at her then glanced over to the witch sisters.

"Just one night. After that we'll let her sneak out and the human officials will never know." Apoch giggled. Astreal nodded in agreement.

"Well…I guess if that'll keep Falla from getting into hot water with the human government…" Render said looking at Apoch curiously. The witch nodded slowly with a soft smile. Leon sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. One night. But don't expect us to be boyfriend and girlfriend after that." he said glancing to Astreal. She nodded eagerly with a smile. The group then looked back to Ceal as he was glancing to Kyouko with annoyance.

"Well? What do you say Ceal?" Kyouko asked with a smirk. The boy glanced around then up with annoyance.

"Seems I have no choice." he said reluctantly. Falla smiled then looked to Kyouko with excitement.

"A date night…this is just what I needed with him. Thank you Kyouko." she said as she hugged her friend. Kyouko hugged back and glanced to the witch sisters, each of them glancing to her with a smirk before looking back to the two boys with bashful eyes.

"Just thinking about my friends Falla, just thinking about my friends."


	22. A Day In Paradise

Inside the headmaster's office a bright flash was seen through the windows, the green and bluish light seeming to appear suddenly then die down. As the light faded away the headmaster and Rin looked to see the group standing back in the room after their quick trip into Paradise. They had been informed that Tsukune would be remaining in that part of the monster world until he had his bloodlust under control, and were brought back out of Paradise so he could continue with his training.

"Welcome back, I trust you managed to find Mr. Aono and the others during your trip?" the headmaster asked with a curious smile.

"Yeah, and we found a lot more as well. Thanks again for warning us to stay out of the forest…which was _everywhere_ around us!" Rason cried out.

"My player did not survive the trip." Dark said with narrowed eyes, the demon and snow girl looking at the headmaster with discontent. The man chuckled and looked to Rin.

"Then it was a good thing this young lady didn't follow after you." he said with a smile. Rin looked around at the group then smiled at Ran.

"Sister, you're ok!" she cheered as she raced over and hugged her. Ran smiled and held her as well while the blonde haired siren held on tightly.

"Rin, we were only gone a little bit, calm down." she said with a laugh. Rin blinked and leaned back to look at her curiously.

"Really? I thought you were gone longer than that." she said puzzled.

"No my dear, they were only gone for a short while. You however had several memory lapses with those damaged headphones of yours, I imagine time has been rather difficult for you to keep track of." the headmaster said with a solemn tone. Rin nodded then looked down a bit.

"Oh, yeah…I forgot." she said softly. Ran looked at her worriedly then to the headmaster.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do for her?" she pleaded.

"I'm sorry my dear, but as I explained to you all earlier I cannot undo the spell over her mind. Those enchanted headphones are her only way of nullifying the effect I'm afraid." the headmaster said regrettably.

"Where's Ren? Is she doing ok?" Rin asked looking around.

"She's fine. She's helping Tsukune get control over his condition." Yukari said with a smile.

"Really?" Rin asked curiously. The group nodded as Rin looked around at everybody, then over to Ran.

"That's great. Um…who's Tsukune?" she asked. Ran looked at her with a saddened smile then hugged her again. Rin blinked then held her with a confused smile as well.

"Poor girl." Gin said shaking his head.

"There must be some way to cure her." Kurumu said curiously.

Dark growled a bit then walked up to the headmaster, the man looking at him with a curious smile.

"We need to talk. Now." the boy said sternly.

"Whoa man, calm down. It was just another player, you've got hundreds more back in your room." Rason said worriedly.

"Mr. Kuyumaya, are you threatening me yet again?" the headmaster laughed.

"Actually, I was talking about the one that tried to have us all enslaved from the sirens today. But yes, I'm still pissed you caused one of my players to break." Dark said simply.

"Oh yes, that fellow." the headmaster said looking up thoughtfully with a hand to his chin.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him." Ahakon said rubbing the back of his head.

"I wasn't trying to think about it just yet to be honest." Gin said simply.

"Hearing about Rin's suffering reminded me that we still need to deal with the monster that caused them so much pain and misery." Dark said with narrowed eyes.

"Wait, what monster? What is he talking about?" Akua asked looking around.

"These three sirens were originally sent here by a former master, one that tried to use them to charm all the boys and male teachers of this school into joining his army of followers." the headmaster said looking to Rin and Ran. The two girls shuddered and looked down with worry at that remark.

"Really now." Akua said looking to Moka. The pink haired vampire nodded and looked to the other girls.

"They were being used by him, they didn't have a choice. They charmed all our boyfriends, and every other boy out there into following them." she said softly.

"Yeah, with their singing they had every guy out there following them in no time." Kurumu said looking at the two girls.

"We didn't mean to…we just wanted to be free." Rin said looking down.

"He used us to enslave so many for himself, he has warriors and monsters from all around under his control now." Ran said worriedly.

"That and he apparently knows how to use the time stream, at least to a degree to travel around with." Yukari said with concern.

"Just who is this guy anyway?" Akua asked cautiously.

"We don't know, the sirens never saw him themselves, he's always shrouded in shadows. He kept them prisoner until…" Moka said looking to the sisters.

"Until they rebelled against their master, and set us all free. After they did that, we returned the favor." Rason said with a confident smile. The sirens smiled happily at that while Akua nodded slowly as she looked around at the group.

"I've missed a lot this morning apparently." she said simply. The group informed her about what they went through before Tsukune's feeding frenzy. How the sirens charmed everybody at the school and festival, to how they were about to lead them into a black rift through the time stream, to how they choose to release everybody after they were told they wouldn't ever be freed by their master, and to how the group saved them from being taken back by the mysterious monster. After the tale was told Akua had one prominent thought on her mind.

"What is it with you guys and having no peace around here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I've been asking that since I first got here!" Ahakon called out.

"Again, blame Dark and Rason." Gin said glancing to the two boys.

"Oh give us a break, how is this _our_ fault?" Rason cried out.

"Anyway, he's still out there, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again soon." Dark said glancing back to the others.

"Dark's right, we need to deal with this asshole." Mizore said with a nod.

"Oh this isn't good." Akua said looking down.

"What, c'mon I'm sure we can handle this. We took care of Alucard didn't we?" Rason said with a smirk.

"Yeah, we'll find this guy and show him his place. He picked the wrong group of monsters to mess with." Kokoa said with a confident smile.

"It's not that I'm worried about." Akua said shaking her head.

"What's wrong then?" Moka asked. Akua looked to her then to the group.

"You said he's trying to take over every world out there, what if he targets the human world?" Akua asked cautiously.

"Well I guess he might do that, but even if he tries we'll stop him." Kokoa said enthusiastically. Akua shook her head and looked at her sister worriedly.

"You don't understand Kokoa. The human world is still trying to bring about peace with us. The coexistence treaty is still being worked on, and progress has slowed down since the HDA started its campaign against us." she said looking down.

"The HDA?" Kurumu asked.

"The Human Defense Agency. They've been boycotting the treaty since its proposal, and have been trying to get monsters banned from the human world." Akua said regrettably.

"What? Why?" Moka asked with surprise.

"You're kidding right? You didn't expect every human being out there to just welcome us with open arms did you? We are monsters after all." Akua asked shaking her head.

"But we saved their world, we defeated Alucard." Yukari said worriedly.

"Yes, and there are some humans that say that Alucard was our fault in the first place. I mean, yes, it sort of was, but that's not the point here. Not all humans are trusting of us yet. In fact, with there having already been monsters hiding in the human world, they think we have been spying and plotting against them all this time." Akua said with remorse.

"What? That's not true though, the monsters in that world were just trying to live peacefully, they didn't do anything bad." Moka pleaded.

"We know that, and we're trying to get this sorted out. There are those in the human world that sympathize with us, all is not lost yet. But the last thing we need is for a monster to start attacking the human world. It would be disastrous to the idea of peace." Akua warned.

"Oh great, if this asshole shows up in the human world we can kiss coexistence goodbye." Rason groaned.

"Oh man, I didn't even think about that. If he attacks the human world, it'll make us all look like real monsters then." Ahakon said worriedly.

"What do we do? We can't let him cause more trouble." Yukari said looking around at the group.

"All the more reason to find him and fast." Dark said glancing to the siren sisters. Akua looked to the sisters with a cautious expression.

"Where is this old master of yours?" she asked.

"We don't know, he isn't from this world, or the human world. He's from…someplace darker altogether." Ran said worriedly.

"We were sent here by his magic, but we didn't know where we came from then. We were only instructed to signal him so he could bring us back to him when we were ready." Rin said looking down.

"They don't know who this guy is or where he's from, he kept them in the dark during their entire time with him." Mizore said softly.

"Yes, a difficult situation indeed. Seems we cannot find him until he wants to be found." the headmaster said looking down.

"I'll have to inform father about this when I return, we can't afford for a conflict to occur in the human world at this time. It'll cost us everything." Akua said looking down with a focused expression.

"Well what do we do in the meantime though? We can't just sit here and do nothing again, can we?" Rason said looking around.

"The sirens can't signal him again, he won't open the gateway knowing they're on our side. He doesn't want them freeing his enslaved army." Moka said looking to the sisters.

"That means…we can't do anything until he makes a move." Kokoa said with frustration.

"I can't believe this, we worked so hard to bring down Alucard and save the world, and this guy just shows up and wrecks it." Kurumu growled out.

"Wait, they came through the time stream right?" Ahakon said looking around. The group nodded as he shrugged a bit.

"What about Luna and Falla? The time stream is their home territory right? Maybe they can help track him down." the mage suggested.

"Hey yeah, they're chronoflies, the time stream is their domain. They can help us." Yukari said with a smile. She blinked then shook her head.

"Well, Luna could help us anyway. Falla's magic is sealed now, she's unstable without her headband." she said softly.

"Damn, that's right. Falla won't be able to help us with this in her condition, and she's the only chronofly that's available. Luna's still on her special mission for the Almighty." Rason said with frustration.

"Special mission?" Rin asked.

"The Almighty?" Akua asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, she was asked to help with something up in heaven, since her chrono magic is so strong the Almighty himself picked her for a special task. She left yesterday morning for it, who knows how long she'll be gone for." Rason said looking up.

"Wow…" Akua and the two sirens said looking up at the ceiling with wonder.

"Well this sucks, just when we need them again they're not around to help. How does that always happen to us?" Kurumu said with discontent.

"Well that leaves us with the 'waiting around and hoping nothing else bad happens' plan." Rason said tiredly.

"Of course, because that plan has always worked well for us." Gin said with a smirk.

"We don't have a choice though, without Luna here we can't search the time stream on our own. We have no way of tracking down this monster without him showing himself first." Moka said worriedly.

"I swear, if this guy blows our chance for peace I'm going to rip him to pieces slowly and horribly." Kokoa hissed with anger.

"He already has that coming." Mizore said glancing to Dark. The demon nodded and looked at the two sisters.

"We won't let him conquer any more worlds, especially ours." he said firmly. The two sirens nodded and looked down with worry.

"Ms. Shuzen, if you would be so kind as to tell your father that our heroes are on standby should anything strange occur in the human world, that would be most appreciated." the headmaster said with a smile to Akua. The vampire nodded and looked at the group.

"I will. Please inform us if you hear anything else regarding this threat, we need to take care of this as soon as we can, and as quietly. The humans must never be drawn into another war with monsters, otherwise peace will surely be lost." she warned.

"I wish Tsukune was here with us now, we could really use him with his vampire strength." Ahakon said looking down.

"Me too. Hopefully he'll get it under control fast." Yukari said worriedly.

"He may be in Paradise for quite some time, bloodlust wasn't something that was easily overcome by our ancestors." Akua said regrettably.

"She's right, he…could be gone for a while." Moka said looking down with sadness.

_Tsukune…we need you. I need you…_

"We'll keep hoping for the best with his recovery, but for right now it looks like we're on our own." Gin said looking down a bit.

"Then we'll make sure we're ready to fight when the time comes. Let's just hope this guy appears here in the monster world first." Rason said looking down a bit.

"That and let's hope no monster fights occur in the human world. If what you say is true Akua, then you need to inform every monster hiding in the human world not to cause trouble at all costs." Moka said urgently.

"We have been, father and the other dark lords have been spreading word throughout the monster realm and to those that live in the human world to never show their true form or to cause any problems, no matter how small they be. We're trying to keep a strict leash on this sister, we really are." Akua said with a nod.

"I didn't realize how fragile our peace with the humans really was." Yukari said looking down worriedly.

"Yeah, one little fight or misunderstanding…" Ahakon said shaking his head.

"Let's just hope that every monster in the human world is on their best behavior." Rason said with concern.

"I'm sure they will be, after all this is what most of us monsters truly do wish for, especially those already living in the human world." the headmaster said reassuringly.

"I hope so, all it will take is one outburst…and then it's game over." Akua said looking out the window with concern.

* * *

"This…isn't…happening!" Arial yelled out at the top her lungs.

Frost and ice started to cover the ground and ceiling near the furious snow angel, the girl's hair freezing over as she was growling loudly. Sun backed up a bit as she watched the girl with worry while the bed and table next to her started to turn to ice.

"I can't believe this…no…no!" Arial screamed as she shook her head.

Ice spires jettisoned up around her and cracked the ground and ceiling as the temperature in the room dropped. Sun started shivering and watching the snow angel with a bit of fear as Arial stomped her foot with anger. The window frosted over and sunlight diminished in the room.

"I finally return…I finally return for Dark…and then…I find out…" Arial growled as she trembled with fury. Sun glanced to the door and wondered if she should make a mad dash for the front door before Arial broke down crying and dropped to the ground, the ice and snow around her shattering and melting away.

"My mp3 player doesn't work anymore! This is so unfair!" she cried out as she held the device in her hands. It was no longer turning on, the heavenly device having originally been powered by the blissful realm from where it came from. The device used what little residual charge it had in her decent and crash-landing on the shore, but now was completely dead. Arial cried loudly on the ground and kicked around as Sun looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"First that nasty monster chases me down here then my music stops working altogether, this is one disaster after another!" Arial whined loudly. Sun sighed and walked over to the girl throwing a fit on the ground. Arial kicked around for a bit then curled into a ball, the girl's wings lying on the ground behind her as she cried.

"Why must my joyous return for my husband be plagued with such misfortune?" she cried out. Sun just looked at her puzzled at that remark.

_Just how old are these snow girls marrying at nowadays anyway?_

Sun shook her head then gently tapped the crying girl with her foot. Arial looked up as she wiped her eyes, the snow angel seeing Sun writing something on her pad then showing it to her with a dull expression.

Do you need a timeout?

Arial looked at it with confusion then to Sun. The silent girl shook her head a bit and stepped back as Arial slowly got back up.

"Oh…sorry." she said softly as she looked down at the player in her hands. Sun flipped the page on her pad and wrote down something else for Arial, the girl showing it to her with a raised eyebrow.

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please not do that again here?

Arial looked at it then to Sun, the angel nodding slowly as she sniffled a bit.

"I'm sorry, I can get a little emotional when it comes to my husband." she said softly. Again Sun just looked at her with a blank expression. She wrote something else down and showed it to Arial with a curious expression.

Before I inquire about that, if I may ask, what were you doing out there with that other monster?

Arial looked at it then to Sun with a puzzled expression.

"Um, if _I_ may ask, why do you keep writing down everything?" she said with a raised eyebrow. Sun smirked and wrote down something else with her black pen.

I can't speak with my normal voice right now of course.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you couldn't talk." Arial said softly. Sun giggled silently and shook her head as she wrote down something more.

I can talk, but for your own safety, I won't.

Arial just looked at it curiously then to the girl with wonder.

"My own safety? What do you mean by that? Just…what are you?" she asked. Sun eyed the angel carefully then wrote down something else with a sly smile.

I could ask you the same thing. I've never seen a snow girl with feathered wings before.

Arial glanced to her wings then nodded with a soft smile.

"Yeah…well, I'm dead." she said simply. Sun just looked at her with a blank expression then wrote down something quickly without looking.

Say what?

Arial giggled and nodded.

"I'm dead. Well, I was. I'm not sure now, although I'm pretty sure I still am." she said looking back to her wings. She felt normal, or at least the same as she did back up in heaven. However her wings remained, and she now had to have something to cool her off rather than be comfortably cool all the time. That, and her player no longer worked, much to her dismay. Sun just looked at her with a puzzled expression then tapped on the page with the same saying again. Arial smirked and shrugged a bit.

"You see, I died a while ago. I came from heaven up above. But, I couldn't stand being away from my beloved like that. Then I found out about this gateway the angels were talking about. It led me into…some strange and horrible place. It was shadowy and creepy…and filled with horrible monsters. I ran from there, and when I went down into the clouds I appeared here in this world. One of those monsters followed me and chased me down to the beach, and that's where you found me." she said simply. Sun blinked then again tapped on the paper next to the same two words she already wrote down. Arial laughed a bit and looked around with a calm expression.

"That's really all there is to it. I died, but now I've come back to find my beloved Dark. Nothing will keep me from him, not even being dead." Arial said walking over to the window. Sun just looked at the girl with disbelief and kept tapping on the paper with her finger franticly.

"I've waited for so long to see him again, and now I can finally marry my soul mate." Arial said with closed eyes and her hands held over her heart. Sun just looked at the girl curiously then out the window at the sky. Arial sighed happily then looked to Sun with a small smile. The silent girl looked at her curiously then walked over to her with wonder. She slowly reached out and gently touched the angel's feathered wings. They were cold to the touch, yet felt like real feathers. Arial watched her with a curious smile as Sun looked at the frosted wings with awe.

_She's…an angel. A real angel from heaven, I don't believe it. And she's a monster too, I wasn't aware we got into heaven at all._

Sun looked at the wings with wonder then wrote down something on the pad with a surprised smile.

Never met an actual angel before, I don't know what to say.

Arial giggled and shrugged while Sun just admired the crystalized feathered wings. Arial looked back to the window then over to Sun with a bright smile.

"I need to find my Dark, do you know where he is?" she asked eagerly. Sun just looked at her perplexed as the snow angel looked at her anxiously.

"Do you? He's one of those monsters that took down Alucard and saved the world! He's the greatest!" Arial said with stars in her eyes. Sun looked at her curiously then up in thought. After a moment she shrugged.

"What? How could you not know about him? He's a hero, the best hero ever!" Arial said shaking her head. Sun just blinked and tilted her head a bit. Arial looked at her with disbelief then to the door.

"Well whatever, I need to find him. Thanks again for helping me." she called out as she raced out the doorway. Sun jumped a bit then ran after her. The snow angel ran out the door, down the hall, raced down the stairs, and dashed towards the front door. As she grabbed the handle she was yanked back by her other hand from Sun.

"What are you doing? Let me go this instant, I need to find my Dark!" Arial yelled out. Sun shook her head and scribbled something down on her pad again.

You can't just go out there like that.

Arial read the paper then looked at Sun with confusion.

"What? Why not?" she asked. Sun pointed to the angel's wings and shook her head. Arial stopped and looked to her wings curiously as Sun wrote more down on her pad.

You can't just run around in the human world with wings, you'll cause a panic.

"But…" Arial begged.

Do you even know where to go to find him? Where will you go?

Arial read the page then slowly shook her head. Sun looked at her with sympathy and gently wrote down something else.

Then you can't just run around aimlessly in the human world.

"But…I need to find him. I'm so close to being with him again, I can't just stay here!" Arial cried out. Sun looked at her worriedly then down in thought. After a pause she smiled and wrote down something else.

How about we calm down and think this through? I'm sure we can figure out where your friend is.

Arial looked at the paper then to Sun with a dull glare.

"Husband." she growled as the temperature dropped a bit around them. Sun blinked then quickly corrected her writing on her pad with a nervous smile.

How about we calm down and think this through? I'm sure we can figure out where your husband is.

Arial nodded slowly then looked down with worry. Sun looked at her with concern then over to the living room. There was a couch by the window, a reclining chair, a flat screen television, the open entrance to the kitchen, and a small table in the center. Sun gently took Arial's hand and led her into the room, then sat the young snow angel on the couch. She looked up at Sun curiously while her frosted wings glittered in the sunlight. Sun sat next to her and wrote more down on a new piece of paper.

You mentioned he helped defeat Alucard. I did hear about that, but I never heard your husband's name. Could you tell me more about him?

15 minutes passed and Sun was looking at Arial with wide eyes. Slowly she wrote down something then showed the snow angel while having a stunned expression on her face.

I meant what does he look like or what kind of monster is he, not what he's going to do to you on your honeymoon.

"Oh, ok." Arial said simply with a shrug.

After Arial described the shadow demon from their last encounter Sun looked up with a thoughtful expression. Arial looked at her curiously as Sun was trying to think of anything to help the angel. After a moment she shrugged and wrote down more on the paper.

That doesn't help unfortunately. I don't recall hearing the term 'shadow demon' in the newspaper after that fight.

Arial nodded then looked down with worry.

"I have to find him, I just have to. There must be some way to find out where he is." she said with frustration. Sun looked at her with a bit of sadness then wrote down more on the paper.

However, I did hear that they were just teenagers, students even. Do you know if he was still in a school somewhere?

Arial looked at the paper then nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, someplace called Yokai Academy." she said eagerly. Sun jumped a bit then smiled as she wrote down more.

Yokai Academy, I graduated from there. I know where that is.

Arial read the paper then jumped with joy.

"You do? Yes! Maybe he's still there, or maybe they know where he is now. This is great, can you take me there?" Arial asked eagerly. Sun nodded with a smile then wrote down more on her paper.

Yes, tomorrow.

"What? Tomorrow? But why can't we go today?" Arial cried out. Sun shook her head with remorse then wrote down some more.

I'm sorry Arial, but I have to work tonight. I have tomorrow off, we can take the train nearby towards the city where the gateway to the monster world is.

"But…but…Dark…" Arial whined with tears forming. Sun smiled gently and wiped her tears away then wrote down more with a calm smile.

Relax, you've waited this long, one more day won't hurt. I'll help you get there tomorrow, I promise. Then we'll find your husband.

Arial slowly nodded then sat down on the couch with a sigh.

"Ok. Thank you Sun." she said softly as she looked down at the floor. Sun looked at her with a gentle smile then wrote down something on a new piece of paper.

You must really love this demon to have come all the way from heaven for him.

Arial looked to the paper then nodded with a soft smile.

"Yeah, he's…my soul mate. I know we're fated to be together forever." she said with a sigh. Sun looked at her with a curious smile and wrote down more.

That's so romantic. Tell me more about him, how did you first meet?

Arial blushed and looked down timidly while Sun looked at her with a curious smile.

"He killed me." Arial said bashfully. Sun just blinked, flipped back to the page that said 'Say what?' and tapped it repeatedly and quickly. Arial glanced to it and giggled.

"It's a long story." she said softly. Sun flipped to a new page and scribbled something.

We have time, explain.

Arial explained how Dark came to her village under the command of his original master. How he was forced to kill her village and her from the wicked man's order. How Dark broke free from his control and slaughtered his master out of rage of what he had done. And how she wished for him to be free after seeing him defy his master because of her. After the tale was told Sun looked at the girl with wonder.

"You should have seen it. The fire in his eyes, the energy in his roar, the powerful demonic aura he exuded. It was all so incredible, and all for me." Arial said with a blush. Sun looked at her with a curious expression and a raised eyebrow then glanced away. She knew snow women were always seeking husbands from those they could find, and were known to become very attached to ones that caught their eye. However, for a young snow girl to fall for a shadow demon that _killed_ her, that was certainly different.

"I'll find him again, and we'll finally be together as we're meant to be." Arial said with a flutter of her wings. Sun looked at her with a gentle smile then wrote down something else.

Tomorrow Arial, we'll search for your demon tomorrow.

"Thank you Sun, for everything you've done for me. Say, how exactly did you take care of that evil monster that chased me down here? And…what exactly are you anyway?" Arial asked curiously as she turned to face the girl. Sun smiled calmly and wrote something else down on her paper then showed the young angel.

You don't need to worry about that. You're safe now, that's all that matters.

Arial nodded slowly and looked at the girl curiously. Sun smiled a bit then looked out the window with a calm expression. She seemed so peaceful and relaxed, as to how she defeated that strange monster was a mystery to Arial. This girl knew about snow women and their need for staying cool, and even went to Yokai Academy before as well. She was certainly friendly as she was helping the snow angel stay in one piece and even offering to assist her in the search for Dark. Still, Arial was very curious just what kind of monster this girl was, and how strong she could really be.

Sun looked back to the angel with a curious smile then wrote down something on her pad.

Now then, since this is my first time meeting an actual angel, mind if I ask you a few questions about heaven?

Arial read the paper and giggled a bit, the girl nodding and smiling at her friend.

"I suppose that's fair, sure." she said softly.

* * *

Deep in the forests of Paradise a boy was training to control his vampire bloodlust. He had been brought to this strange part of the monster world so that he would be far away from everybody should his condition run out of control again. Vampires had learned to stave off the insatiable thirst for blood long ago through generations of practice and hardships, however Tsukune needed to find a way to keep his body and mind in control much more quickly. In order to gain control a simple process was devised; let the condition begin to return then try to use sheer willpower to overcome it. He had managed to repress a ghoul, a supposedly legendary killing machine before, and it was because of his ability to always seem to do the impossible that his friends had confidence that he could do this. However the bloodlust he felt would prove to be insurmountable during the start of his trials, so he would need a way to regain control again once pushed too far. There would be two methods of bringing him down. One would be for either Ruby or Ren to offer a bit of their blood to quell the thirst he would be experiencing, or if it was too late for that Ren would use her song of sleeping to make him stop. Once the thirst would be slated, or he woke up again, they would need to repeat the process quickly in order for Tsukune to continually build up endurance to withstanding the bloodlust. It would naturally come back on its own, however waiting for it to happen would take time, and that was one thing he didn't want to spend here any longer than he needed to. So to speed up the return of the craving, he had to use his vampire power more frequently.

And build up an appetite.

**"Would you knock it off?"** Tsukune yelled out, the crimson and black eyed boy sending a large scaly ogre down into the ground with a powerful kick. He landed down just as the giant beast scrambled back up and charged him. Although the 'local wildlife' in Paradise was proving to be stronger than average monsters, Tsukune was able to fend them off with his full vampire power. The monsters in the forest were increasing in frequency the further the trio ventured into it. This was due to two reasons; for one the further you went the stranger the sights became around you. Trees seemed to shift into larger versions of themselves and were seen to be far healthier, the sky would shift from blue with green streaks flying through it to purple with pinkish streaks soaring by. It was as if the land changed from forest, to rocky hillsides, to jungles, and back again. As they walked through the strange land they encountered more and more strange and powerful demons and monsters that inhabited this world.

Of course the second reason they were encountering more was because Ruby and Ren were calling out to everything they saw.

"Hey, ugly! Come and get us!" Ruby called out playfully to a large three headed serpentine beast, the monster snapping and hissing as it slithered towards them through the trees.

"I'm right here boys, what are you waiting for?" Ren called out while sticking out her tongue with a giggle, the girl waving to a few lumbering brutes that had rippling muscle all over their yellowish bodies along with drooling mouths that showed their rotting tusks.

**"Why do you keep doing that? I've already got my hands full here!"** Tsukune yelled out to them as he jumped into a kick against the ogre, the monster being blasted back while the boy landed down and darted away before a rather large mantis demon tried to swipe at him with its claws. Tsukune rolled to the side to avoid a strike, then caught the mantis's claw with both arms gripping around it. The boy looked over to see Ren watching him with an adorable smile while three large brutes were charging towards her.

**"Ren! Run!"** he yelled out as he struggled to push back the mantis monster while the ogre stumbled back to his feet and charged him.

"Nope, you need to do this Tsukune. Those are Ruby's orders after all." Ren said with a shrug.

"She's right Tsukune. Please, do save us." Ruby said looking down bashfully while the three headed monster raced toward her from behind. Tsukune looked around at all the approaching danger and growled with frustration. He knew the girls were pushing him, forcing him to use all the vampire power he could to fend off the never ending hordes of monsters that were lying in wait in the forest. He could feel his throat dry up while he started to feel the desire for blood rising. The boy growled then looked to the mantis monster, the large demon hissing at him while it geared back with his other claw.

**"Dammit…enough!"** he roared as he ripped the claw right off the arm of the mantis, the boy then lunging forward and striking the limb through the ogre's eye. He yelled out then looked to Ren, the boy focusing his power as his aura skyrocketed. Ren looked at him with wonder as the forest around him turned a crimson hue. In a flash the ground from where he was standing tore apart towards the girl, the siren looking behind her to seeing Tsukune sending a powerful punch to one of the brutes and blasting the top half off of the monster's body. The ground being torn up was from him moving at high speed, the siren only seeing the boy in one spot then in the next in a mere moment.

_Wow…he is strong…_

Tsukune jumped into a kick and blasted apart another large brute, then spun around and sent a powerful downward punch to the third one, the monster being crushed into the ground with a powerful explosion. The boy looked towards Ruby as the witch was standing still with a calm smile on her face while watching the large three headed serpentine monster snap at her and lunge down for the kill. Ren watched as one moment the boy was there, then the next the ground ripped apart towards the witch while a gust of wind raced out from the jump point. The siren felt her heart skip a beat as the vampiric aura flashed by her for a brief moment, then looked over to see Tsukune appearing before the three headed monster…wait, never mind, _two_ headed monster as he landed down from a powerful kick. The monster howled in pain before Tsukune leapt up, struck another head with a powerful uppercut that split open and blasted the skull to pieces, then look down with a glare at the third head. The boy then landed down and jumped towards the monster, the vampire sending a strong kick to it and launching it off to the side and smashing into the mantis demon. The serpentine monster steamrolled the giant insect demon and crashed through a tree. Ruby watched as the tree cracked apart slowly then fell down onto the beast with a large crashing sound.

"Not bad Tsukune, it's always a pleasure to watch you at work." Ruby said with a nod.

Ren just stared at the boy with awe.

_He moves so fast…and his aura…I never knew vampires could be that strong._

She smiled then walked over to them as Tsukune was busy yelling at the witch, who was only smiling at him amusingly.

**"What the hell is wrong with you? I get that you're trying to have me use my power, but standing still all the time? Are you crazy? What if I didn't get to you in time?"** he cried out.

"Then I guess you would have some explaining to do to Razico." Ruby said with a smirk. The boy just looked at her with disbelief then shook his head tiredly.

**"Do you ****_have_**** to attract the attention of everything that's nearby? We haven't even found a place to rest yet for the night."** he groaned. Ren walked towards the boy then glanced to the side to see a demon crawling through the woods nearby. It had several green slimy tentacles that it used to crawl and pull it's body that was a larger clump of slime with a single large purplish eye. The monster paused then the eye slowly glanced over to the group. Ren looked at it curiously then giggled.

"Yoo hoo! Mr. Monster! Over here!" she called out playfully. Tsukune and Ruby looked over to see the monster whipping it's limbs around the trees and quickly pulling itself towards the siren.

**"Ren! C'mon!"** Tsukune cried out with frustration.

"Get to it Tsukune, that thing looks like it's going to be rather unpleasant with her." Ruby said with a smirk. Ren giggled and looked back to the boy while turning her back to the monster. Tsukune looked at the siren then to the green monster that was slithering towards her. The boy shook his head tiredly and walked towards the monster. He took two steps before he heard Ruby scream, the boy looking back to seeing the witch being yanked into the air by another of the green slime monsters, this one being up in the tree attached to the trunk while it's purplish eye watched the witch thrash about. The slimy limb held her tightly around the waist with her hands at her sides as she thrashed about.

"Um…a little help?" she called out.

**"I told you to stop attracting them!"** Tsukune called up to her.

"I didn't even see this one, it's not my fault." Ruby said looking up at the monster, the main body splitting across the middle and opening to show razor sharp teeth and an open mouth. Ruby blinked then looked back to Tsukune.

"So…if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" she said worriedly. Tsukune growled and got ready to jump up there when he heard Ren scream, the boy looking back to see the siren being dragged towards the open mouth of the other monster. She clawed at the dirt while her feathered wings fluttered behind her, the girl being pulled towards the monster with a slimy tentacle wrapped around her feet.

"Tsukune!" she cried out as she was sliding towards the monster's mouth. Tsukune looked back and forth between them, the boy not sure which one to race to first. They were on opposite sides of him, and both ready to be devoured by the strange beasts at the same time.

**_Dammit…_**

Ruby screamed as she kicked around while another slimy limb wrapped around her feet, the witch looking with wide eyes at the monster attached to the tree.

**_Now what do I do?_**

Ren cried out as she looked back at the open mouth of the beast, the monster wrapping another slimy appendage around her arm and pulling her back towards it.

**_Ruby…Ren…_**

"Do something!" Ruby cried out as she was pulled towards the mouth.

"Help!" Ren cried out as she lost her grip on the ground and tumbled back towards the slimy monster.

Suddenly the tree and the monster attached to it blasted back into pieces, the witch looking with wide eyes to see a flash of crimson shoot past her. Tsukune was vaguely seen in the reddish glow before he seemed to bolt towards Ren, at the same time Ruby started to fall to the ground. The siren screamed as she neared the teeth of the monster, just before a crimson flash shot down in front of her. The monster was blasted into the ground, the slimy body seeming to splatter across the ground in a wide arc as Ren stared with wide eyes. As Ruby touched down on the ground the glow subsided to show Tsukune standing there, the boy growling as he had his hands formed into fists and his aura was flaring around him. The ground below cracked a bit as a crimson glow seemed to wisp around him.

"Tsukune…" Ren breathed out.

"How…did…" Ruby said looking back to the destroyed tree.

_He got to both of us…at nearly the same time._

Ren slowly got to her feet as Ruby walked over, the two girls looking at Tsukune with awe. The boy was growling softly as he kept glaring ahead at where the monster that attacked Ren was now splattered all over the forest floor.

"That…that was incredible Tsukune." Ren said with a bright smile.

"Yes…how did…you moved so fast." Ruby said with amazement. The two girls then looked at him worriedly as he slowly glanced back to them with a narrowed eye.

"Tsukune?" Ren asked softly.

"Are you…ok?" Ruby asked cautiously.

The boy's black and crimson eyes fixated on the girls, or rather the bright glow of their blood as the world around him turned to darkness. He slowly turned to face them as they watched him carefully. His eye was twitching a bit as he growled with each breath.

"Um…" Ren said worriedly.

"I think that pushed him too far." Ruby said cautiously.

"What do we do now?" Ren asked as the boy took a shaky step towards them. His aura flared around him like a torrent as the girls looked at him with a bit of fear.

"Tsukune, are you still…in there?" Ruby asked. The boy merely growled and narrowed his eyes at them, the vampire only seeing the bright blood that was illuminated before him.

"Tsukune? Did you…want some of my blood now?" Ren asked worriedly as she slowly reached up to flick back her hair away from her neck. The boy snarled a bit and took another step towards them.

"I wouldn't recommend that right now Ren. I think he's…lost it." Ruby said worriedly. Tsukune shook a bit then raced towards them, the boy tackling Ruby to the ground. She screamed as she tried to push back on the boy with all her strength, his mouth snapping at her. He growled loudly then bit down into her neck, the witch screaming as he started sucking her blood.

"Ren! Sing! Hurry!" Ruby cried out. Ren watched with horror then started to shakily sing a soft and gentle song. Her voice seemed to carry out far and wide as Ruby thrashed a bit in Tsukune's grip, the witch feeling her strength leaving her quickly as he drained her blood rapidly. After a moment the witch and vampire started to move less and seemed to lose consciousness, the boy laying down on her body out cold. Ren breathed out then quickly rolled him off of her. Ruby was still breathing as she slept from the siren's song, just as Tsukune lay there out cold. Ren looked around then took the rosary out from his pocket and put it back on his wrist. His hair returned to normal as his vampire power receded once again. She looked at him with worry as he slept, the siren gently brushing a hand through his hair.

"Tsukune…" she said quietly.

* * *

Tsukune's eyes slowly started to open, the boy seeing a bit of sunlight above through the branches and leaves. He groaned a bit and held a hand to his head.

"What…what happened…" he said quietly as he started to regain his senses.

"Tsukune? Are you ok now?" Ren asked. The boy looked to see her kneeling down beside him still watching him with concern. He blinked then slowly sat up.

"Ren? What…what happened to me?" he asked weakly. Ren looked at him worriedly then glanced to his side. Tsukune looked to see Ruby kneeling down on his other side, the witch looking at him with a weak smile while holding her neck, her neck that had some blood still dripping from it. Tsukune jumped and looked at the witch with a pained expression.

"No…I didn't…oh Ruby, I'm so sorry." he said shaking his head.

"No, it's ok Tsukune. I guess we pushed you a little too far that time. Are you…ok?" Ruby said sitting down next to him on the grass. He nodded and looked at her neck with worry.

"I'm fine, but your neck. Oh god, what have I done?" he said with regret.

"It wasn't you, it was your inner vampire Tsukune. Don't let it get to you, you just used too much vampire power too quickly, that's all." Ruby said gently.

"Yes, but you saved us, you were so fast we couldn't even see you." Ren said with a soft smile. Tsukune looked at her then to the witch.

"I was?" he asked.

"Don't you remember? You saved both myself and Ren at nearly the same time from those slimy things." Ruby said curiously. Tsukune looked down in thought. He remembered wanting to save them both from those carnivorous monsters, how they were both about to be eaten at the same time.

"I remember you both being attacked…and then I wanted to help you both…then…" he said scratching his head.

"You don't remember?" Ren asked curiously.

"You took them both down with a great deal of your power, but I'm afraid you pushed your bloodlust too far when you did so." Ruby said regrettably.

"I had to put you to sleep to keep you from taking all of Ruby's blood." Ren said softly. Tsukune nodded and looked down at the ground with worry. He didn't recall the moment he lost control, he only remembered getting ready to attack the monsters that were about to kill his friends.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was that close to my limit so soon." he said with remorse.

"I don't think it was just that. You moved so quickly, and with such energy, you must have summoned far too much power in one go. You need to learn to control yourself here Tsukune." Ruby said with a raised finger. Tsukune blinked then glanced to her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but whose fault was it that all those things attacked us at once?" he asked dryly. Ruby jumped a bit then looked away nervously.

"Well…we didn't…try to attract those last two." she said with a nervous smile. She sighed then looked back to Tsukune with a soft smile.

"But you're right, I suppose we did push you a lot out there today. Ok, let's take a small break and find someplace to rest for the night. You've done enough for now." she said gently. Tsukune nodded then looked at her worriedly. He shook his head then looked down with a strained expression, the boy closing his eyes tightly.

"Tsukune? What's wrong?" Ren asked.

"Are you ok? What is it?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Just…hungry again." he said rubbing his eyes. He glanced to the siren and saw her blood light up again, the world around him shifting to darkness then back again. Her scent filled his nose again, the boy seeming to be drawn to her blood.

"It's happening again. I can…see your blood." he said as he started to sweat a bit. He looked down and closed his eyes, the boy trying to repress the bloodlust with all his might. He could feel his throat drying up and the thirst building, even with trying to hold it back he couldn't stop the hunger within from growing.

"You can see it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can see…your blood light up in my eyes. I can smell it…it's so potent to me. It's making me thirstier just thinking about it." Tsukune said holding a hand over his eyes.

"I guess you didn't take much from me after all. Well, since you're still you this time, how about you finish what you started?" Ruby asked with a small smile. Tsukune looked to her as she tilted her head and flicked her hair over her shoulder. The boy could see the bite mark were he viciously dug into her neck earlier, the wound having not completely healed up yet.

"But Ruby…" Tsukune said worriedly.

"No buts. You need blood to keep in control, and Ren offered last time. Besides, I've already got the wound for you to drink from, might as well." Ruby said with smile and a shrug. Tsukune looked at her neck, the boy seeing the veins of the witch lighting up to him. The smell of blood was pushing him further and he could feel his mind starting to slip.

"Well…" he said reluctantly as his hand twitched a bit.

"We're already prepared to do this for you Tsukune, we told you before." Ren said with a smile. Ruby nodded as she kept her head tilted a bit for him. Tsukune slowly moved over to her and got close to her neck.

"It's ok, dig in." she said with a small giggle. Tsukune smiled a bit then gently bit down into her neck. She jumped a bit then held his head gently with one hand as he started to drink. Ren watched them curiously as Ruby had her eyes closed with a gentle smile on her face while Tsukune was slowly taking in her blood. As the blood flowed across his tongue and down his throat something crossed Tsukune's mind, the boy noticing something different about the witch's blood.

"Be careful not to take too much." Ren said worriedly. Ruby nodded and murmured something.

"Ruby?" Ren asked softly. The witch mumbled something else as she started to grip Tsukune's hair.

"Tsukune? I think you're taking too much." Ren said with worry.

"Tsukune…" Ruby breathed out as she leaned her head back a bit. The boy glanced to her with worry.

"Bite me harder." she said with a purr.

Ren just blinked and looked at the witch with a dull expression as Tsukune stopped feeding and slowly backed up.

"Um…Ruby?" he asked. The witch jumped a bit then smiled nervously at him.

"I mean…how was that? Are you all better now?" she asked quickly.

"Yeah…I'm fine Ruby. Thank you for allowing me to do that." Tsukune said rubbing the back of his head with a weak smile. Ren just raised an eyebrow at the witch then looked to Tsukune with worry.

"Are you sure? How do you feel?" she asked softly. Tsukune looked between the two girls, both of them seeming normal in his eyes. His thirst was gone, and his vision had returned to him. He also felt a bit of a strength boost as his energy was restored a little bit.

"I feel much better, really. No more hunger, and no more strange visions. Thank you, both of you for helping me with this." he said gratefully.

"Of course Tsukune, I have complete faith in you that you can beat this." Ruby said with a nod.

"Me too Tsukune." Ren said softly with a smile. Tsukune looked at his friends and smiled a bit. He had lost control with his training but was managed to be brought back by his friends once more. The boy knew he needed to get a hold of this condition and fast, otherwise he would be isolated from his girlfriend back in the monster world. Even though he attacked Ruby in his crazed state the two girls were still ready to stay by his side and help him with his ordeal, the boy valuing their friendship more than ever right now.

"Alright, let's get going and find someplace to rest for the night. And don't worry Tsukune, we'll give you a small break for now." Ruby said standing back up. She wavered then fell forward, the witch being caught by Tsukune who was standing up next to her. She smiled weakly at him and tilted her head a bit.

"Took a bit much there didn't you?" she asked with a laugh. Tsukune chuckled and looked down embarrassed. Now he knew how Moka felt each time she overdid it a bit when she took his blood.

"Sorry Ruby, can you stand ok?" he asked. She nodded and slowly regained her balance.

"Yes, I'm fine Tsukune. Was my blood really that good?" she asked with a wink. The boy laughed a bit while rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, I was just a bit thirsty, that's all." he said looking up. Ren looked at him curiously then to Ruby's neck.

"Well, let me know if you need any more. Um…actually let me rest a bit when we find shelter, then I'll let you have some more." Ruby said with a giggle. Tsukune nodded and the two started to walk into the forest again. Ren looked at Tsukune with a raised eyebrow then followed after them.

As they travelled through the forest of Paradise they noticed the strange shift in the land, the ground turning to dry cracked earth while the trees were replaced with boulders and rocky surroundings. They also noticed the sky shift to a black night sky while greenish streaks flew by near the stars.

That and how the nice weather turned into a rainstorm out of nowhere.

"This is crazy, it was literally sunny a few minutes ago, now it's night and raining!" Tsukune cried out.

"I don't see any clouds up there, where's the rain coming from?" Ren asked holding onto her wet hat, the girl seeing stars and streaks flying above while rain seemed to fall from above somehow.

"C'mon, we need to find some place to rest, who knows what else is going to appear out of nowhere out here." Ruby said as they ran through the strange land, their feet splashing in puddles of water as they headed down between two larger rocky hillsides. As they ran through the rain they spotted a cave opening in one of the rocky cliff walls to their side, the three then racing in quickly. Ruby held out her wand and lit up the area, the small den being the size of a small room inside the cliff wall.

"At least here we can dry off and rest." Ruby said wiping the water off her face.

"Oh man, my clothes are soaked." Ren said taking off her green dress jacket and shaking it. Her unique hat was also soaked, but the siren still refused to take it off. Ruby nodded, then looked down and jumped with a gasp and a blush.

"Ruby? What's wrong?" Ren asked looking over. She blinked then went wide eyed as she saw Ruby's clothing soaked, and her black lingerie being visible. Even with her darker colored and longer skirt her underwear was easily seen with a dark contrast. The witch blushed then looked to Tsukune who was looking up with a nervous expression. He figured the two girls would have soaked clothing from the rain and knew not to look at them the minute he ran into the cave, or else he would likely need his vampire powers again to defend himself.

"I'm not looking, I swear." he said quickly as he closed his eyes. Ruby looked at the boy with a blush then over to Ren, the witch then smiling slyly.

"Wow…Ren." she said eyeing the girl. Ren blinked then looked down, the girl jumping with a blush then looking away.

"It's not…I mean…" she stammered. Ruby giggled and glanced to Tsukune.

"Good thing Tsukune's not looking, I'm sure his vampire blood would really get going from seeing you wearing a black bra under your white shirt." she said playfully. Tsukune jumped a bit and looked down with tightly shut eyes as Ren covered her body up the best she could. Sure, she was still wearing her white t-shirt and academy skirt still, however with her clothing soaked it was pretty obvious she was wearing black underwear much like the elder witch.

"I just…it's not like…" Ren stammered with a bright red face.

"Such a dirty girl Ren, I never suspected." Ruby said putting a finger to her chin with an accusing smile. Ren shook her head wildly and stammered something while the witch smiled amusingly at her. Ruby giggled and looked to Tsukune with a playful smile.

"Look at him, the world's strongest monster, and he's scared to look at us right now." she said with a small laugh. Ren looked over with wonder as Tsukune was looking down with closed eyes, the boy trembling a bit and wondering how seriously Moka would beat him into the ground for seeing the two girls like this.

"Tsukune?" Ren asked softly.

"I'm trying to be the gentleman here, would you stop it already?" he cried out. Ruby giggled then looked to Ren.

"I guess we shouldn't worry about sleeping in the same cave as him, he seems safe to me." she said with a wink. Ren looked at her curiously then smiled a bit.

"Yeah…I guess so." she said looking back to Tsukune. Any normal guy would be having a massive nosebleed being confined to a cave with two girls dressed in wet clothing, but Tsukune's fortitude was indeed commendable. Ren looked at him with wonder as he turned to face the opening of the cave with a stern expression. She smiled softly and looked down as Ruby looked around the cave. It was all solid rock and the ground was somewhat soft dirt.

"I guess this will do for a shelter. Not like we have a better option anyway." she said with a shrug.

"That's great, fantastic, could you please hurry up and dry off now?" Tsukune said with closed eyes still. Ren and Ruby glanced to each other then to the boy.

"Are we making you uncomfortable Tsukune?" Ruby asked innocently.

"What do you think?" Tsukune said quickly.

"Would it be better if we got out of these wet clothes?" Ruby asked glancing down to her clothing.

"Yes." Tsukune said. He paused then shook his head wildly.

"Wait, no! That's not what I meant!" he cried out. Ruby giggled a bit while Ren looked at the boy with wonder.

"Relax Tsukune, I'm just playing with you. You really are cute when you get so flustered." the witch said looking around at the cave.

"Very funny, just…hurry up and dry off." Tsukune said dryly. Ren looked at him with wonder then smiled softly.

The two girls dried off their clothing a bit as the rain continued to pour outside. Luckily the water outside was flowing down away from the cave so it didn't seem like they were in any danger of being flooded while they rested. After a while Ruby was asleep against the wall, the witch having needed a nap after so much blood was taken from her. Ren was sitting against the wall looking at Tsukune curiously, the boy just standing near the entrance of the cave with a calm expression. The siren got up and slowly walked over to him as the rain continued to pour outside. She looked at him curiously as a lightning bolt struck through the sky, the light showing his calm expression.

"Aren't you going to rest? You've had a long day so far." she asked as she stood next to him. The boy glanced to her worriedly as she looked around at the rain falling down. She was still only wearing her white t-shirt, but at least it was dried to the point where her black bra couldn't be seen so easily, although even in the darkness with the only light coming from the night sky filled with stars and green streaks flowing by he could still tell what she had on underneath. He quickly looked back outside and up at the sky.

"I'm not tired right now, besides I thought it would be best for me to keep watch while you two rested up. We know we're not alone here after all." he said with a slight smile. Ren nodded and looked around at the sky.

"It's so weird, I've never seen such a place like this." she said softly.

"Me neither, and I've certainly seen a lot of strange things recently." Tsukune said with a weak laugh. Ren smiled a bit and looked at him.

"I've seen a lot of unique things as well, but nothing quite like you Tsukune." she said softly. The boy smiled at her then looked back out at the sky.

"Well I'm always being told I'm a different one, that's for sure." he said with a smirk.

"I always heard vampires were strong, the elite of the elite of S-Class. But you, you're in a class all your own." she said looking down at the ground.

"Thank you Ren, I always wanted to become stronger to protect my friends. They always used to protect me from everything, I wanted to do the saving for a change. I just hope I can get this bloodlust under control. I'd hate to have to spend the rest of my life here now that I have the power to help them." Tsukune said looking down as well.

"I'm sure you can Tsukune, I've seen you do great things before. I watched you fight Alucard from my old master's world, you were spectacular." Ren said with a smile.

"You saw that?" Tsukune asked with a curious smile.

"Well…I didn't see you land the finishing blow on the destroyer, I'm still not sure how you did that even. But I did see you and all your friends fighting bravely. It was quite a show." she said with a smile.

"Haha, well, it certainly wasn't as easy as you might think, but we did try with our all to save everybody." Tsukune said with a gentle smile. He blinked then looked at the girl with a bit of sympathy.

"I'm sorry…about your old master having used you like that." he said gently. The girl nodded and looked down with closed eyes.

"It's ok. You freed me Tsukune, you freed me and my sisters after we were in the darkness for so long. I can never say thank you enough for that." she said softly.

"You don't need to thank me Ren, I only-" Tsukune started before Ren looked to him with pleading eyes.

"Yes I do. I prayed for so long for my sisters' salvation. I wanted them to be free from that nightmare for so long. And then you did it, even after we used our charm on you, you saved us. I always used to think the world was nothing but disappointment after disappointment, but you and your friends showed me differently. I do need to thank you for that Tsukune." she said urgently. The boy looked at her with wonder as she nodded with a worried expression.

"That's why I'm here, that's why I volunteered to be here. I want to thank you, and I'll do so by helping you through this." she said confidently. He looked at her with wonder as her scent filled his nose, his eyes showing her blood illuminating in a brief flicker.

"I won't give up on this, I'll help you beat this bloodlust thing, I promise. After all you've done for me, this is the least I can do." Ren said gently.

"Ren…" Tsukune said softly as his hand twitched a bit.

"Tsukune?" she asked softly.

"Ren…" the boy said as her blood lit up again in front of him.

"Tsukune?" she asked again.

"Ren…I can see your blood…" he said quietly. She blinked then held her arm across her chest with a blush.

"What? You can? Still?" she said looking down to it worriedly. The boy shook his head as he started to sweat a bit.

"No, not your bra. Your blood." he said shakily. The girl paused then looked to him with gentle eyes.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" she asked softy. He nodded as he gulped, the boy feeling his thirst returning as the siren's blood lit up for him again briefly. She looked at him with worried eyes then smiled a bit.

"You can have some of my blood then." she said as she walked up to him and tilted her head. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and smiled gently at the boy. He looked at her neck with hungry eyes as her veins illuminated again for him. Her scent seemed to overwhelm his mind for a moment as his hand twitched again.

"Ren…" he said softly.

"It's ok, take what you need. I hope it's…as good as Ruby's." Ren said softly. Tsukune smiled a bit then leaned closer to the girl's neck.

"Actually, your blood tastes much better Ren." he said before he bit down into her neck. It was true, he noticed it before when he tasted Ruby's blood. The witch's offering slated his thirst, but didn't taste the same as the siren's. He assumed Moka would agree that some blood tasted better than others.

As he gently held the girl and drank her blood she was looking ahead with an expression of wonder. She felt the boy holding her up as her legs felt a bit weaker, the girl's mouth being open a bit before slowly forming a soft smile.

_He likes…my blood…_

She smiled softly then closed her eyes, the siren letting the vampire quench his thirst with her blood. The girl wanted to help Tsukune get through this ordeal for all that he had done for her and her sisters, the siren ready to stand by his side as he faced the trials of Paradise while fighting his inner vampire. She knew this wouldn't be the last time he would need her blood, but she didn't mind that at all.

If anything, she was looking forward to giving him more of the blood that he liked.


	23. The Approaching Night

The festival held at Yokai Academy is normally a lively event. With the student body pitching in various booths, entertainment displays, and food stands were set up out in the large courtyard of the academy for the students and previous graduates of the school to attend and have a good time. It was a time to learn about how humans lived and what they found interest in. A time to put off studying and education and just have fun with your friends.

A time that was now canceled after a 'rogue vampire' attack occurred.

The festival grounds were quiet and empty as a group of monsters were walking through, everybody glancing around to the destroyed booths, the grounds that were torn apart during the chaos, and the bodies of several students that were drained of their blood. As the group of friends walked through the area they all saw just how destructive and dangerous a vampire suffering from bloodlust could be.

"This is horrible." Rin said looking down with remorse.

"I know, the place is deserted. Everybody ran off back to the dorms." Kurumu said looking around.

"This can't be happening." Rin said as her eyes started to water.

"Oh man, Tsukune hit this place like a tornado." Rason said shaking his head.

"It wasn't _all_ his fault. Half of the damage was probably from the crowd stampeding out of this place." Ahakon said looking around.

"This sucks." Rin said as she started to cry. The group looked to her as she wept silently while walking with her sister.

"Rin? It'll be ok. The headmaster of this school is taking care of it, remember?" Ran said softly.

"She's right, nobody here knows it was Tsukune that did this. They all think some rogue vampire came through, and that we took care of it." Gin said with a nod.

"I know, it's not that I'm sad about." Rin said as she wiped her eyes.

"Then what are you crying for?" Kokoa asked glancing to her. The blonde haired siren stopped and looked around at everybody.

"The fireworks show is canceled now!" she whined out before crying. Everybody just looked at her as she had her hands to her face and was sobbing.

"That's what you're crying about? Not about other students being killed and the festival being ruined, but only because you won't see the fireworks?" Yukari said with disbelief. Rin nodded and looked to her with watery eyes.

"I wanted to see them so badly, I was really looking forward to it. But now…I can't!" she cried out before burying her face into her hands again.

"It'll be ok Rin. It'll be ok." Ran said softly.

"How can that be the only thing she's upset about? Tsukune's isolated in Paradise, Ruby and Ren are staying with him there until his bloodlust is taken care of, the festival is ruined, and there are dead bodies everywhere." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"We've…seen a lot worse working for our old master." Ran said looking down. The group looked at her with concern then to her sister.

"Oh…I see." Yukari said softly. Rin sobbed a bit then looked up at the sky.

"I wish Ren was here." she said softly.

"I wish Tsukune was here too." Moka said looking down with sadness. She sighed and glanced away.

"I know we would have missed the fireworks too, but I hate being separated from him like this." she said softly.

"I'm sorry Moka. But at least he's alive, and if anybody can tame that bloodlust it would be him." Akua said gently.

"She's right, that guy's done the impossible over and over again. If anybody's going to beat that condition it would be him Moka." Rason said assuredly. Moka nodded slowly and looked down at the ground. She had faith in her boyfriend to overcome the vampire's condition, she knew her mate was strong willed like no other. It didn't change the fact that she missed him like crazy and hated the idea of him being kept away until he got his bloodlust under control.

"It's ok sister, Ren's helping Tsukune with his illness. You saw for yourself, she'll be ok with him. He's quite a fighter with his vampire strength." Ran said comfortingly.

"I know, but I still wish she was here." Rin said softly.

"We owe her for helping him like this, it turns out having a siren to help him keep in control was just what he needed." Rason said with a smile.

"Yes, I am thankful your sister is able to help him. I really am." Moka said graciously. Ran and Rin nodded with soft smiles while looking down.

"Here's hoping he can tame that bloodlust quickly, sounds like we're going to need his help soon." Gin said looking towards the forest. The group nodded slowly in agreement, everybody knowing that once again trouble was creeping closer.

"I hope this guy doesn't show up in the human world, we're not ready yet and if he attacks anyone there then peace will be the last thing humans would want with us." Ahakon said worriedly.

"I'll let father know upon my return that we should expect trouble. We'll keep a look out for this strange monster and try to keep things quiet in the human world." Akua said softly.

"So what do we do in the meantime? We can't just wait for Tsukune to get better can we?" Kokoa asked. Everybody then looked to the couple that had so far remained silent. Mizore was holding onto Dark's arm and looked up to him as the boy was glancing behind him.

"Any thoughts buddy?" Rason asked. Dark looked down for a moment then to Akua.

"Head to the human world, make sure your father knows what's coming. It's all we can do for that world right now." He said simply. The vampire nodded as he looked to Rason.

"You take the others towards our usual field, it's time we resumed our practices. Tsukune will be needed I'm sure, but we might as well improve what we can." He said simply. The angel nodded with a puzzled expression.

"Um, ok. But what are you going to do?" he asked.

"I'm going back to my room for another player, I'll catch up soon." Dark said casually. Mizore smiled softly and giggled.

"I was wondering when you would be heading there again. Mind if I tag along?" she asked. The boy glanced to her then shook his head. She looked at him with concern as he glanced to Kokoa.

"Kokoa, you're coming with me." He said simply. The group looked at him curiously as Kokoa tilted her head a bit.

"What? Me?" she asked.

"Why do you want my girlfriend to come back with you to your room?" Gin asked with a raised eyebrow. Mizore looked at the demon with worry then to the vampire. Kokoa looked at Dark curiously then jumped a bit.

"Oh…right." She said softly. Mizore looked to her curiously then smiled brightly.

"Wait…is this about my surprise?" she asked eagerly. Kokoa giggled then walked over to him.

"That's not for you to know Mizore." She said playfully. Mizore looked at the redhead with a curious smile then to her boyfriend.

"Surprise? What surprise?" Gin asked.

"What is it?" Mizore asked softly. Dark gently took her lollipop out and pulled her closer.

"Head to the field, keep up your training. I'll see you later." He said before he kissed the snow girl. She sighed happily as the boy held her close. When the kiss ended he put her candy back in then glanced to Moka.

"Moka, keep her there, understand?" he said sternly. The vampire jumped a bit and nodded with a nervous smile. Kurumu giggled then ran over and held onto Mizore's arm.

"You're staying with us frosty." She said playfully. Mizore looked to her with excitement then to Dark.

"What is it? Can I get a hint?" she asked eagerly.

"Stay with the others my Mizore, you'll see soon enough." Dark said simply. The demon and Kokoa walked off towards the dorms, with the vampire looking back and waving to the group excitedly.

"What's going on?" Gin asked. Rin and Ran shrugged while Moka and Kurumu took Mizore by the hands.

"C'mon Mizore, you have your orders." Kurumu said playfully as the two started leading her towards the forest.

"But…" Mizore said looking back to her boyfriend as she was being led away. Moka shook her head and looked back to her.

"You're training with me today Mizore, I'm not letting you out of my sight." She said with a smirk.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Gin asked looking around.

"I have no clue." Akua said with a shrug.

"Dark's preparing some sort of surprise for Mizore, and he needs Kokoa's help with it." Yukari said scratching her head.

"Yeah, other than that we have no idea what he's up to." Ahakon said simply. Mizore stopped suddenly then looked to Rason.

"But you know, don't you?" she said with a mischievous smile. The angel blinked then smiled nervously.

"Well, yes…" he said slowly. Mizore broke free from the two girls then ran over to him, the girl having a sly smile as she got near the angel.

"What is it? Tell me. What's he planning?" She said quickly. The boy chuckled and shook his head.

"Sorry, but I'm sure Dark wouldn't like me spoiling the surprise. And for the record, I'm more scared of him than you, so you can forget about trying to threaten me. You're just going to have to wait and see for yourself." He said simply. Mizore frowned and looked down. Odds are she wouldn't be able to get anything out of the angel since her boyfriend would likely be worse to deal with. Kurumu and Moka walked over and led her off once again by the hands.

"Let's go, he's got stuff to do, and so do you." Kurumu said with a giggle. Mizore sighed with a soft smile and glanced back to where Dark and Kokoa walked off to.

_What are you planning Dark?_

"Well I'll be off then, I'll let you know of anything else that happens. And I'll be keeping my hopes up for Tsukune, something tells me we're going to be needing him." Akua said looking down.

"Thank you Akua. We're all praying for him too." Rason said. The raven haired vampire walked off to where her bike was parked near the academy as the siren sisters looked around curiously.

"So…what should we do then?" Ran asked. The group looked to them as the girls had curious expressions.

"Well…I guess you can head back to your rooms. Or walk around at the school. Or whatever you like really." Kurumu said with a shrug.

"But…" Rin said softly while looking down.

"We don't…really have anywhere else to be. Would it be ok if we joined you?" Ran asked looking at Moka.

"You want…to fight with us?" Moka said with surprise. The sirens jumped and shook their heads quickly.

"No no, I don't think that would work well for us. But…would it be alright if we watch?" Ran asked worriedly. The group looked to each other and shrugged.

"Um, sure. If you want." Kurumu said simply.

"Tell you what, you two can come with us if you promise to help keep an eye on this one." Moka said with a smirk at Mizore. The snow girl looked at her curiously then glanced to the sisters.

"Keep an eye on her?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, she's been known to be very sneaky. She's probably thinking about trying to slink away to find Dark and her surprise early." Kurumu said with an accusing smile at the snow girl.

"No I wasn't." Mizore said looking away.

"Right, I'm sure." Yukari said with a laugh. Mizore glanced to her then away again. The sirens giggled and nodded.

"Ok, we'll keep a sharp eye on her." Ran said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Right…um…who are we watching again?" Rin asked looking around. Ran sighed and nodded with a weak smile as Rin tapped on her headphones with a puzzled expression.

"Well…I'll keep a sharp eye on her." She said tiredly. Mizore looked at the sisters carefully then toward the forest.

"Alright then, let's get to it once again." Rason said as they all started to walk towards the woods. The group knew they needed to improve what they could while they could, as trouble was once again looming over the horizon. Whoever this threat may be, they needed to stop him quickly and quietly before the human world got involved in another war. Peace between the monsters and humans would be shattered if a monster brought about more chaos in the human world.

As the group walked towards their usual training spot away from the academy Gin glanced back and scratched his head.

"I don't get it, what does he want Kokoa's help for?"

* * *

The school day was coming to a close in the human world as Kyouko was texting on her phone with concern. She was sitting in her homeroom class along with the witch sisters, the chronofly, and the three treasure hunters the girls wanted to get the keys away from. Kyouko sent text after urgent text after scared-for-her-life text to her cousin, but got no response each time. She shook her head with worry then looked ahead of her. Sitting in front of her the three monster girls were seated while paying a slight amount of attention to the teacher.

Falla was glancing to Ceal with a dreamy eye again and again during class, the girl's mind never letting him go. She was smitten by the fact that Ceal, as cold as he seemed to be, cured her dementia because he felt sympathy for her. The girl refused to believe that the boy could be evil after what he had done, and was ready to help him achieve his wish from Pandora's Box. She was even more excited about the proposed 'date night' the girls would be having in their home that night, and was hoping to actually become his official girlfriend then. She had tried many times during the day to bring up the subject, but whenever she tried the boy either walked away or she got nervous and stopped midsentence.

Next to her Apoch and Astreal were looking down at their homework with slightly cautious expressions. However their minds were far from their assignments and more on what they were planning for tonight. Throughout the second half of the day the sisters had been acting shy and timid around Render and Leon, playing the part of bashful admirers in order to get close to them and earn their trust. They knew they couldn't get the key from Ceal since Falla was sticking to him like glue, so that left trying to get it from one of the two other hunters. Since force didn't work the girls had opted to be sneakier and try to charm the keys out of them. The plan was simple; invite the boys over for a movie night, warm up to them, and try to get one of them to show them a key to Pandora's Box. And when able, to snatch the key away and keep it from the boys at all costs. They had been trying to get on the boys' good side all day, with Apoch staying close to Render and fending off the hordes of girls that kept trying to maul him out of affection, and with Astreal staying close to Leon and being as friendly as she could. However, as they did so they noticed something about the boys.

Whenever Apoch was near Render she got a strange feeling within her. She didn't trust this boy at all, and she was repulsed that she had to be so close and act so timid with him in order to get closer. Yet whenever she was in close proximity to the boy she felt something else. It was as if her worries started to melt away slightly and she actually believed in him for a moment. For Astreal she noticed Leon, although wasn't being mean to her, was always keeping to himself. He merely talked back to her in short sentences before walking away. That and he kept holding that cracked locket around his neck while he seemed to be deep in thought. She didn't know what was going on with him, but was finding it hard to get closer to this boy.

"Alright class, that concludes today's assignment. I expect to see some promising reports from you all tomorrow. And Mr. Erres, please keep your colorful comments about my teachings to yourself." the male teacher said, with an annoyed glance to the blue eyed boy at the end. Falla giggled a bit as she looked to the boy.

"If you're going to judge us, then I'm going to judge you." Ceal said simply while drumming his fingers with his gloved hand on his desk. The teacher shook his head with discontent at the boy then gathered his paperwork. Falla smiled and sighed happily at the boy while Apoch and Astreal glanced to her. They then glanced over to see Render and Leon looking at Ceal with dull glares. Kyouko shook her head with frustration as she put her phone away, the girl still having no luck getting a response from her cousin. After the teacher walked out of the classroom students started to get up and walk down from their rows toward the exit. Falla stood up then quickly walked over to Ceal's desk as the witch sisters watched her worriedly.

"Hey, what exactly did you write to that teacher?" she asked with a giggle. Ceal glanced to her then got up from his seat. He started to walk away before the girl grabbed his gloved hand.

"Wait, I need to show you where our place is. You're…you're still coming tonight, right?" she asked timidly. The boy glanced to her with no expression.

"I already know where you live, I ride on the same bus as you." He said simply. She jumped then looked at him with a loving eye.

"Really? We're going to be riding home together?" she asked softly. He merely nodded as he pulled his hand away from her.

"So…can…we walk together to the bus?" she asked with a soft smile.

"I thought you took Razico's bike." Leon said as he and Render walked down to the ground level next to them.

"Yeah, how come you're riding the bus if you have your own ride?" Render asked scratching his head. Ceal glanced to them then started to walk away.

"So, I'll see you on the bus then." Falla called out. The boy just walked out of the classroom without saying a word. Render and Leon glanced to each other then to the other three girls that walked down to them.

"That was rude of him." Kyouko said looking to the door.

"Yes, he didn't even say goodbye to you." Apoch said softly.

"He didn't have to, we're riding on the bus together." Falla said with a shrug.

"He gave you the cold shoulder, doesn't that irritate you?" Astreal asked. Falla shook her head as she looked at the door with a soft smile.

"I'm sure he has his reasons for putting up a tough front, I don't mind." She said as she walked out of the classroom. Kyouko watched her go then glanced to Apoch and Astreal, the two sisters and hunters just looking at the doorway. Kyouko cleared her throat and the group looked over to her. The sisters jumped a bit then looked to the boys with soft smiles as they remembered they needed to keep acting with them.

"So, you two are still coming over tonight, yes?" Apoch asked timidly.

"Please?" Astreal said softly. The boys glanced to each other then back to the girls.

"Well…" Render said slowly.

"Render." a pair of voices called out playfully. The group looked to see two female students walking into the room, both having short brown hair and brown eyes, and both wearing unique shirts that had a picture of the boy's face on the front. Render looked at them with wide eyes as the girls approached him.

"Hello." they said with a giggle.

"Um…hi?" he said nervously.

"Are you heading home? Can we walk with you?" one of the girls said hopefully.

"Or if you prefer, you can come over to our place." the other said with a coy smile.

"Who are you…and what's with…those shirts?" Render said looking at the personalized shirts they were wearing.

"Do you like them? We had them made just for you." one of the girls said happily.

"It shows we're your most devoted fans." the other said joyously.

"It shows you're something alright." Leon said flatly. He glanced to his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"And just what did you say to these two girls?" he asked as all eyes turned to the boy that was shaking his head nervously.

"Nothing, I've never seen them before!" Render cried out. The two girls giggled then grabbed him by an arm each.

"But we've seen you, c'mon and walk us home." one of the girls said.

"You can help us with our studying, we have to examine the male body for health class." The other said with a purr. Render's eyes bulged a bit and he shook his head while stammering something. Apoch looked at the boy with a dull expression then glanced over to Kyouko, the human girl motioning with her head to do something. The witch rolled her eyes then walked over to the boy, the girl grabbing both of the female students and throwing them back a bit.

"Excuse me, but he's already coming over to my place tonight." She said as she faced the girls with crossed arms. The two students glared at her as Render looked between the two parties worriedly.

"Bullshit, he's coming with us." one of the girls said sternly.

"Just who do you think you are coming between us and our love?" the other said with passion. Apoch walked over to Render and grabbed hold of his arm with a proud smile.

"His…girlfriend." She said reluctantly with a forced smile. The two students jumped a bit and looked at her with disbelief while Render looked around nervously.

"What? You're his girlfriend?" one of them cried out.

"Like hell you are, you can't just take him like that!" the other shouted out.

"Careful, she's one of those monsters attending our school." Kyouko said with a smirk. The two students looked to her with surprise then over to Apoch, the witch holding tightly to Render's arm while glaring at them. Her yellow eyes glowed a bit for a moment as she nodded.

"He's mine." She hissed. As the girl held onto the boy's arm she felt that strange feeling again, like she was being drawn to him powerfully for a moment. After a pause the feeling subsided and she glanced to him.

_What the hell is that?_

The two girls looked at her with caution then to the boy. He glanced around then nodded quickly.

"Yes. She's my girl. So…sorry?" he said shakily. Apoch glanced to him then back to the girls.

"Try to sound more confident here, I don't think they're buying it." She whispered as the two girls looked at her with frustration and glares. Render gulped and nodded, then looked at the girls with a confident smile as he held the girl around the waist close to him. Apoch's eyes widened as she felt a strong pulse ripple out from the boy, the witch shakily looking over to him as her heart seemed to skip a beat. She thought she saw a faint blue glow emanate from the boy for a brief moment.

"She's my girlfriend ladies, sorry but you're going to have to find somebody else now." He said proudly with a bold smile. Apoch felt her heart pound steadily as his words seemed to resonate through her.

_What…is…this…_

"Fine, if she's your girlfriend, prove it. Let's see you kiss her." one of the girls said crossing her arms. The other one nodded as she did the same. Render blinked then slowly glanced to Apoch. The others looked at them worriedly as Apoch just stared at the boy.

"So…you want to see me kiss her do you?" he said slowly with a bit of confidence still.

"Whatever you say Render." Apoch breathed out in wonder. Before anybody could say another word she grabbed his head and pulled him into a fierce kiss, the girl moaning loudly as she forced her tongue into his mouth. As soon as he said kiss she couldn't control her body, the girl being overwhelmed by a sudden burst of emotion. Everybody stared with surprise as the girl furiously kissed the boy. After a moment she pulled back and looked at the boy with wide eyes.

_What…WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING?_

"Wow…" Kyouko said softly.

"Sister…" Astreal said with wide eyes. Leon just stared with surprise as Render was speechless. After a pause he glanced to the two girls and smiled nervously. They looked at Apoch with frustration and sorrow then down. The two girls slowly walked out of the room cursing the girl that kissed Render as all eyes turned to Apoch.

"Well…didn't expect you to…actually do that." Render said in wonder.

"That makes…all of us." Astreal said with a nod.

"Apoch?" Kyouko asked curiously. The black haired witch slowly backed up and looked at the boy with wide eyes.

_What happened? I…I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't resist him…why?_

"What…what did you do to me?" she breathed out.

"What?" Render asked. Apoch shook her head and looked at him with an accusing glare.

"What did you do to me? That…that aura. What was that?" she yelled out.

"Aura?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" Leon asked.

"You gave off some sort of aura…I couldn't control myself. What did you do to me?" Apoch yelled out. Render looked at her puzzled and scratched his head.

"I did?" he asked. Apoch looked at him cautiously. Now he seemed like an ordinary student, the witch feeling no desire for him at all. But earlier, when he held her, his confidence simply overwhelmed her. His words were so bold to her, she couldn't take her eyes off him. The mere mention of him saying kiss caused her to just act without thinking, the girl doing what he said without question.

"But…you…" Apoch said looking down puzzled. Kyouko looked between the two then smiled nervously.

"Apoch, if you wanted a kiss from him that badly, you didn't have to make up such a story. You could have just waited until tonight." She said raising a finger. Apoch looked to her and shook her head.

"But I'm not making this up." She pleaded. Kyouko ran over to her and whispered in her ear.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but don't start a fight with him now. We need him to like you, remember?" Kyouko said quietly. Apoch looked at her then to Render. After a pause she slowly walked up to him.

"I'm…sorry. That was uncalled for, please forgive me. I just…really wanted a kiss from you." She said with a slight bow.

"I noticed." Render said softly while holding a hand to his mouth. He blinked then smiled a bit.

"Well you got rid of those crazy girls, so you definitely helped me out. Thanks for that." He said with a nod. She looked up to him then glanced away timidly.

"Does this mean…you're still coming over tonight?" she asked bashfully. Render rubbed the back of his head and looked to Leon. The brown haired boy glanced to Astreal with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure, we need Falla to be free for a night for the treasure after all. We'll come over for one night in exchange for you covering for her while she's out. Just…keep that kissing stuff to yourself." He said simply. The witch nodded then looked back to her sister curiously. Apoch nodded at Render then handed him a piece of paper.

"Here, this is our address. Feel free to stop by whenever you wish." She said softly. Render took the note and smiled a bit at the girl.

"And, thanks for the kiss. A bit much before we even had an actual date, but definitely a great first kiss nonetheless." He said with a warm smile. Apoch looked at him with wonder. For a brief moment she saw him in a different light again, the boy seeming to be daring and courageous, his mere words resonating with her somehow. She blinked then tilted her head a bit.

"That was…your first kiss?" she asked. He nodded and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Well…I was hoping to save it for that one special girl in my life, but I guess it being used to get me out of being taken away by insane fanatics who worshiped me is acceptable too." He said with a laugh. Apoch looked at him curiously as the boy put the paper in his pocket.

"Oh…well, you're welcome then." She said softly.

"We should get going." Leon said looking to the door. Astreal looked at him curiously as he kept avoiding eye contact with the group.

"Yeah, you're right. We'll see you ladies tonight then?" Render said with a graceful bow. Apoch just looked at the boy curiously and nodded while Astreal smiled at Leon.

"Yes, we can't wait." She said softly. Leon merely nodded before he and Render walked out of the room. After the boys were gone all eyes turned to Apoch who was still staring at the door with wonder.

"Apoch, what was that about?" Kyouko asked shaking her head.

"Yes, I didn't think you would _actually_ kiss him just to get those girls to go away." Astreal said confused. Apoch blinked then slowly looked down.

"I couldn't…stop myself." She said softly.

"You didn't even call him Mr., you just said his name like it was natural." Kyouko said in wonder.

"What was all that about him using an aura?" Astreal asked. Apoch slowly shook her head while looking down still.

"I'm not sure. When he held me…I felt it. He had so much confidence…I…I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was overwhelming. When he said we should kiss, I couldn't stop myself, I just…did as he said." She said with wonder. She blinked then looked to Kyouko worriedly.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this tonight, we don't know what Mr. Render is or what he's capable of." She said shaking her head.

"But you have to, tonight may be your only chance to grab one of the keys." Kyouko said urgently.

"But he could be just as dangerous as Mr. Leon. He made me kiss him just like that, who knows what else he might make me do." Apoch said nervously. She envisioned Render and herself alone in her room, the boy having a daring and bold smile as he had his arms crossed before him. She pictured herself stripping down for him with loving eyes as she swooned at his voice, the boy ordering her to lie on the bed for him as she blissfully obeyed.

_"Whatever you say Render."_

"No!" Apoch screamed as she shook her head.

"No what?" Kyouko asked surprised.

"I don't want to do that with him!" Apoch cried out.

"Sister we have to invite them over tonight, this is the only way we can get those keys from them. We can't let them open that box." Astreal said worriedly. Apoch looked down worriedly then glanced to the door.

"I know…" she said softly.

"Just do like we planned. I know it's tough, but you have to do whatever it takes to get one of those keys." Kyouko said worriedly. Apoch nodded and breathed out.

"Very well, I'll do what must be done." She said softly.

"Good, I'll keep trying to get a hold of Tsukune, he's not answering his phone still." Kyouko said looking down worriedly.

"Very well, in the meantime I suppose we should meet up with Ms. Falla. We have to prepare…for our guests tonight." Astreal said looking to her sister. Apoch nodded then walked towards the door with a cautious expression. She had no idea what Render did to her, or even how, but she was determined to remain in control when the boy came over for the night.

The three girls walked out of the school towards the rows of buses that were waiting near the road. They spotted Falla, the girl waving to them as she was standing next to their bus.

"Ok, good luck you two." Kyouko said to the sisters while she waved to her friend.

"Thank you Ms. Kyouko." Astreal said as the two girls started walking towards the bus.

"We just might need it." Apoch said softly.

The two sisters walked up to Falla then looked around curiously.

"Where is Mr. Ceal? I thought he rides on our bus too." Astreal said looking back to the chronofly. Falla glanced to the side then smiled dreamily.

"He's right there." She said softly as the girls looked back. Ceal was walking towards the bus with his hands in his pockets, the boy having a blank expression as he glanced to the girls.

"Ceal, can we sit together?" Falla asked as she rushed to his side. The two walked onto the bus while the sisters glanced to each other worriedly. After a moment they too boarded the bus. They saw Ceal sitting in the front seat with Falla next to him, the boy looking out the window with a bored expression while Falla was glancing to him timidly. The chronofly looked to the sisters and waved a bit before looking back to Ceal again.

"She really has fallen for him." Apoch commented as the sisters walked past the two. They sat down in the seat behind Ceal and Falla and looked at the boy carefully.

"Yes, keep an eye on him as well. He may have Ms. Falla fooled like this, but we will not be blinded so easily." Astreal said quietly. Apoch nodded then glanced out the window. She nudged Astreal and the two looked to see what Ceal was watching. Render and Leon were walking out into the parking lot towards their car where Razico was standing still. The warlock was in on the sisters' plan and watched as the two boys walked up to him.

"So Razico, glad to see the car's still here. I knew you wouldn't have stolen it." Render said proudly.

"I have the keys, and this thing is a rusty piece of junk. Of course he wouldn't steal it." Leon said dryly as he walked over to the driver side door.

"I guess. So then, you going to be going back home now? I mean there's really no need for you to follow us around still." Render said as he opened the front passenger door.

"I will as soon as I get what I came here for." Razico said as he got in the backseat of the car. The boys just glanced to him as he shut his door.

"Again, that's not happening. We already told you we're opening that box buddy." Render said as he put his arms behind his head and relaxed.

"Then I'm not leaving you two alone. I'm staying with you until you give me those keys." Razico said sternly.

"Would you give it a rest man? Nothing bad is going to happen by opening that thing. Even your friends see that now." Render said shaking his head.

"You may have them fooled but you won't fool me. I know that thing is a curse, anybody that opens it will damn us all." Razico said with narrowed eyes. He glanced to Leon as he leaned back.

"So, you're a mimic mage." He said simply. Leon glanced to him in the rearview mirror then started up the car.

"Have to say I didn't see that coming. What about you Render, what's keeping you confident while you're about to end the world?" Razico said with a grunt.

"That would be telling." Render said simply. The warlock shook his head with discontent.

"Your parents must be so proud, using your magic to unleash hell upon the world. I don't know how you got those keys in the first place, but you're out of your goddamned mind for thinking that Pandora's Box is worth all this." Razico said with discontent. Leon paused then turned to look at the man with narrowed eyes.

"You know nothing Razico, you know nothing of what we've gone through and what we've lost to get this far. I've had enough of you barking at us nonstop since we found the treasure. If you don't want to help us, fine. Nobody's saying you have to now, so you can just get the fuck out of this car right now if you want. I only agreed to give you a ride out here because Ceal took your bike, but if all your going to do is ride our asses about this then get lost!" he yelled out. Razico looked at him with a bit of surprise as Render nodded a bit.

"We've found our fourth member. And yes, we are aware that Ceal will try to kill us to claim the wish for himself. We were expecting his betrayal from the start. Now you have our word we won't hurt your friend if we can avoid it, but let me make something crystal clear to you, we are opening that box and there isn't anything in this world that can stop us!" Leon yelled out again. He turned back around and started up the car as Razico just looked at him with a bit of a stunned expression. Render glanced out the window and tapped his fingers together a bit.

"So…mind if we stop for a caramel frappe on the way back?" he said simply.

"Whatever man." Leon said as he drove the car out into the street. Razico crossed his arms and watched the boy cautiously.

"Just what is it that you've lost that justifies you doing this?" he asked carefully. Leon kept looking ahead with a slightly annoyed expression while Render looked out the window.

"Just drop it." Render said softly. Razico glanced to him then to Leon, the boy remaining quiet as he drove them down the street towards the boys' apartment building.

As the car drove off the witch sisters looked to each other worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Falla asked as she was looking behind at them. The sisters smiled softly and shook their heads.

"Nothing, just…nervous." they said together in unison.

"Well don't be, this is going to be a blast. All of us enjoying a triple date night, you should be excited. Besides, you two and those boys make cute couples." Falla said with a giggle. The sisters smiled weakly at that and looked down.

"And hopefully…we'll all have somebody when the night is over." Falla said softly looking over to Ceal. He was still looking out the window with no expression as the bus started to drive off, the boy showing no reaction to what she just said. Falla looked at him curiously then down with a timid smile. The witch sisters looked at the boy carefully then to their friend with concern as the chronofly glanced up to him with a loving eye.

* * *

_Inside the snow palace two grand doors opened as a gentle melody was played. Inside a large hall where dozens of snow people were seated in rows a young snow girl was walking down the isle, the girl holding a bouquet of snow whites while dressed in a white wedding dress. Arial smiled softly through the veil as she walked down the red carpeted aisle towards him, the boy dressed in a black tuxedo and standing at the front of the assembly hall. She slowly walked towards the boy she loved as her parents watched with teary eyed smiles from the front row. She walked up to him and stood by his side, the girl facing the boy with a timid smile as he looked at her with no expression as usual. A snow man dressed in a white robe stood before the two holding a book in his hands as Arial gazed up at the demon she loved._

_"Dark…" she said softly, the world around her shifting to a glittery white._

_"Arial…" he said softly, the boy's eyes seeming gentle while his expression remained blank._

_"Dark…" she said as she moved closer to him._

_"Arial…" the boy said as he pulled her veil away up and over her head._

_She tossed the bouquet off to the side and leapt up towards him, the girl being caught and held closely by the shadow demon as she had her arms around his neck._

_"I love you." She said as she leaned in to kiss the boy. She closed her eyes and moved closer, the girl ready to marry the demon of her dreams. Her lips moved closer to his as she felt her heart pick up._

Arial jumped up with a yelp and looked around quickly, the girl waking from her dream from somebody shaking her by the shoulder. She blinked a few times then looked over to see Sun looking at her with a raised eyebrow. The snow angel was lying down on the couch in the silent girl's home and had fallen asleep after the two had talked for a while. Sun brought out her sketchpad and wrote something down then looked to Arial with a blank expression as she showed her what she had written.

Please stop making out with my pillows.

Arial blinked then looked to see the pillow she was sleeping on was wet with drool where she was laying on it, the girl having been getting rather intimate with it during her fantasy. The snow girl blushed then smiled nervously at her friend.

"Um…sorry about that. Good thing you woke me up before we got to the honeymoon." she said with a nervous laugh. Sun smirked a bit then wrote down more.

With the way you were calling out Dark's name, I thought you were already there.

Arial blushed and looked down as Sun stood up. The snow angel rubbed her eyes a bit then looked out the window to see daylight starting to diminish. Sun wrote down another message and showed Arial with gentle smile.

I'll be back late tonight, help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen. Just stay here for the night, ok?

"What? Why do I have to stay here? Why can't I see the town?" Arial whined. Sun shook her head as she wrote down more.

I told you before, people will see your wings. You can't just run around in the human world like that, you'll cause a scene.

Arial looked back to her frosted wings worriedly then over to Sun with pleading eyes.

"But…I can't just stay here. I'm finally back in the real world, why can't I go out and see the town? You're already keeping me from seeing my husband for another day, now you're keeping me trapped here too?" she whined. Sun looked at her with a dull expression then wrote down some more.

I'm trying to help you Arial, you can't just go out there like that. If you cause a scene you may never see your friend while you're here.

Arial read the paper then growled a bit.

"Husband." She said through her teeth. Sun blinked then nodded with a weak smile, the girl scribbling something else on the paper.

Right, husband.

Arial looked at her with saddened eyes then out the window.

"I thought humans were starting to like us monsters now after what Dark did. I mean we're being allowed into heaven now because of him." She said softly. Sun looked at her with a bit of wonder then up at the sky out the window. She didn't realize that monsters were given a heaven now because of the group of fighters that took down Alucard. Sun sighed quietly then wrote down some more on her pad.

I'm sorry Arial, but not all humans are accepting of us just yet. There are those that still are afraid of us. True peace hasn't been achieved yet, and until then we still need to be careful.

Arial looked at the paper then down with worry. She trembled then thrashed about while crying loudly.

"First I get chased here then my player dies then I'm denied seeing Dark and now I'm being left all alone in a world that doesn't like me!" she cried out. The couch and window frosted over a bit as the girl cried loudly. Sun looked at her with a bit of surprise and worry as the snow angel yelled and kicked around in a tantrum.

"It's not fair it's not fair it's not fair!" Arial screamed as the temperature dropped considerably around them. Sun started to shiver and weakly held out a hand towards the snow angel. Arial screamed as an ice spire shot up from the ground nearby and just missed the couch, then another shot up next to the surprised silent girl. She trembled a bit with the cold then hastily wrote down something else, the girl then shaking Arial's shoulder to get her attention.

Alright, you can come with me to my work.

Arial blinked then looked at the girl curiously as the temperature slowly returned to normal.

"Go with you? Really?" she asked softly. Sun nodded quickly and scribbled more down.

Yes, just please calm down.

The snow girl nodded with a bright smile as the frost around the couch and windows disappeared. The ice spires melted down and faded away as Sun looked around with relief. Arial jumped with joy and bounced around on the couch with a giggle. Sun just looked at the snow angel with tired eyes, the silent girl wondering if saving the angel was really the best thing for her. Arial smiled at her then looked out the window curiously.

"So…where do you work? And how am I going to get there without being seen by the humans?" she asked. Sun looked out the window for a moment then smiled slyly at Arial. The snow girl looked back to her and showed a bit of worry.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked nervously.

Outside some people were still walking on the sidewalk as cars drove past at moderate speeds. A gentle breeze from the nearby sea blew by as a few street lights started to flicker and warm up for the night. Walking on the sidewalk Sun was looking ahead with a calm expression, the girl's polka dotted dress flowing gently as she held her sketchpad under one of her arms. She glanced to her side and giggled quietly to herself as she looked at her young angel friend.

"My day just keeps getting worse." Arial muttered around her lollipop.

As people passed by they were smiling amusingly while chuckling at the sight, a few of them laughing a bit as the snow angel had a cardboard box on, the girl's head and arms sticking out while the box had poorly drawn lights and buttons colored on. She looked like a young girl pretending to play robot or something along those lines as she walked next to Sun.

"This is ridiculous, is this seriously the best you could come up with for me? A stupid box?" Arial barked out at the girl. Sun held a hand over her mouth and giggled quietly then wrote down something on her pad.

It's all I could make at my home to hide your wings. It's not so bad.

"Not so bad? People are laughing at me, they think I'm some kind of weirdo. This is humiliating." Arial said looking down with embarrassment.

It's ok if they laugh or think you're strange, as long as they don't know the truth about you. You want to see Dark again don't you?

Arial glanced to the paper then looked ahead with worry.

"Yes." She said softly. The girl breathed out and looked down with sadness as she walked next to the silent girl, the angel feeling stupid for wearing such a pathetic costume. However it was working. Passerbys merely thought the girl was pretending to play a game or just wearing a cheap homemade costume for one reason or another, nobody assumed that she had frosted angelic wings under the box.

"I'm just glad Dark can't see me like this." Arial said softly. Sun smiled gently at the girl then pointed up ahead at something. Arial looked to see they were approaching a large two story building near the seaside. On a sign in front of it Arial saw the words 'The Bluefish Inn'. The front of it had a few windows on the second story from the rooms and the bottom had a large pane of glass next to the door leading inside.

"You work here?" Arial asked looking to Sun. The blue haired girl nodded and walked them up the path and into the front entrance. Inside they were in a small lobby with a greeting counter in front of them, stairs on the left, and a living room to the right where the glass window had its curtains closed. From the living room there was a hall back towards a kitchen, and back further to a washing room and the backdoor leading to the sundeck that overlooked the seaside. Arial looked around curiously as Sun walked up to the counter. There was only one other figure seen, a woman with long dark hair and brown eyes who was reading a magazine at the counter. She was wearing a long brown dress skirt and a casual white shirt. She looked up to see Sun and smiled happily.

"Sun, you're here, glad to see you again." she said. Sun smiled and wrote down something on her pad.

Hello Marin, how's business today?

Marin sighed and shook her head.

"All quiet today unfortunately. I don't know what we're going to do." She said sadly. She glanced over and smiled curiously.

"Oh, hello there. Who's your little friend?" she asked as Arial was looking around curiously. Sun smiled and wrote down on her paper again.

This is my new friend, Arial Kuyumaya. She's a…special type of monster.

"Oh, she's like you?" Marin said with an intrigued smile. Arial looked at her with surprise then to Sun. The silent girl nodded and motioned for her to remove the box. Arial looked at Marin worriedly then slowly took the costume off. Marin looked with awe at the girl's frosted angelic wings as the snow girl set the box down next to her.

"Oh my, what manner of monster are you?" she asked gently. Arial glanced to Sun then back to the woman.

"It's ok my dear, I'm not going to scream or anything. I know Sun isn't human after all, I know all about monsters in this world. You're safe here, I promise." Marin said with a warm smile. Arial nodded then looked down timidly.

"I'm…an angel." She said softly. Marin looked at her with surprise then to Sun, the silent girl writing down something again.

She used to be a snow girl. It seems monsters are being allowed into a heaven made just for us ever since Alucard was defeated.

"You don't say, but…what's she doing here then?" Marin asked curiously. Sun glanced to the girl then wrote more down.

She said she found some gateway that brought her here, she's looking for somebody she knew from when she was alive.

"I see that's amazing. I must say, I'm a bit surprised. A real angel. Never thought I would meet one, let alone have one standing in my inn. Welcome Arial, it's a pleasure to meet you." Marin said happily.

"Thank you ma'am." Arial said softly.

"I love your wings, they look so beautiful. It's as if…they're made of ice." Marin said as she admired the frosted wings on the young angel's back.

"Thank you, they are ice." Arial said as they fluttered behind her, the wings letting a bit of frost shimmer behind them. Marin laughed softly and nodded.

"Right, I suppose for a snow girl they would be. So what brings you back to the world of the living my dear?" she asked.

"I'm looking for my husband, Sun's going to take me to him tomorrow." Arial said happily. Marin looked at her confused then to Sun. The silent girl smirked and wrote down something else.

I'll explain everything Marin. But first, it's so quiet here, do we not have any customers still?

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm sorry dear, it's been quiet all day." Marin said worriedly.

"So this is where you work Sun?" Arial said looking around.

"Yes, Sun helps me run this inn of mine." Marin said with a nod.

"So…where is everybody?" Arial asked looking around. Marin sighed and shook her head.

"Nobody's here right now my dear. I'm sorry to say that business has been rather bad lately. Nobody's coming in here anymore now that other inns have opened up along the seaside." She said sadly. Sun looked around with disappointment and shook her head.

"So wait, you're saying Sun _didn't _have to come to work today? You told me you needed to work today, how can you work if nobody's here?" Arial cried out at the silent girl. Sun looked at her with a weak smile and held up her hands defensively.

"This is crazy, you had me dress up as some stupid cardboard box robot and walk around in public to get here, but you're not needed here? We could have been on the train to see Dark by now." Arial whined loudly.

"Dark?" Marin asked.

"Yes, he's my husband. Sun said she would be taking me to see him tomorrow because she had to work tonight. But she doesn't have to work tonight, you made me miss another day with my husband!" Arial yelled out as her hair frosted over and the ground below her froze over. Sun and Marin looked at her with surprise as Arial stomped her foot and caused more ice to skew away from her along the ground.

"Calm down dear." Marin said worriedly.

"What's with all the shouting out there?" a voice in back called out. Sun jumped a bit then quickly grabbed the box and slipped it back on over Arial. The snow angel looked at it with surprise and annoyance as another girl walked into the lobby from the hall. She was dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and sneakers, the girl having short green hair and hazel eyes.

"What's going on here? Is Sun bothering another customer?" the girl asked dully. Sun glared at her as Arial looked at the new girl with confusion, the snow angel's hair returning to normal. The other girl looked to her and laughed a bit.

"What's with the box, you bringing in homeless girls now Sun? That's not going to help business you know." she said with a laugh. Arial looked at her carefully then to Sun.

"She's Sun's friend Sandra, her name is Arial." Marin said with a weak smile. Sandra looked at the snow angel with a raised eyebrow then rolled her eyes.

"Making friends with children Sun? As if you weren't weird enough already." she said dryly. Sun's lip twitched as she tried to hold back her scowl at the girl.

"Now Sandra, be nice." Marin said worriedly.

"What's with the box kid?" Sandra said looking at Arial. The snow girl glanced around then looked at the older teenager with caution.

"Just…a costume." she said softly. She assumed that if Sun wanted to hide her wings from this girl, then that would have been for a reason.

"A costume? Wow, looks…really good." Sandra said flatly while shaking her head. She then looked to Marin with a dull expression.

"I'm running over to Rither's, going to see if he can get somebody out here to check the wiring in the basement. Another fuse blew." she said simply.

"Oh, ok then. I hope there isn't a problem." Marin said worriedly.

"The problem is this place is old and outdated Marin, it's not going to last much longer." Sandra said shaking her head.

"I know it's old, but this inn belonged to me and my husband, I would never want it to close down." Marin said softly while looking down.

"It's more likely to burn down than close down at this rate. Anyway I'm out of here." Sandra said as she walked towards the two girls in the lobby. She glanced to Arial and chuckled.

"Have fun playing robot." she said with a laugh.

She then slipped and fell straight onto her back with a thud, the girl slipping on a bit of ice on the ground. Arial looked at her with annoyance and glanced to Sun, the silent girl smirking a bit.

"What the hell…why is there ice here?" Sandra said stumbling back up to her feet. Arial held her hand down and focused her power, the girl recalling the ice and making it disappear.

"What ice?" Arial asked innocently. Sandra blinked then looked down and around at the ground.

"What…but…I saw…" she said shaking her head. She growled then looked at the two girls with annoyance.

"What are you smiling about?" she said with a scoff to Sun. The silent girl casually wrote something down and showed it to her.

It's always nice to see you again Sandra.

The green haired girl scoffed at her and turned to walk out. As she left Sun winked at Arial, the snow girl giggling a bit.

"I'm sorry, Sandra's our other employee here. She's a bit rough around the edges but she's been helping me keep this place running." Marin said gently.

"I'd say she's a reason you're not getting any customers." Arial said dryly. Marin shook her head with a soft smirk at that.

"Does she not know what we are?" Arial asked curiously.

"No, I mean she knows monsters exist now, everybody does. But only I know about Sun and you being one of them. I'm one of the people in this world that do trust your kind my dear." Marin said softly. Arial nodded and glanced down to the box Sun quickly put back on her. She had a feeling that was why the silent girl hastily put it back on her.

"Is it really so bad for me to be seen with my wings?" she asked curiously.

"It would cause trouble my dear. Only monsters that are registered as known monsters in this world are allowed to stay. There are others like Sun here that have been hiding in the world, just living their lives peacefully of course. But when they revealed themselves they were met with harsh accusations and discrimination. If you are caught in the world and are not a registered monster the HDA will take you away." Marin said worriedly.

"The HDA?" Arial asked.

"The Human Defense Agency, they're trying to keep a strict hold on monsters that are living in our world. Sun here isn't registered either, she has to keep in her human form at all times otherwise they'll come for her." Marin said looking to Sun. The silent girl nodded and glanced away.

"How come she doesn't want to register with them? Wouldn't that make living here easier for her?" Arial asked.

"She doesn't want to, and I don't blame her. The way the HDA treats monsters, it's just inhuman…if that saying even works here. They're just bad people who are trying to put leashes and collars on good natured monsters." Marin said worriedly. Arial nodded and glanced to the door.

"The only monster I saw here tonight was that girl, if anybody should be on a leash it's her." she said flatly. Sun giggled silently to that and nodded.

"Like I said she's a bit rough, I know, but I do need the help. She doesn't usually mingle with the customers though, she tends to work as our maintenance and financial advisor." Marin said as she looked around at the inn. Sun sighed at that then looked around worriedly.

"But she does have a point, this place is old and outdated. I would likely have to completely rebuild the place if I wanted to compete with newer inns. But I just don't have the money to do so." Marin said softly. Arial looked around at the place. There were no T.V.'s, computers, or other modern conveniences. It was all just older furniture that was seen.

"I'm sorry dear, I wasn't aware that Sun would be helping you with your journey while you were back down here. I suppose if you want you two can leave now, you might be able to catch the next train to the city if you hurry. Just be sure to keep your wings hidden at all times." Marin said with a gentle smile. Arial glanced to her then looked around again.

"You…and your husband owned this place?" she asked. Marin nodded and looked around with a gentle gaze.

"Yes, we built it and ran it together. It was our home and our work I guess, something we both enjoyed creating and watching grow. It used to be very lively and always having people coming and going. But now…it's been forgotten it seems." she said softly.

"Where is your husband?" Arial asked softly.

"He passed away…years ago. There was…an incident." Marin said looking down with a saddened expression. Arial looked at her worriedly then to Sun. The silent girl wrote something down then showed it to her at an angle that Marin couldn't read it.

A monster killed him.

Arial looked at it with a bit of surprise then over to Marin.

"I'm sorry." she said softly.

"It's ok my dear. I've been trying to carry on for him with our place here, and Sun's been gracious by helping as well. I wish I could pay her more for all that she's done." Marin said gratefully to the silent girl. Sun smiled kindly at her and waved her hand to dismiss that selflessly. Arial smiled softly at Marin.

"You really do love your husband don't you?" she asked. Marin nodded with a smile.

"Of course, that's why I married him after all." she said gently. Arial smiled at her then looked around. She felt moved that the human woman would be so dedicated to her husband's memory that she would keep pushing on with their legacy. After a moment she looked to Sun as she took off her costume.

"We're staying right here, I can't leave a fellow wife in need. We'll catch the next train tomorrow." she said confidently as she looked around. Sun looked at her curiously as she held up a paper that merely had a question mark on it. Marin wiped a tear from her eye and looked at the young angel with a curious expression.

"What? What are you talking about my dear?" the woman asked curiously. Arial raised up a finger with a confident smile while striking a daring pose.

"I'm saying that we're going to bring this inn back to life, in honor of husbands everywhere!"

Outside Sandra was walking down the small path leading to the inn then walking onto the sidewalk. As she headed off with a dull expression on her face she passed a figure walking by. He was an older man, standing fairly tall as he walked with a proud stride. He had long black hair that went down to his neck, the hair being messy as he had a black goatee. He had dark eyes that had a green shimmer to the edges, the man wearing dark shoes, black dress pants, and a white shirt with a black dress shirt that was left unbuttoned and flowing behind him. He glanced to the girl that walked past him then over to the inn. He stood there with a slick smile on his face while the lamppost above him flickered a bit as the light was starting to turn on. His shadow was seen with each flicker of the light, with the last flicker showing large feathered wings behind his silhouette. He held a piece of paper in his hand and glanced to it with a smirk.

The piece of paper that had 'Sun Otonashi' burned into it.


	24. Mizore's Surprise

A bus was traveling down the streets of a human city with students talking to each other casually onboard. Everybody was happy that school was done with for the day and was looking forward to enjoying their remaining day doing anything but studying and dealing with teachers. However a few students weren't as chatty as they were thinking about what they would be doing that night.

Apoch and Astreal were looking down at the floor as they were preparing for what they had to do, and were both growing uneasy about it. In an attempt to steal one of the keys to Pandora's Box the girls had opted for a false 'date night' with Render and Leon. When the boys come over the sisters knew this would be their best and possibly only chance on swiping one of the keys from them, by any means necessary. That meant playing the part of possible girlfriends and getting as close to them as they could, then when the boys trusted them enough try to charm one of the keys out of them. However both sisters were worried a bit about being so close to them after they've demonstrated a few unique talents. Leon was able to mimic any spell he saw without trouble, which meant if things got hostile he could cast anything the sisters could, including Apoch's deadly blade if he saw it. Astreal knew she had to be as nice to him as she could, although the boy had remained extremely distant from her during the school day. For Apoch her worry wasn't what Render could possibly do, it's what he already did do to her. Earlier in the day he appeared to give off a unique aura, one that caused the witch to literally melt in his arms and do as he commanded without question. It was as if she trusted him with her life for a brief moment and absolutely couldn't say no to anything he said. Although she confronted him about it, the boy claimed he had no idea what she was talking about, and did indeed seem blissfully unaware himself. Still, Apoch was worried about being too close to him, the witch fearing that he may gain control over her rather than the other way around.

Falla however was thinking of only one thing as she glanced timidly to the boy sitting next to her, the boy that had remained silent while looking out the window during the entire bus trip. For her she wanted Ceal to be her new boyfriend, the chronofly having fallen head over heels for the boy that not only cured her mind but showed he did have a softer side under his colder personality. She was determined to help him with his quest to open Pandora's Box, not only to pay him back for what he did, but because she truly believed that he couldn't possibly be a bad guy.

"So…Ceal. Um…" she said softly as she looked down again with a small smile. She wanted to ask him out, but she kept feeling nervous about the idea and was finding it hard to bring out the words. The boy didn't seem to react at all to her stammering as he kept looking out the window with a dull expression. Apoch and Astreal looked ahead at them worriedly as Falla slowly turned to face Ceal.

"Do you think…that…" she said slowly. The boy merely glanced to her with no expression still. She glanced away then back to the boy with a gentle expression.

"What I'm asking…is…" she said softly.

_C'mon…ask him. He's still single, now's your chance._

She looked to Ceal with a timid smile and brushed the hair around her ear with her fingers.

"What I mean is, do you think you and I could-"

"Ms. Falla." the witch sisters said quickly. Falla blinked then glanced to them as the two girls were smiling weakly at her.

"This is our stop." Astreal said looking ahead. Falla looked over to see the bus stopping in front of their place then looked back to Ceal with worry.

"Yes, come, we have much to do for tonight." Apoch said as the sisters quickly stood up. Falla glanced to the door then to Ceal.

"I'll…ask you tonight. You're still coming, right?" she said with a small smile. Ceal just eyed her for a moment then nodded once.

"Like I have a choice." he said looking back out the window.

"It won't be so bad. We'll open your treasure tomorrow, and…besides, this could be fun…for us as well." Falla said looking down bashfully. Ceal glanced back to Apoch and Astreal, the witch sisters looking at him with concern.

"As long as your friends keep their end of the deal, there won't be a problem." he said with narrowed eyes. Apoch and Astreal looked at him cautiously, then down with wide eyes as black tentacles were shifting out from dark rifts on the ground, the dark appendages creeping close to their legs. The girls trembled a bit and looked to him nervously, the sisters then nodding eagerly with weak smiles. One of the tentacles brushed Astreal's ankle, the girl yelping then quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Falla looked back to her with a jump as the dark limbs vanished from below.

"Astreal? What's wrong?" the chronofly asked as she stood up. Astreal blinked then smiled nervously and shook her head.

"Nothing…nothing Ms. Falla." she said quickly.

"Yes, don't worry…Mr. Ceal. We will…help you in return for this." Apoch said reluctantly with a smile. Ceal just looked back out the window as the sisters quickly got out into the aisle. Falla nodded then smiled at the boy.

"I'll see you tonight Ceal…don't be too long." she said softly. She waited for a response then was pulled quickly by the twins out of the bus. The vehicle drove off while Falla watched it go with a dreamy eye. She giggled then looked to see the sisters watching the bus with worry.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me he scares you still." she said with a laugh. The sisters glanced to her then smiled weakly while shaking their heads.

"No, not…at all." Astreal said, the girl shivering a bit as she remembered the creepy feeling of the dark limb brushing against her skin.

"Yes, just…nervous about tonight." Apoch said looking to their home. Falla nodded with a smirk and started walking towards the building.

"It'll be fine you guys, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll all get along great, just, you know, be nice to them." she said with a shrug. The sisters glanced to each other then ran over to Falla's sides.

"Um, doesn't it bother you that Mr. Ceal is…well…" Apoch said worriedly.

"So rude to you?" Astreal said with concern. Falla giggled and shook her head.

"He's just playing the part of a tough guy, he's not so bad on the inside." she said simply.

"But he didn't say a word to you while you were on the bus, and he kept avoiding eye contact with you." Apoch said worriedly.

"And he-" Astreal said with a frightened face before she shook her head and kept from saying anything about what his magic did on the bus. Falla glanced to them then ahead with an amused smile.

"He has his reasons for being distant, I can understand that. He puts on a tough front, but I bet he's hurting inside. Don't worry though, tonight I'll help him relax…and hopefully…ask him." Falla said looking down with a blush. She kept walking while the sisters stopped and just watched her.

"She really has fallen for him." Apoch said shaking her head.

"It certainly seems that way." Astreal said worriedly.

"What are we going to do?" Astreal said looking at her sister. Apoch looked off towards where the bus was driving then back to their home.

"We do what we must. Come, let's go prepare for the boys' arrival. No matter what, we must get one of their keys tonight." she said reluctantly as they started walking towards the building.

"I suppose you're right. Does that mean…that we're going to…have to…" Astreal said nervously as she glanced to her sister. Apoch looked down and nodded a bit.

"Like I said before, no matter what." she said simply.

They walked into their home as Falla was stretching out her arms in the foyer, the girl looking back to them with a eager smile.

"I'm going to go get ready, I call first dibs with the shower." she said as she ran up the stairs. The twins watched her disappear upstairs then looked to each other worriedly.

"I still can't believe she likes him, after what he did to us all and what he's planning on doing…she actually likes him." Apoch said shaking her head.

"How can she like somebody that…cold?" Astreal said as she shuddered, the girl remembering when the boy's dark magic had her bound down and when the dark limb brushed against her ankle on the bus. Apoch glanced back outside with a worried expression.

"I don't know, I don't think anything is as cold as he is." she said softly.

* * *

The group was gathered in their usual field to practice in as daylight started to fade behind the clouds and horizon. They had come here many times in the past to practice their fighting skills and to remain ready for what may come their way. They had practiced to help Tsukune and the others first gain a fighting spirit and to ready themselves for actual combat for the first time. It was there they also learned how to better master their skills for use against Fairy Tale. And now it was here that they were training themselves for a new threat that was approaching, a dark force that threatened not only the monster world but also the human world. It was here that the group needed to get into shape while their friend Tsukune was isolated in Paradise with his own inner demons to face.

It was here that snow and ice covered a good portion of the field as two fighters were squaring off against one another.

"Wow…" Yukari said softly with wide eyes.

In the past the group normally paired up with their own partners and loved ones to practice. They helped each other improve what they could while also spending time together.

"She's really going all out." Ahakon said with awe.

However two girls had their boyfriends absent from today's practice session, and were instead sparring with each other.

"I know, just look at her go." Gin said with wonder.

Since Tsukune wasn't present tonight Moka had no partner to spar with. As such, she was asked by Dark who was also going to be busy with something else to watch over Mizore and keep her in the field.

"You know, I don't remember her being like this when we first came here." Rason said with a raised eyebrow.

Even with her rosary attached, since Tsukune wasn't around to remove it, Moka was still an S-Class vampire and had the speed and strength of one, even if her true power was sealed away.

"You can blame Dark for that, I mean look what happened to Apoch after she dated him." Kurumu said simply.

However the vampire was having to use a great deal of her strength, as her training partner was showing more energy in her fighting than before in the past.

"She's really fighting with her all." Rin said with wide eyes. Ran just nodded as the group was watching two figures move around quickly in the snow and ice spires that were forming out in the grassy field.

"C'mon Moka!" Mizore yelled as she swung her ice blade, the snow maiden missing Moka by a hair as the vampire darted back. As soon as Moka did Mizore lunged forward again and struck her blade out, then whipped it to the side and followed around to slice at the vampire again. Moka watched with surprise as Mizore attacked relentlessly as snow and flurries flew around them. The snow maiden's hair was frozen over as she held her snow blade in both hands, the girl swinging her sword with ferocity at Moka while darting around. Moka's feet slipped and slid a bit in the snow while Mizore seemed to move about as if there was no snow at all.

"Mizore, calm down, watch it!" Moka cried out as she ducked down and the snow blade whizzed past where her head was. She jumped back just as an ice spire shot up from the ground, with Mizore grabbing onto it and spinning around it with her blade swiping at Moka again.

"She's really pushing against Moka this time." Kurumu said with surprise.

"What got into her? She's never been like this during our practices." Yukari asked shaking her head.

"Mizore!" Moka cried out as she rolled to the side, the girl sliding in the snow then jumping off to the side as Mizore sliced down with her blade. As she did the snow around the impact seemed to blast apart and shoot off in all directions, the vampire looking to see snow flying wildly around her as the temperature dropped even more.

_What's gotten into her? We only took two steps out onto the field to spar then she lunged at me with everything she had!_

**_I have no idea, she hasn't fought this way since the day of Alucard._**

"Mizore calm down, what's gotten into you?" Moka called out as she looked around. Ice kunai flew out from the blizzard around the vampire and missed her as the girl darted to the side. As she landed down her legs froze over in a flash as a figure raced through the snow. Moka focused her power, with her rosary glowing brightly in the white and gray battlefield, and broke free from the icy shackles. She jumped up as Mizore darted over and swung her blade at the vampire. Moka flipped over her and darted to the side as Mizore swung back and swiped where the vampire was a second ago. Moka grabbed the snow maiden's hand and wrapped her arm around her neck to detain her from behind, the purpled haired girl glancing to her with a glare.

"What has gotten into you, calm down." Moka said as she struggled to hold the snow maiden still.

"We came here to practice did we not?" Mizore said as she had her teeth slightly bared, the girl's lollipop stick hanging out the side of her mouth.

"Yes but-" Moka started before Mizore fashioned a second ice katana from her other hand then spun it around, the girl holding it inversely as the blade aimed up at Moka's face. The vampire looked with wide eyes at it then to Mizore.

"No buts Moka. If you're going to keep me from Dark, you'd better damn well give me a reason for being here." Mizore said bitterly. She bashed her head back and knocked Moka free then spun around and swung both blades around in a crisscross attack, the two frozen blades stopping on both sides of the vampire's neck. Moka stared with wide eyes as the group was doing the same.

"Mizore…" Kurumu said with awe.

"She…beat her." Yukari said with amazement.

"Mizore." Moka said softly.

"My Dark would undoubtedly beat me in combat, I know that. I've seen him with a sword, he's beyond skilled with it. However if I'm going to train here, then I'm going to train to become as strong as him, as a capable fighter in the field as my demon." Mizore said with narrowed eyes. Moka looked at the girl with wide eyes as snow flew around them fiercely.

_She's not holding back…she's using all her power against me._

"So since I'm to stay here, you need to push me Moka. You're a vampire, fight back!" Mizore yelled out.

"But…" Moka said softly.

"I don't care if your power is sealed, I know damned well you can fight even with that rosary on. Why have you only been dodging since we got out here? Fight me!" Mizore yelled out. Moka looked at her with wonder then smirked a bit.

"I never knew you would be so insistent on fighting like this, to be honest I was mostly surprised by your sudden fighting spirit." she said calmly. Mizore narrowed her eyes then whipped her blades apart, the vampire darting back then forward, the girl then grabbing onto both of the snow maiden's hands and holding her blades out to either side of her. The snow katanas were held against the snow maiden's chest in a cross formation as Moka smiled arrogantly at the girl.

"You really have changed, I suppose Dark's to blame for that." she said with a small laugh. Mizore smiled coolly as the cold wind blew around them fiercely, their skirts fluttering in the wind wildly as the ground around them shifted to frozen ice that struck out away from them.

"Yes I suppose that's true, I have changed because of him. However I've changed for the better, and it's because of him that I'm going to fight with my all!" she yelled as she swung her arms out, the vampire darting back as the blades clashed against each other and specks of frost and snow flew off to the sides. Moka stood ready and smirked as her pink hair flew in the wind behind her.

"Dark would be proud Mizore, you really have become a fighter." she said as she got into position to strike. Mizore held both of her snow blades tightly and nodded a bit.

"I will be worthy of his mark…I will be worthy to be his wife…I will be worthy!" she yelled as she dashed towards the vampire, the girl swinging one of her blades towards girl. Moka dodged back just as Mizore swung her other blade, the girl striking again and again with speed as snow blew around them wildly. The vampire darted to the side then jumped into a kick, the snow maiden sliding under her and rolling over behind the vampire. She then swung both her blades as Moka landed back down, the vampire reaching back and catching both of the snow maiden's wrists. Moka jumped and kicked behind her and sent Mizore tumbling back into the snow. The maiden rolled a bit before flinging one of her swords towards the vampire, the girl ducking down as it sliced off a few of her hairs at the end. Mizore jumped back to her feet then fired a few ice kunai out, the girl then dashing to the side as snow flew around the area wildly. Moka dodged the kunai by a hair then looked around carefully.

"Using the snow to hide in, you really have taken after Dark's stealth." she said with a laugh. Ice shards flew out from the side, the vampire rolling forwards to dodge them before an ice spire shot up in front of her. She bounced against it then ducked down as Mizore kicked from behind, the girl jumping off of the ice spire then flinging her other sword towards the vampire. Moka darted to the side as the blade sliced through the spire and caused it crash to the ground and into bits of frost and dust. Mizore flew back into the blizzard as Moka looked around carefully.

On the sidelines the group was watching with awe as Mizore and Moka dueled in the small snowstorm in the middle of the field.

"She's on fire." Ahakon said with wonder.

"I know, she's really using all her tricks this time." Yukari said with a nod.

"I wonder if Moka pissed her off." Rason said scratching his head.

"I can hardly see in there." Gin said peering into the white blurry storm ahead of them. Kurumu looked around it carefully then glanced to the siren sisters.

"You two should fly up and watch the area carefully." she said cautiously.

"Why?" Rin asked.

"Because we can't see Mizore, I don't like that. She could try to use this as a chance to slip away to find Dark." Kurumu said looking back to the blizzard with her arms crossed before her.

"I don't know, she seems pretty focused out there." Rason said with a raised eyebrow as a giant ice spire erupted out from the ground, the group seeing Moka rolling off to the side before darting away while Mizore dashed over and swung her blades in a crisscross attack. The snow maiden darted towards the vampire and swung again, then backed into the snowstorm that flew around them wildly again.

"Even so, fly up there and watch the fight from above. Make sure Mizore doesn't leave the field." Kurumu said looking to the sisters. They nodded then looked out to the fight as their feathered wings extended out.

"Well, ok. I guess we can do that." Ran said as they took off into the sky. The two girls flew up and hovered over the field as they watched the snowstorm flowing wildly around below them.

"Wow, that's a lot of snow." Rin said as they watched the swirling clouds of gray and white below them. Ran nodded and watched the area closely. Down below visibility was low, but they could vaguely make out two figures moving about in the field. Moka looked around carefully as the wind howled around her, the girl shivering a bit from the cold temperature that was blowing around fiercely.

"Where are you…" she said quietly to herself as she glanced around. She heard nothing but the wind blowing around her as she shivered a bit, her rosary showing a soft red glow around the snow that flew around. Moka knew Mizore was around nearby, the snow maiden using the blizzard to hide in and strike unseen. Mizore was certainly taking after Dark in combat, the girl using her own form of cloaking to strike unseen. Moka looked behind to see Mizore jumping down towards her with her swords geared back, the vampire rolling to the side as Mizore struck down. In a flash Mizore darted towards the vampire and swiped with one of her blades, the hand being caught by Moka. Mizore swung her other blade towards the vampire, the girl ducking under it then grabbing her hand, the snow maiden's arms now being held to either side in front of her. Moka smirked as Mizore narrowed her eyes at the girl, the vampire then throwing the snow girl over her head and down onto the ground with a crash. Snow blasted around from the impact as Moka jumped over the girl in a spiral, and in doing so dodged both snow blades that spun out towards her into the air. Moka landed down the ground on the other side of the maiden just as Mizore's legs kicked upward and back towards her, the girl kicking Moka back into a stumble as Mizore rolled back onto her feet. The snow girl fashioned another blade of ice and swung it around towards Moka, the vampire catching it by her wrist as Mizore's other hand froze over into an ice claw. She struck out towards Moka, the vampire pushing Mizore's hand down and using the snow blade to block it.

"I have to say, I'm impressed Mizore. When did you learn to fight like this?" Moka asked as she used the snow girl's blade to block the claw attack. Mizore growled then a fierce blast of arctic wind blew around them, the vampire shivering as her hair frosted over a bit.

"For my Dark, I'll learn to do anything." she growled as the temperature dropped all around them. Moka shivered then kicked the snow maiden back into a tumble. She took a step then dropped down onto a knee as she held herself with her arms.

_It's so…cold…_

**_She's going to freeze us solid at this rate, you have to finish this fight now._**

Moka shakily looked up to see Mizore standing with a snow blade in hand, the girl's frozen hair staying still as the wind blew snow and frost all around them wildly.

_She's…still dropping the temperature...I can't feel my hands anymore._

**_She's using all her power to incapacitate us. You need to strike her down or else it's over._**

Moka slowly got back up and growled a bit, the girl focusing her power as best as she could while her legs and arms had frost on them. The snow maiden was using her sheer power to keep Moka immobilized and weak, the snow around them slowly freezing the vampire while providing cover for the snow maiden to move about in.

"I'm impressed…you've improved this much. But I'm not about to…lose this to you." Moka said as she trembled a bit. Mizore narrowed her eyes as she vanished into the snowstorm again, the area all around the vampire now looking like a gray and white tornado.

"You will fall this time Moka." Mizore called out from all around her. Moka slowly looked around as the wind started to pick up and howl some more. She focused with all her might, her rosary glowing brightly in the storm. Her fists clenched as she summoned every ounce of power she could to fight with, the vampire determined to defeat her opponent with all her might.

From the sidelines the group was watching with wide eyes as the snowstorm seemed to pick up in ferocity.

"She's going to freeze Moka solid at this rate." Yukari said gripping her hat.

"Moka get out of there!" Kurumu called out. She looked up to see Ran and Rin watching the storm with wide eyes.

"Hey, are they still in there?" she called up. Ran and Rin looked around then nodded.

"Nobody's left from any side, they're both still in there." Rin called down.

"Moka!" Ahakon cried out.

Suddenly a bright red glow seemed to appear from the center of the storm. A vampiric aura flared around the area as the group looked with surprise.

"She's still in there…what's she doing? Mizore's got the home field advantage in that thing." Gin said shaking his head.

The ground around the edge of the storm erupted up in ice spires and frozen ridges as the storm seemed to circle around wildly.

"Moka!" Yukari cried out.

"Get out of there now! You can't beat her in there!" Ahakon yelled out.

A blast of arctic wind flew out from the storm, the group shivering instantly as the grass around them frosted over. Ran and Rin wavered then shakily flew down to them, the two girls holding their sides with their arms wrapped around them as they shivered.

"So cold!" Rin cried out.

"How is Moka still alive in there?" Ran said looking back to the storm.

"Oh my god…Moka!" Kurumu cried out as a loud whistling sound was heard. The group watched as the ground around the storm seemed to freeze over and solidify into sheer ice.

"She's freezing the entire area, Moka get out of there!" Yukari cried out.

"Mizore stop, you're going to kill her!" Gin yelled out.

Inside the snowstorm Mizore was looking with wide eyes as the wind howled around her wildly.

"Impossible…" she breathed out.

She had her snow sword held in both hands, the girl having swung it towards Moka as the vampire seemed to be standing still inside the swirling snowstorm.

"How…" Mizore said with disbelief.

However the blade was caught with one hand, the vampire having grabbed the sword expertly and halted the attack with no trouble.

"You…can't…" Mizore said shaking her head.

The vampire was looking at her with blood red eyes, her silver hair flowing in the wind behind her as her rosary burned brightly. Mizore was looking into the eyes of Inner Moka who surfaced from sheer willpower on the vampire's part.

"It's not possible, the rosary!" Mizore cried out looking to the rosary that was rattling around wildly on the vampire's neck. Inner Moka smirked and geared back for a kick.

**"You may be worthy of your demon, but I'm worthy of Tsukune."** the vampire said, then promptly kicked the snow maiden in the chest. Mizore flew back out and crashed through the snow, then the frozen ridges, then tumbled into the frozen grass. The snowstorm wavered then billowed away as the snow and frost flew around in circles before fluttering around gently. Moka's hair shifted back to pink as her eyes shifted back to emerald, the girl's rosary slowly calming down as she relaxed her power a bit. The group looked with wide eyes to see Mizore lying on the ground groaning in pain as Moka stood in the middle of where the storm was, the girl watching Mizore with an arrogant smile as snow gently drifted down around her.

"Know your place." Moka said with a wink.

"She…she won." Yukari said with amazement.

"How? How did she survive that?" Kurumu asked shaking her head.

"She's ok…she's still ok." Ahakon said in wonder. The group walked over towards Mizore as the snow girl slowly got back to her feet. Moka flicked her hair back around her shoulder as she walked up to her with a calm smile.

"Not bad Mizore, you really had me going out there." she said with a giggle. Mizore looked at her with wonder then to her rosary.

"How did you survive that? That was insanely cold." Ran said shaking her head.

"I'm still shivering. Brr…brr…brr." Rin whined as she trembled. Moka giggled and shrugged a bit.

"Just sheer willpower, we both had expectations to live up to out there for our mates, isn't that right Mizore?" Moka said to the snow girl. Mizore looked over to where the snowstorm had died off completely then over to Moka.

"Don't feel bad Mizore, you really did well out there. You were just like Dark, I couldn't tell where you would be coming from in the snow." Moka said with a nod. Mizore smiled a bit then looked down with disappointment.

"But I didn't win. I tried with everything I had, but I still lost." she said softly.

"I would have been frozen solid out there if I was facing you, I'd say you did pretty well." Kurumu said with an impressed nod.

"Yeah, we had no idea you had that much power in you." Rason said with a curious smile. Mizore smiled a bit and glanced away.

"I wanted to win for my beloved." she said softly.

"If he was here I'm sure he would have been impressed." Yukari said with a smile.

"Yeah, we all were." Ahakon said with a nod.

"That was certainly incredible. Our master should have had us come out here for you girls as well." Ran said with a laugh. Rin nodded while still shivering a bit. Moka chuckled a bit then looked to Mizore with a soft smile.

"Well its part of dating our boyfriends, isn't that right Mizore?" she asked. The snow girl smiled softy and nodded while looking down still.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less from a shadow demon's wife to be honest." Gin said with a shrug. Mizore blushed and glanced away at that remark.

"So this is what you guys do for fun here?" Rin said looking back to the field while rubbing her arms a bit.

"Well, I wouldn't say for fun always, more like to improve what we can for when we need to fight." Rason said with a shrug.

"Although I have to admit it's kind of fun to fight like this. I think I see where my other self was coming from all those times in the past." Moka said with a giggle. The group chuckled a bit as Mizore glanced back to the forest.

"Well now that the main event is over, how about we all get to our own practices?" Rason said looking around. Kurumu nodded and looked to him with a loving smile.

"Shall we fly around lover?" she asked. Rason looked at her curiously then smiled a bit.

"Wouldn't hurt to stretch the ol' wings out." he said with a shrug. He took off his shirts and tied them around his waist while Kurumu ogled the boy with loving eyes. She felt the bond within pull her closer to him and loved the feeling of it, and loved seeing her boyfriend half naked all the same.

"Why did he take his shirts off?" Rin asked curiously.

"His wings don't phase through clothing like ours." Kurumu said as her wings appeared behind her, the demonic wings spreading out a bit as her tail appeared behind her. She looked to her boyfriend with a wink.

"Let's fly angel boy." she said. The two then took off into the sky then flew over the forest. Yukari watched them closely as they flew off then looked down.

"Well since Kokoa's not here to spar with, mind if I try my luck with you Moka?" Gin asked as he stretched out his arms. The vampire giggled and nodded.

"Sure, let's see how Kokoa's mate measures up." she said with a smirk. The boy chuckled and nodded then glanced to Mizore. The snow girl looked at him with a blank expression as Yukari looked back over towards the woods again with a curious gaze.

"What?" Mizore asked simply.

"Oh yes, I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on her." Moka said crossing her arms and glancing to the girl with a playful grin. She thought for a moment then looked to the siren sisters.

"You two stay with her, and make sure she stays here in the field." she said in a professional tone. The sirens looked to Mizore and nodded as the snow girl merely glanced to them.

"Ok sure." Ran said. Rin blinked, tapped her headphones, paused, then nodded.

"Right." she said simply. Mizore just eyed them carefully then looked away.

"Keep a close eye on her, she's been known to be sneaky." Moka said as she and Gin walked out towards the field, with the boy shifting into his werewolf form. As they walked off Ahakon looked to Yukari curiously.

"What's wrong Yukari?" he asked as the witch was still looking to where the two winged lovers flew off. After a moment she looked to Ahakon.

"Do you by chance know the flight spell?" she asked. Ahakon shook his head then looked up.

"No, I've only seen Astreal cast that spell before. Why?" he asked.

"I've wanted to learn it forever. It would be so cool to fly like that." Yukari said with disappointment.

"Flight spell?" Ran asked.

"Yeah, it lets the user manifest wings of pure magical energy. Our friend Astreal learned it so she could fly with Rason before, she's the only witch I've known who learned that spell." Yukari said.

"Ruby flies too though, maybe she would know." Ahakon suggested. Yukari merely shook her head to that.

"She flies with her raven magic. She's imbued with the spirit of the raven, that's why she can use such wings. They're as much a part of her as Kurumu with her own wings. I can't cast wings like that." the witch said worriedly. Ahakon looked down in thought then smiled at Yukari.

"Well, maybe it's related to the wind element. C'mon, I'll help teach you how to control that element, maybe it'll help you cast a spell like flight." he said hopefully. Yukari smiled brightly and nodded.

"Really? Thank you Ahakon." she said graciously. She took his hand and sped off towards another part of the field, with the mage's feet skidding and sliding through the dirt as the witch giggled happily. The siren sisters watched them race off with raised eyebrows while Mizore was still glancing back towards the forest.

"Who were they?" Rin asked. Ran rolled her eyes then glanced to Mizore. The snow girl looked to her then to the field.

"I'm watching you." Ran said simply. Mizore glanced to her then back to the field, the snow girl slowly sitting down calmly.

"Go ahead." she said softly. Ran sat next to her as Rin tapped her headphones again, the girl blinking a bit as her memory wavered slightly. She shook her head then looked to Mizore with an accusing stare.

"I'm watching you too." she said sitting down next to her sister. Mizore glanced to her and smirked.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." she said simply. They looked out see Gin and Moka facing each other in the field. The wolf dashed towards her and struck out with his fist, the vampire then jumping up into a kick and blasting him down into the ground with a large explosion.

"Wow, he didn't even get a single hit in." Ran said shaking her head.

"I suspected as much. Still, you gotta give him credit for trying." Mizore said with a shrug. She glanced over to see Yukari and Ahakon talking in their part of the field. The young mage stepped back and smiled at his girl as she looked up at the sky. She waved her wand around a bit, then a small tornado seemed to flow around her, the wind throwing the boy back into a tumble. The boy rolled back as Yukari looked at him with worry, the mage slowly standing back up and smiling at her weakly. After a pause she slowly tried again, this time manifesting a small tornado around the poor mage. The boy was spun around and thrown over into a bush with a crash as the young witch watched with shock. Yukari cried out and ran over to him with worry as Mizore shook her head.

"That girl is going to kill him one these days." she said softly. She glanced over to see Ran staring at Ahakon with a soft blush. The girl was fixated on the boy once again as Rin was looking at Moka and Gin sparring, or rather at Moka repeatedly beating the wolf into the ground then laughing playfully. Mizore smiled slyly then looked over to see Yukari helping Ahakon back onto his feet. They started talking a bit before Yukari tackled him to the ground in a love filled tangent, the girl kissing him wildly as his arms and legs flailed about.

"So, you really do like Ahakon don't you?" she asked simply as she looked back to Ran. The girl jumped a bit then looked down with embarrassment.

"No, I mean…yes…I mean…not like that." she stammered. Mizore giggled and looked back over to the young casters with a calm smile.

"It's ok. He's mentioned he likes you too." she said softly. Ran looked at her with wide eyes as the snow girl watched Ahakon with a calm smile.

"You're lucky too, I hear that boy has some wild desires." she said with a soft sigh. She glanced slyly to see Ran staring at Ahakon with a deeper blush.

"He…does?" she asked quietly. Mizore nodded and looked at her with a gentle smile.

"Yukari still isn't as open as him, but he has mentioned that he's been wanting to…experiment with another partner." she said with a wink. Ran looked at her with an open mouth then over to Ahakon while Rin tapped her headphones again, the girl only hearing static as she tried to focus her mind again.

"Another partner? You mean…he wants…" Ran stammered.

"I told you he's wild. Not many boys his age would consider a threesome." Mizore said with a shrug. Ran staggered back and looked at her with shock while Rin looked around puzzled toward the sky.

"Th…th…threesome?" Ran sputtered out.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I can tell that's not your thing, so it's not like you have to say yes to such an offer." Mizore said looking back towards the casters. Yukari had gotten Ahakon back onto his feet and the two were talking again, the girl looking at her wand carefully as the boy was explaining how to channel the power of wind properly. Ran looked at the boy with a nervous tremble then glanced to Mizore again.

"He…really…wanted me…to…" she said shakily. Mizore looked to her and nodded.

"Well that's what he said. I know Yukari wasn't too keen on the idea though." she said simply. Ran looked at the boy with wonder then down with timid eyes.

"But…I couldn't…" she said softly.

"That's understandable if it's too much for you, that boy has some weird tastes. Like dressing up and roleplaying a lot with his lovers." Mizore said simply while looking back to the boy. Ran jumped a bit and looked at her with surprise.

"He…does?" she said shakily. Rin tapped her headphones with her palm as she shook her head, then looked back over to her sister.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked. Ran gulped and glanced back to her, then over to Ahakon.

"We were just watching Ahakon try to teach Yukari to fly, though it looks like he's having a tough time." Mizore said with a raised eyebrow as the witch tried again, the girl casting out a blast of wind and knocking the boy back into a wild tumble. The snow girl shook her head then looked to Ran.

"You know, I think if you help out with her learning, she might be a bit more…accepting of you." she said with a wink. Ran looked at her with wonder then over to the casters.

"But…I don't know how to cast such a spell." she said softly.

"No, but maybe if she could see your wings in action, it might help." Mizore said with a shrug. Ran blinked then smiled softly.

"Maybe…" she said hopefully. She looked to Mizore carefully for a moment then to Rin.

"Rin, stay here and watch her. I'm going to go…help Yukari." she said as she scrambled to her feet and raced out onto the field. Rin nodded and looked at her with curiosity while Mizore smiled at the blue haired girl.

"Go get him Ran." she said quietly with a giggle. She glanced to Rin and smirked a bit as the blonde haired siren looked around at those on the field. Gin was trying again and again to strike the pink haired vampire, the wolf coming close each time before the vampire knocked the large beast away effortlessly. Yukari and Ahakon were talking to each other while Yukari was looking at her wand carefully. She could cast out blunt forces of wind, but nothing that could levitate her or lift her into the air like wings.

"I don't know Ahakon, I mean I can cast the element of wind, but I just can't manifest wings with it." Yukari said with concern as she scratched her head. Ahakon looked at the wand puzzled then over to see Ran running up to them.

"Ran? What are you doing here?" the boy asked as the casters looked to her.

"I've come to help Yukari." Ran said with a smile. The witch looked at her curiously.

"What? How?" she asked.

"Well, maybe if you see how my wings function, then maybe you can cast them properly. You know, seeing how they work and all." Ran said hopefully. Yukari looked at her curiously then shrugged.

"Well, sure. Couldn't hurt I guess." she said. Ran nodded then extended her wings out, the girl spreading out her feathered wings as she glanced to Ahakon with a smile. The boy looked at her with awe then smiled a bit at her. Yukari looked at them closely as she walked behind the siren. She ran a hand gently along one of the wings as she tried to figure out how the wind element could forge such feathers and wings.

"I hope this helps Yukari, I'm always up for…helping out with ones desires." Ran said looking at Ahakon with bashful smile. The boy smiled a bit at her, the mage not following what she meant by that, while Yukari looked at the wings carefully.

"Hmm, I wonder how Astreal made her wings appear with magic." she said as she touched a feather gently.

"Well, the wind alone may not make the wings appear, maybe you need something else. Your willpower and the element aren't enough, a third…something is needed." Ahakon reasoned.

"Three always works well together." Ran said with an eager nod. Ahakon glanced to her with a curious smile then looked to the wings again.

"A third power…something to give the wings shape and structure. Of course, but…what do you think that would be?" Yukari asked curiously. Ahakon walked over and ran his hand gently along the wingspread while the siren looked at him with a blush and hopeful eyes. The boy scratched his head and looked up.

"I don't think it would be fire, nor ice, and I doubt they were made of stone. It may not be an element but another form of magic, something that gives it power to stay in form." the boy reasoned. Yukari looked down curiously as she thought about that while Ran licked her lips a bit.

"Maybe, it was something that when first considered seemed…crazy, but at the same time it was…just perfect." she said hopefully. Yukari looked at her puzzled at that remark.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. Ran glanced back to her with a nod.

"Just what I said Yukari. Something that you may have been reluctant to try, but would work out perfectly for everybody." she said hopefully with a wink. Yukari looked at her with bewilderment as Ahakon looked down puzzled.

"Something…I would have been reluctant to try?" Yukari said with a raised eyebrow. Ran nodded and glanced to Ahakon then back to the witch. Yukari looked at him curiously then up. After a moment she shrugged then backed up a few steps, with Ran and Ahakon looking at her curiously.

"Yukari?" Ahakon asked. The witch looked up with a determined expression as she held her wand up, the girl summoning her magical power as she closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ran asked.

"Something that seems crazy, but just might work." Yukari said with determination. Ran and Ahakon looked to each other then back to the witch.

"Something like what?" Ahakon asked. Yukari focused her power then opened her eyes, the girl channeling the power of wind along with something else.

"Magical BLAST!"

Mizore and Rin watched as one moment Yukari was standing still with her wand facing up, then a giant blast of light erupted from around the girl with a powerful explosion. The ground shook a bit as Ran and Ahakon were thrown back from the blast.

"What was that?" Rin asked with surprise. Mizore looked at the smoking crater with a raised eyebrow.

"Um…a backfire?" she said with a shrug.

Ahakon and Ran shook their heads then looked with wide eyes to see the ground around the witch blasted apart and smoking. Inside the crater Yukari was lying on the ground dazed as her clothing was burnt and smoking a bit. Ahakon and Ran raced over and looked to see the young witch shakily getting back up.

"Yukari? What happened? Are you ok?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

"Oh my, what did you do?" Ran asked looking at the blast zone. Yukari growled then looked at the siren with a dull glare.

"I tried something that seemed crazy like you mentioned. Turns out that was a bad idea since it WAS CRAZY!" she yelled out.

"You combined your magical blast attack with the element of wind to forge wings?" Ahakon said with disbelief.

"She said to try something that seemed crazy!" Yukari yelled out.

"I didn't say to try to blow yourself up though." Ran said worriedly.

"You seemed pretty damned confident about me doing that!" Yukari barked out.

"I wasn't talking about mixing your magic spells like that." Ran said defensively.

"Then what in the world were you talking about? What was with the confidence in me and with the wink?" Yukari shouted out as she climbed out of the crater.

"I was talking about letting me join in a threesome with you and Ahakon." Ran said shaking her head.

Silence.

Ahakon slowly looked to Ran with wide eyes as Yukari just stared at the girl with a stunned expression.

"Um…what?" Ahakon asked nervously. Ran looked to him and smiled bashfully.

"I was merely trying to let Yukari know that I was ok with your desire." she said softly. Ahakon blinked and tilted his head a bit.

"My…desire?" he squeaked out. Ran nodded and glanced away while holding a hand to her cheek.

"Yes, I mean…if it's with you…I wouldn't mind…" she said timidly.

"Ran?" Ahakon said shaking his head.

"It's ok. I don't mind if you're wild like that, really. Um…can I go first though?" Ran said as she tugged on her skirt a bit. She blinked then looked over to see Yukari glaring at her with fire in her eyes.

"You…wanted…a threesome…with my boyfriend?" she growled as she clutched her wand, the stick glowing brightly. Ran gulped and glanced to Ahakon, the boy just staring at her with wide eyes.

"Um…that…_is_…what you desired…isn't it?" she said nervously. The boy slowly shook his head as Yukari aimed her wand at the siren. Ran blinked then looked back to Yukari.

"Uh…oh…" she said under a whisper.

Mizore and Rin were watching as Yukari was yelling and cursing at Ran while her wand was glowing brightly.

"What's going on out there?" Rin asked curiously.

"I have no idea." Mizore said with a sly grin.

"RAN!" Yukari yelled out as she fired out a powerful blast of magic. The siren screamed then dodged to the side, the same as Ahakon did to avoid the large ball of energy that flew past and detonated into an explosion. Gin and Moka looked over to see Yukari screaming while throwing out her tarot cards towards the siren, the blue haired girl screaming in fear while shooting into the air. The cards raced after her while she cried out apologies franticly.

"Sister!" Rin cried out.

"I'd go help her if I were you, Yukari can be very protective of her boyfriend." Mizore said with a shrug. Rin dashed out then shot into the air with her wings while Moka and Gin raced over to Yukari.

"RAN!" Yukari screamed as she fired another large blast of magic into the air, the siren dodging around it as it flew past. It detonated into a large explosion and blinded the siren as she flew in the air. She looked back to see metal tarot cards flying towards her at high speed, the girl screaming and banking around as they whizzed past.

"I'm sorry! Really!" she cried out. She flew around in a circle as the cards followed her then shot away as fast as she could. She looked back to see the cards closing in and screamed, then was caught in the air and taken off to the side quickly. She blinked then looked to see Rason holding her while flying off to the side.

"Ran? You ok?" he asked. The girl looked down to see another large ball of energy flying up towards them.

"SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME!" she cried out as she clung to the angel for dear life. The boy looked at her with worry then to the large ball of energy with surprise.

"Holy shit!" he yelled as he banked to the side and just missed the magical projectile as it flew past. It exploded behind him as the tarot cards raced towards them from the side. Before they hit they were sliced to pieces by razor sharp nails. Kurumu flew by and tore apart the cards then looked back to Rason.

"Are you two ok?" she asked. He nodded as Ran was trembling in his arms. Kurumu looked at them with surprise then down to the ground.

"Yukari!" she yelled out.

The two flew down to the ground where Moka was holding Yukari's wand up while the witch was hopping around franticly trying to get it. Gin was back in his human form and looking at the witch like she was out of her mind while Ahakon was staring at Ran with wide eyes still. Rin landed down and looked at her sister with worry while Rason set the girl down, who promptly dashed behind him in fear while Kurumu marched up to Yukari.

"What the hell was that about? You nearly killed her!" she yelled out.

"Give that back Moka! Give it back now!" Yukari cried out.

"What has gotten into you? Why were you attacking her like that?" Moka said shaking her head. Gin looked to Rason and smiled with relief.

"Good thing you guys were near, that could have been bloody." he said. Rason nodded while he looked back to the siren hiding behind him.

"Sister, are you ok?" Rin asked as she walked over to Ran. The blue haired girl nodded nervously while watching Yukari.

"Yukari explain yourself, what were you thinking?" Moka said with a firm tone.

"She wanted to have a threesome with Ahakon and me! She needs to die!" Yukari yelled out. The group blinked then looked over to Ran with wide eyes.

"What?" Moka said with shock.

"Sister?" Rin asked with surprise. Ran shook her head and with tears forming.

"I'm sorry, I thought that was what Ahakon wanted!" she cried out.

"What on earth gave you that idea?" Ahakon said with disbelief.

"Mizore, she told me you wanted me to join in with you and Yukari. She said you wanted that, really!" Ran cried out. Kurumu and Moka blinked then glanced over to the sidelines with glares.

"Mizore, what the hell is wrong-…Mizore?" Kurumu said looking around. The group looked around to see the snow maiden was nowhere in sight.

"What the…where is she?" Moka said. She jumped then looked to the sirens.

"You two were supposed to be watching her!" she cried out.

"We were! Then…she said Ahakon…wanted…me." Ran said as she looked down embarrassed.

"Wait, you mean you only thought…that he wanted…because…she…" Yukari said looking back to the siren. She blinked then started hopping up and down for her wand again.

"Give me that back Moka! Give it back! Mizore needs to die!" she cried out.

"You two let her out of your sight? What did I say to you? She's the sneakiest one here on campus besides Dark!" Moka cried out. The group jumped and looked to each other.

"Dark!" they said with surprise.

"She's going to try to find him." Gin said shaking his head.

"Oh no. No no no no, she can't find him early, she'll ruin the surprise." Rason said with worry.

"Just what is this surprise he's planning?" Kurumu asked.

"More importantly, where is he planning on doing this? We need to find him and make sure Mizore doesn't get to him first." Gin said quickly. Rason looked around at the group then towards the forest with worry.

"Yeah…Dark's going to kill me." he said weakly.

* * *

Mizore was dashing through the woods towards the dorm buildings, the girl smiling brightly as she raced towards where her beloved's dorm room was. She couldn't wait another moment to find out what her demon was planning on surprising her with and wanted to find him as soon as she could.

_What are you planning Dark? What are you up to?_

She raced into the boys dorm building and up the stairs, the girl's footsteps being quiet as she was skilled in moving around quickly undetected. She raced up to his room and silently pressed against the door, the girl listening carefully.

"Hmm, all quiet." she said softly. She carefully turned the handle and slowly opened the door, the girl peeking in with a careful eye. She looked in and saw the room empty. She glanced around the dorm room quickly then shut the door.

"Where did you go my love?" she asked looking around. She knew her friends would be after her soon and that she had to be quick. Still she didn't have a clue as to where the demon would have gone.

"Hmm, he needed Kokoa for something. Why her? And what for?" she asked as she looked down the hall. The girl ran down the stairs as fast as she could then toward the door to the front lobby. She stopped and looked out the window to see Kokoa running from the girls dorm building.

"Kokoa. Where are you off to?" Mizore said with a smirk. The redhead was carrying something in her arms as she ran into the forest along a beaten path. Mizore ran out and looked at the direction where the vampire was heading.

"What do we have here?" she asked herself playfully. She ran after the redhead, the snow girl's eyes having wonder and excitement in them. She darted into the trees and followed closely to Kokoa, the redhead running with a bright smile on her face. Mizore darted from tree to tree expertly as she kept a close eye on the vampire. As she did she noticed what Kokoa was holding, it was a second set of clothing for herself. Mizore watched the girl carefully as the vampire raced through the woods quickly.

_Another set of clothing, what's she up to?_

Mizore stopped as she hid behind a tree at the edge of the forest, the girl looking to see Kokoa running over to the cliffside where Dark was standing.

"There you are." Mizore said with a bright smile as she peeked around the tree. Kokoa raced up to him and started talking to the boy with excitement. Mizore watched them carefully as Dark was looking around, the boy not having his earbuds in.

_He's on high alert, this must be something big._

She glanced to see a small box next to Dark's foot while Kokoa set her clothing down on the ground next to it. She ran over to another part of the empty opening and looked back to Dark with a smile. The demon nodded then knelt down to pick up the box. He opened it and pulled something out of it along with a small pocket knife. Mizore watched closely but she couldn't tell what he was holding from that distance.

"What are you up to here Dark?" she asked herself quietly. She looked to Kokoa who was looking down at the ground with closed eyes, the vampire seeming to stand there as she focused on something. Mizore watched her closely then glanced to the second set of clothing.

_Her overcharge…she's going to use her overcharge. But…why?_

Mizore watched as Dark seemed to be working with something in his hands while Kokoa was standing a good distance away from him. Slowly but surely the redhead's clothing started to smoke, with small streaks of fire racing along her shoulders. Mizore watched them carefully as Dark glanced around every now and then before returning to work on something, the boy facing away from the forest. Mizore watched the boy carefully as she couldn't tell what he was doing then looked back over to Kokoa.

"What are they doing?" she asked herself shaking her head.

"Well it _was_ supposed to be a surprise." Rason said from behind. Mizore blinked then slowly glanced behind her. The group was looking at her with knowing smirks while Yukari growled with anger. The snow girl looked at them for a moment then smiled a bit.

"So…what is it then?" she asked.

"I'll tell you what it's not. A threesome." Yukari growled as she clenched her wand. Mizore glanced to her then looked to Ran.

"Oh, I might have been thinking about Kurumu and Luna with Rason on that, my bad." she said simply. Ran twitched a bit then looked at the girl with an annoyed expression while Kurumu and Rason just shook their heads.

"Your _bad_? She nearly killed me because of you." she growled out with annoyance. Mizore glanced to Yukari then to Rason.

"So what's the surprise?" she asked eagerly. Rason rolled his eyes then looked out to the cliffside.

"You'll find out soon enough Mizore." he said simply. The group looked over to see fire starting to build around Kokoa while Dark still worked on something that was hidden from view from the group. Everybody had been filled in on what Rason knew and were watching with anticipation while Mizore looked at the two with confusion still. After a while Dark stood up as he looked at something he was holding then over to where Kokoa's overcharge was still building. Mizore watched the girl closely as the fires started to flare around her wildly, her clothing starting to sear off into ash as her power grew exponentially.

"Can I get a hint?" Mizore asked.

BANG!

The snow girl dropped to the ground from a golden washtub hitting her on the head. She groaned a bit on the ground then looked to see Yukari looking at her with a dull expression.

"There's your hint." she said flatly. Ran giggled a bit while Mizore looked at the witch with worry and nodded, the snow maiden knowing she had that coming. They all looked back out as Kokoa's firestorm grew around her even more.

"Just be patient Mizore." Moka said softly as the group watched Kokoa's flames turn bright white as the heat intensified. The vampire was covered in the bright hot flames as her overcharge was accelerating fast due to her concentrating on it nonstop to speed up the process. After a while she looked to Dark and nodded, the demon facing her as he held something in his hand still. He tensed up a bit then gently tossed something to the redhead, the girl snatching it quickly with both her hands then holding it close to her chest as the fires around her blazed fiercely. Mizore looked at the girl curiously as the flames burned brightly and scorched the ground around her.

"What is she doing?" she asked.

"You'll see." Gin said with a smirk.

Kokoa held something close to her as her fires flared around her wildly while Dark just watched her carefully. Mizore watched the two with puzzlement, the snow maiden not understanding what was going on at all. After a while Kokoa nodded and set something down on the ground next to her, then raced off to another part of the cliffside.

"Kurumu, go tell Dark his girlfriend didn't do as he asked and followed him out here, I'm going to get Kokoa once she collapses." Rason said as he took off towards where the redhead was running. Kurumu smirked at the snow maiden then raced out towards Dark. Mizore looked at the demon with worry while an earth shattering explosion echoed out from nearby. The group stumbled a bit as the siren sisters looked around with fright.

"What was that?" Ran asked.

"Kokoa." Moka said simply.

"What?" Rin asked puzzled.

"We'll explain later." Yukari said with a giggle. They watched as Dark looked to seeing Kurumu running out to him. The succubus talked to him for a bit and pointed over to the tree line. The demon paused then said a few words before looking down at what Kokoa had left on the ground. Kurumu flew back over to the group and looked at Mizore with an amused smirk.

"He said you have to wait here until it's ready, and that you're going to get it tonight for disobeying him." she said with a shrug. Mizore blinked then glanced to Dark, the snow girl not sure if she should be worried about that statement or turned on greatly. After a while Rason flew back over with an unconscious and naked Kokoa, the angel setting her down next to Dark and her clothing. He waved over and Moka ran out to them. Mizore watched as Rason walked over to Dark while Moka started to dress her unconscious sister. By this point pretty much everybody had seen her naked, and Moka felt no real embarrassment on her sister's part for Rason having carried her here like that. Rason and Dark kneeled down and looked at something with wonder as Moka finished dressing her younger sister. Slowly Dark picked up something and looked at it with a keen eye then said a few words to Rason. He and the angel walked over to look at Kokoa while Moka looked at something in Dark's hand, the vampire holding her hands over her mouth as she stared with awe.

"What is going on here?" Mizore asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Kurumu said with a snicker. The group waited until Kokoa started to stir a bit, the girl blinking then slowly waking up. They had been waiting for what seemed like hours to Mizore as she was growing impatient to see what was happening.

"Ok, wait here Mizore. The rest of you follow me." Kurumu said as she ran out of the tree line. The group followed her as Mizore waited by the trees, the snow girl growing even more curious as to what was going on. Everybody ran over and Dark showed them something. Gin and Ahakon stared with wonder while the girls showed extreme excitement about something. Mizore looked at them with anxious eyes as she started fidgeting.

"This is torture." she said to herself.

Kokoa slowly got to her feet then looked at what Dark was holding, the vampire jumping with excitement as she yelled out something. Mizore looked at them carefully as every now and then one of them would look over to the tree line where she was and smile anxiously. After a very long wait Kurumu waved to Mizore for her to come over. The snow girl blinked then raced out as fast as she could, the girl running towards her demon with wonder. He had his hands down at his sides, the boy holding something in one of his hands as he watched the girl run up to him with a blank expression. The group stood off to the side and watched with eager smiles as Mizore looked from them to her boyfriend.

"I thought I told you to wait in the field Mizore." he said simply. The girl looked at him timidly and nodded.

"Well…I did. For a while, but…" she said softly.

"And I thought I told Moka to keep you there." Dark said glancing to the vampire. Moka jumped a bit and waved her hands defensively.

"Hey, I did. Then I asked Rin and Ran to watch them. They were the ones that let her slip away." She said looking to the sisters.

"Hey, don't pin this on us." Ran said shaking her head.

"Yeah, that was Ran's fault, I didn't know what was going on." Rin said holding her headphones. Ran twitched at that then smiled nervously at the shadow demon. Dark glanced to the group then back to Mizore.

"I gave you a simple order to stay put, and you go against me." He said with a raised eyebrow. The girl jumped a bit then looked down nervously.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…it's just…I wanted to know…" she said softly.

"You know, back in Fairy Tale, those that disobeyed their command were publicly shamed and penalized. The last occurrence that comes to mind was a whipping with an electrified chain." The demon said simply. Mizore jumped a bit then trembled while looking down. The group glanced to each other with smirks as Dark watched his girl carefully. After a pause Mizore slowly nodded.

"Ok…Dark. I'll accept…any punishment you wish to give. How many…lashes?" She said as she closed her eyes. To her surprise Dark chuckled, the girl looking at him with wide eyes. So rare was it for him to laugh or chuckle. Even the group looked to him with a bit of surprise.

"My dear Mizore, you don't honestly think I would ever do something like that to you, do you?" he asked with a slightly amused smirk. She looked at him with wonder as he shook his head and walked up to her.

"Haven't you seen how much you mean to me? Haven't you noticed that I would never wish for you to be harmed? Haven't you learned that you are the only girl I will ever love?" he asked gently.

"Dark…" she said softly as she blushed a bit. The boy held out his hand that wasn't holding anything and rested it on her chest.

"You bear my mark Mizore, my essence that has shown to all demons from hell that you are my wife." He said softly. She smiled softly and held a hand to hold his to her chest. The girl nodded and looked down with a loving sigh.

"However…" Dark said, the girl looking back up to him with a bit of worry from that word.

"You cannot see it, can you?" he asked. She looked down to her chest and slowly shook her head. Only Dark, Felucia, and Kenzo had ever seen her mark before, since only the eyes of a demon from hell would make it out. Even Kurumu, the daughter of the Lord of Hell, couldn't see it since she technically wasn't born in hell.

"No." she said softly. She knew what it looked like by design, the demon having drawn a picture of it when she asked. But she could never see her own mark over her heart.

"Nobody here can. Your family can't, your friends can't, nobody you come across will see it unless they are born from hell. As unique and special as it is, it doesn't show the world that you are mine." Dark said gently. Mizore looked to him with a bit of wonder as he looked at her chest. But he wasn't staring at her breasts, he was looking at the insignia that was illuminated for him to see, the mark that he had always seen over her heart.

"Dark…" she said softly.

"I love you Mizore." He said gently. She looked at him with a loving smile as he gently brushed the hair around her ear and away from her face. The group smiled at them as he gazed into the eyes of his snow maiden.

"I love you Dark." She said softly. She then watched with surprise as he slowly got down one knee before her. The boy gently took her left hand and held her fingers carefully.

"And I want the world to see that love Mizore, I want the world to see that you are to be my wife." He said softly.

"Dark…" she breathed out.

"So, I decided to make it official, so everybody can see that you are mine." He said as he brought up his other hand. Mizore watched with wide eyes, then trembled as she looked to her hand. The group watched with eager smiles as Dark slid something onto a certain finger of the snow maiden.

"Dark." Mizore said quietly as a tear started to form. She shakily brought her hand up and looked with wide eyes. On her hand was a ring, and not just any ordinary ring.

"Oh…my…" she said as she stared at the ring with awe. It was a ring made of solid crystal, the band seeming to be a shimmering ring with smooth edges to it. At the top of it was a place for an insignia, and it had the demon's mark etched into it. The ring seemed to give off a soft blackish hue that swirled around inside the crystal band. She stared at it speechless then looked to Dark who slowly stood back up.

"A ring, forged from hand carved ice and the heat of Kokoa's overcharge, and imbued with my essence, to show the world and all that see it that you are my wife Mizore." He said gently. Mizore stared at it with an open mouth then looked to Kokoa. The vampire giggled and nodded. Mizore looked at her with awe then to Dark.

"Dark…" she said softly. He smiled at her gently as she cried a bit with a smile on her face.

"Thank you." she said looking at it with admiration. She let out a cry of happiness then leapt into a hug with the boy.

"Thank you!" she cried out as he held her.

"Congratulations Mizore, now its official." Moka said happily. Mizore held onto her boyfriend and looked down at her hand, the girl's eyes watering up from seeing the ring over her finger.

"That means…I'm…I'm…" she said with excitement.

"Engaged." Kokoa said with a nod. Mizore squealed with excitement then hugged her demon with joy.

"Wow, how did he make such a pretty ring for her?" Rin asked curiously.

"Like he said, he used Kokoa's overcharge." Gin said holding his girl from behind. She nodded with a proud smile as Rin tilted her head with puzzlement.

"What does that mean?" the blonde haired siren asked.

"It's like Dark said. He carved out a ring from a block of ice, imbued it with his demonic essence, then had Kokoa superheat it with her overcharge. The extreme heat and pressure from her monster energy turned the ice into a solid crystal." Yukari explained as Mizore tossed her lollipop to the side and kissed her boyfriend. Well, technically now he was her fiancé.

"It looks beautiful Mizore." Moka said kindly. Mizore let the kiss break and looked to the ring as she backed up a step. The other girls walked up and admired the unique band while Dark smiled gently at his snow maiden.

"Wow, you did good man." Rason said with a nod.

"I'll say, now that's a wedding ring." Gin said with a laugh.

"It's so pretty." Ran said with a bright smile.

"Wow, who gave that to you?" Rin said with a similar smile. She blinked then tapped her headphones as the girls looked at the special gift for the snow maiden. Mizore smiled happily then looked to her demon.

"Dark…thank you." She said softly. The demon nodded and smiled at her, the girl feeling warm from the inside out from his love.

"I wish Tsukune was here to see this." Moka said softly.

"We'll let him know next time we see him. I'm pretty sure he's on the guest list for the wedding after all." Rason said with a smirk. Moka nodded and looked at Mizore with a gentle smile. The snow maiden finally had her engagement ring. She had been Dark's unofficial wife since the day he marked her heart, yet now it was official to everybody that couldn't see her demonic mark. She was Dark's future wife, it was clear as day. The vampire sighed happily at her friend, then started to wonder if she too would be proposed to by her loved one. She already knew that she loved him with all her heart, and it was pretty clear that he loved her just the same.

_I wonder…if he's thought about that yet._

**_With all that's been happening to him lately, I wonder if he's even had time to. Still, I have been rather curious about that myself._**

_Maybe…when he hears about Mizore's ring…_

**_It might give him just the incentive he needs to take action._**

Moka giggled a bit to herself and smiled at her friend. As she thought about what Tsukune would do to propose to her, with both herself and her inner self wondering about how he would go about it, Kurumu was looking at Rason with a coy smile while he held her close.

"So angel boy, getting any ideas?" she asked with a purr. The boy jumped a bit and looked at her with a nervous smile.

"What…what do you mean dear?" he asked shakily. She giggled and hugged him closer.

"Well, Mizore has a ring…" she said with an innocent smile. Rason smiled nervously at his girlfriend then glanced to Dark.

"Yeah…she does. How about that." The angel said with a bit of sweat forming as he realized where this was going.

Kokoa looked at Mizore's ring with wonder then down as she held out her hand in front of her. Gin looked down to see the vampire looking at her own wedding finger curiously then timidly glancing back to him.

"Gin…" she said softly. The boy jumped a bit and trembled slightly then glanced over to Dark, the wolf knowing what his girlfriend was about to ask now.

Yukari looked at the happy snow girl with wonder then to Ahakon. The boy glanced to her to see she was smiling curiously at him.

"Yukari?" the boy asked.

"Um…were you planning on…with me…also?" she asked timidly. The boy blinked then looked at her with wide eyes.

"What? But…so soon?" he asked fearfully. The witch looked at him with a frown and disappointed eyes.

"Don't you love me the same way Ahakon?" she asked. The boy stammered and nodded quickly while he tried to think of what to say.

"Well? What about that Rason?" Kurumu asked expectedly. The angel backed up a bit while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Um…well…you already know that I'll marry you Kurumu, I've already…said I would." He said with a weak smile.

"So what's the problem then?" Kurumu asked as she walked closer to him.

"Gin…" Kokoa asked as she turned back to face the wolf. The boy looked at her nervously and backed up a bit.

"Kokoa…shouldn't we…you know…take things…a bit slow? I mean…it's a bit soon for us, don't you think?" he asked. She looked at him curiously then narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, she got a ring." she said sternly with her hands at her hips.

"Why not me as well?" Kurumu said shaking her head.

"Don't you want to marry me too Ahakon?" Yukari asked worriedly. The three boys backed up and looked at their girlfriends with worry while stammering a bit. They blinked then looked over to the shadow demon who was still watching his snow maiden.

"Dark!" they all shouted out.

Moka and the siren sisters watched the three boys yell at the demon, all of them shouting out how bad the demon was making them look, while glancing back to their girls who had expectant faces and having their hands at their hips. Moka giggled a bit and looked up into the sky as she wondered about marrying Tsukune while the two siren sisters watched the group curiously. As the couples had a colorful conversation about future plans, plans that the girls were insistent on, Mizore was looking at her ring with awe and wonder. She smiled happily and looked to Dark with loving eyes, the demon smiling gently at his bride to be.

_Thank you Dark, for this perfect gift. I'll treasure it always, as I do with you, my perfect husband._


	25. Guardian Angel

Inside The Bluefish Inn all was quiet as a young snow angel was looking down deep in thought. Arial had her arms crossed before her and was thinking really hard about how to help the inn regain its business to help out a wife in need. Sun and Marin watched her as the girl's eyebrow twitched while she had a slightly frustrated expression. The two girls glanced to each other then to the snow angel as minutes went by without a word being said. After a while Arial nodded then looked to the two with a determined expression.

"Ok." she said firmly.

"Ok?" Marin asked. Sun blinked then just held up her sketchpad that had a question mark on it. Arial looked between the two and nodded.

"I've given it a lot of thought about how to help you get more customers in your inn." she said proudly.

"And what have you thought of?" Marin asked curiously.

"And after careful thinking, I've come to one realization." Arial said with a nod. Sun again held up the sketchpad with the question mark on it. Arial blinked then shrugged.

"I haven't a clue how to run an inn." she said simply. Marin and Sun staggered while Arial looked up with a thoughtful expression.

"I mean, I have no idea how to run a business in general. So that doesn't help much." she said plainly.

"Well…thank you for the offer anyway." Marin said with a weak smile while Sun just rolled her eyes.

"How come other inns are doing better than yours anyway? What do they have that yours doesn't?" Arial asked.

"Well, they all have something I don't. Things such as entertainment theaters, bars, and hot springs come to mind. When me and my husband built this place we wanted a peaceful place for people to relax, someplace to get away from all their worries and stress. It used to be enough to have a place on the beach to relax and spend a carefree day, but now…" Marin said looking down with worry. Arial nodded then looked around.

"Well…sounds like we need something to draw customers in then, something that the other places don't have." she said simply. Sun looked around curiously as Marin sighed a bit.

"I can't afford to add anything along those lines to my inn though, I just don't have the money. If I don't raise enough money by the end of the month this could be…the last month I have this place." she said softly. Sun looked at her worriedly then wrote something on her pad.

We'll think of something, don't give up hope Marin.

"Thank you Sun, but I just don't know what we could do." Marin said shaking her head gently.

"There has to be something we can do to draw people here. We just need to think of something that people can't see anywhere else." Arial said worriedly.

"Like a monster?" a voice said from behind. The three looked to see a man standing by the door with a slight smile. He had long black hair that went down to his neck, the hair being messy as he had a black goatee. He had dark eyes that had a green shimmer to the edges, the man wearing dark shoes, black dress pants, and a white shirt with a black dress shirt that was left unbuttoned. Sun blinked then looked to Arial, the silent girl then quickly grabbing the box costume and throwing it over the angel. The man chuckled and shook his head amusingly as the snow girl screamed and tried to stop the silent girl from forcing the costume onto her.

"You don't need panic, I'm not exactly human myself after all." he said with a shrug. Sun and Arial stopped thrashing around and looked to him curiously.

"Oh? You're a monster too?" Arial said curiously. The man glanced to her and nodded.

"Well I'm certainly not human, so that would mean yes little girl. Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear your little discussion. I have a habit of eavesdropping, a little guilty pleasure of mine." he said with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, well, sorry to keep you waiting like that. If you're here for a room I'll gladly rent one to you, we serve all kinds here." Marin said graciously. The man chuckled and walked up towards the counter as he looked around.

"Am I the only one here? It's so quiet." he said looking back to Marin with a curious smile. The woman nodded and looked down worriedly.

"Yes…I'm afraid so." she said softly.

"Perfect." the man said with a wide smile. The girls looked to him as he dropped a large stack of money on the counter. Marin stared at it with wide eyes then looked to the man as her jaw dropped.

"I was looking for a place that was quiet, it just so happens that I like places where one can just relax and let their worries float away. I'd like to rent the entire inn for the night." he said with a wink. Marin wavered then grabbed the counter to keep from dropping to the ground.

"You…want…to rent…the entire inn?" she asked in disbelief. He showed a bit of concern and looked to the money.

"Oh, is this not enough? I apologize, I'm still getting used to using human currency. Here, how about if I add this." he said as he placed a large blue emerald on the counter. The girls looked at it with wide eyes as he smiled at the woman.

"Wow…" Arial said in wonder. Sun just nodded and looked at the man with awe.

"You see I'm here on business and I do so hate the crowded inns around the area. I was hoping to find someplace I could have some peace and quiet, and since this place isn't taken yet I'll happily rent the entire thing to make sure it stays that way tonight." he said graciously.

"Oh…my…wow…" Marin said with disbelief. Sun shakily wrote down some words and showed the woman.

Holy shit!

Marin nodded then looked at the man with wonder. After a moment she smiled with amazement.

"Yes…yes of course. You just saved my business sir, of course you can have the entire inn to yourself tonight." she said graciously. The man clapped his hands together with a warm smile.

"Terrific, this place seems so calm and peaceful, just what I needed to unwind between my assignments." he said with a nod. He glanced to Sun then smiled at her.

"And, do you by chance work here miss?" he asked. Sun slowly nodded while looking at the man with wonder still.

"Yes, this is Sun, she'll be helping you feel at home here." Marin said gesturing to the girl. Sun bowed a bit gracefully as the man smirked a bit, his eye showing a greenish gleam briefly.

"Well, it's great to know that I'll have a beautiful girl here if I need anything." he said with a smile. Sun blushed a bit and smiled a bit back. She glanced to Arial, the snow girl looking at the man curiously.

"What kind of monster are you sir?" she asked. The man glanced back to her and smirked.

"Well, that's not something you need to know is it? Besides, I prefer to keep in human form when traveling around, just to keep things simple." he said simply.

"Human form or monster form, make yourself at home however you wish sir." Marin said graciously.

"Thank you ma'am." the man said with a smile. He looked around then to Sun.

"Well, care to show me to my room, um, Sun was it?" he asked. The girl nodded with a curious smile then motioned for him to follow. He smiled with a twinkle in his eye and nodded. She led the man up the stairs to the side as Marin was looking with awe at the money and emerald on the counter.

"Wow, I wish all customers could be like him." she said with amazement.

"I know, you would only need one of them a month and you would be set." Arial said with a nod.

"This is incredible. My inn is saved, and it's all because of just one customer. It's too good to be true." Marin said with amazement. Arial smiled at the woman with relief, the snow angel glad that a fellow wife had fortune returned upon her. Marin started counting the money with a happy smile as the snow girl walked over to the living room.

"Well that's one crisis over with. Still, I wish I could have seen Dark tonight." she said with a soft smile.

"Don't worry my dear, Sun will take you on the train towards your friend tomorrow. Just relax tonight and-" Marin started before she glanced over as the temperature dropped around the area, the woman seeing the snow girl's hair frosted over and the ground below her freezing solid.

"Husband." the snow girl said through bared teeth. Marin blinked then smiled nervously.

"Yes, I mean your _husband_. Heh heh…anyway, just relax my dear. You've had quite a day coming back to life and all." she said with a weak laugh before returning to counting the money. Arial's power receded and she nodded, then looked up with a bit of wonder.

"Yeah…I did come back." she said quietly. She was slightly curious what the world she went through between heaven and the human world was, and those strange monsters that were appearing there. She shuddered a bit and looked down as she walked over and sat down on a chair. She remembered the way those monsters killed those angels right before her, and how they tried to go after her as well.

_It was worth it, whatever it takes to get to my Dark again. I'll go through hell itself if I have to._

Upstairs Sun was walking down a hallway with the man following behind her. It was a hallway that ran along one side of the inn then turned and ran along the back of the building. On one side of the hall were windows showing the neighboring building with the seaside being seen out the back windows and there were doors leading to rooms on the other side.

"My my, such a nice little place you have here. It's a shame business hasn't been going well for you." The man said with a simple smile. Sun nodded and showed him her sketchpad.

Yes, it is unfortunate. Marin has dedicated her life to this place, I'd hate to see it close down after she's worked so hard on it.

"Such a caring girl you are, are you her daughter?" the man asked curiously. Marin shook her head as she wrote down more, the girl then showing the pad to the man with a gentle smile.

No, but she's like a mother to me. I've been helping out with this place after I graduated school. This place is like a second home to me.

"I see, well that's very kind of you to help somebody like that. If I may ask, what is it that makes a monster such as yourself so kind to humans?" the man asked curiously. Sun blinked then glanced to him with a raised eyebrow. The man chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, perhaps that's none of my business, I was just curious." He said with a smile. Sun stopped before a doorway and wrote down something else.

How did you know I was a monster?

The man chuckled and walked up to her with a slick smile, the girl backing up and going through the doorway.

"Not just any monster, I heard you were quite a powerful one at that. I was surprised to see you looked like an ordinary girl, but I'm no stranger to the concept of things not always being how they are seen." He said simply. Sun looked at him carefully as she wrote down something else on her pad.

How did you hear about me? Who are you?

The man walked up to her and gently slid one of his arms around her waist, the girl looking with wide eyes as he held her close. He leaned closer to her and smirked a bit, the girl glancing to the door with worry. He gently brushed her hair with his other hand as he held her securely.

"Why, just another monster of course." He said as he rested his hand on her head. It glowed a dark bluish hue as Sun showed signs of surprise. She jerked back as she seemed to be screaming, the girl's voice not being heard still as her eyes were wide. The girl wavered then collapsed into his arms, the girl seeming to pass out as she dropped her sketchpad.

"What the hell?" Marin cried out. Arial looked over to see the woman staring at disbelief as the money and emerald turned to ash and dissolved right before her eyes. She shakily ran her hand through the dust and looked to Arial with shock.

"What happened?" Arial asked running over.

"The money…it all…fell apart." Marin said shaking her head. Arial looked at the money then growled a bit.

"That jerk…he's just another deceiving monster." she barked out as she ran over and up the stairs. Marin shook her head with discontent then followed after. The snow girl ran up the stairs then looked around. Arial opened a door and looked around inside the empty guest room with narrowed eyes.

"Hey! Mr. Asshole!" she yelled as she ran over and opened another door. Marin ran up next to her and they both looked inside the empty room.

"I should have known that would have been too good to be true." she said with discontent. They ran over to the next door and opened it, this room also being empty.

"I'll make him sorry for that, I promise." Arial growled as her hand frosted over a bit. They ran down the hall and around the corner to see a door open down the hallway.

"Hey Sun! Don't give him a room, his money was an illusion!" Arial yelled as they ran down the hall towards the door. They got to the doorway and looked inside, both jumping with a gasp at the sight. Inside the room were the normal accommodations for the inn; a bed, a dresser, a closet, a table, a ceiling fan.

And the man holding Sun in his arm, the silent girl seeming to be unconscious as the stranger chuckled a bit. The silent girl's sketchpad was lying on the ground by her feet as her head was hanging down, the girl held up by the waist with his arm holding her securely.

"Oh dear, was that money no good here? Well no matter, I've decided I won't be staying after all. It's time for me to return to work." he said as black feathered wings extended out from behind him.

"Sun!" Arial cried out.

"What…what you doing? Put her down!" Marin yelled out.

"No, I don't believe so. Now, if you'll excuse me." he said as he arched his wings back. Arial growled as her hands formed into ice claws, but before she could move the man held out a hand and a bright red flame burned around his hand and palm. Marin gasped and grabbed the snow girl, the woman pulling her back and throwing them into the hall as a blast of fire shot out of the room and detonated against the wall with the windows. The wall was completely destroyed as smoke and flames flew about from the impact, with glass and flames bursting outside. Marin coughed as she shielded Arial, the snow girl looking back to seeing the winged monster shooting out through the newly formed hole in the wall.

"Sun!" Arial cried out as she broke free from Marin and ran towards the hole in the wall. The fires around it burned brightly before they suddenly froze over, the woman looking back to see Arial bracing to jump out as well. In a flash the ground and walls around her frosted over as a cold chill flew down the hall. The snow girl shot out into the air then followed after the winged monster while Marin looked out the window with wide eyes.

"Oh no…Sun." she said softly. She then looked to see the frozen hallway where Arial had left from.

"Arial…" she said worriedly a she looked back out at the sky.

Outside in the air the winged monster was flying over the rolling waves while holding Sun securely, the girl seeming to be out cold as her hair flowed in the wind.

"That wasn't so tough. I thought capturing this one would have been more difficult. Haha, if I had known you were so weak I would have just ran in and grabbed you. To think I had to speak to such lesser beings like that." the monster said with a scoff. He looked at the girl as she seemed to sleep soundly in his arms.

"Well no matter, my master wishes to have you under his command. I personally don't see what's so special about you, but whatever he wants, he gets." he said simply.

"Sun!" Arial's voice cried out. The monster looked back to see a white and grayish glow in the distance. Below it the water was freezing into ice spires before slowly melting back again, the glow seeming to trail the frozen spikes below it from the water.

"What…that little girl is persistent. My how children have become so stupid these days." the monster said shaking his head. He looked ahead then weaved to the side as a large spire of ice seemed to shoot up from the water, the spire crashing down into the water which froze over instantly. The monster looked back to see the glow racing up to him, with the snow girl glaring at him with her hands frozen into claws.

"Let her go!" she yelled as she flew at him. The man chuckled then aimed his free hand back, a red hot glow forming around the palm once again.

"You should have stayed back there little girl, this is none of your concern." he said as he fired a blast of fire at the girl. He then watched as the snow girl focused her monster energy, the air around her swirling around with a sub-arctic blast that caused the fireball to turn to ice and shatter before reaching her. She yelled out with fury as the torrent of chilled air blasted out around her. The water below her froze over instantly as her wings trailed frost and snow.

"What? How?" the monster said with disbelief.

"Let her go now!" Arial screamed as she flew to him with her claws. The man turned to fire again at her before the angel dove down and splashed into the water. The man looked down as he hovered in place while the water rolled by below him. Suddenly the water blasted up and froze over into spires as Arial shot up towards him with narrowed eyes. She flew behind the monster and sliced her claw up along his back, the monster yelling out as he let the silent girl go. She fell down and landed with a soft thump as the water below turned to snow and slush. She lay there unconscious as Arial had her hand held out towards her in the air.

"Got you." she said softly.

"Why you…that was a mistake you little brat." the monster growled as he glared at the snow girl. Arial's hand reformed into her ice claw and she glared back at the monster, the girl's aura flowing around in erratic wisps.

"No, the mistake was you taking my friend." Arial hissed as she flew towards the monster. The man flew up as the girl swung her claw at him, the man then grabbing her by the foot and swinging her around. He launched her into the air then whipped out two more fireballs towards the girl. They whistled loudly as they raced up to her, the snow girl reorienting then weaving around them. She screamed out in pain as the heat alone zapped her strength. She wavered then dropped in altitude as the man aimed his hand at her again.

"Stupid girl." he growled as he fired another blast of fire towards the angel. She spiraled as she dropped towards the water then quickly stopped herself, the girl focusing her power and jettisoning a large ice spire from the water up before her. The blast of fire struck it and exploded into a large fireball, the snow girl flying back into a tumble and crashing onto the frozen pile of snow and slush that Sun was lying on. Arial skidded to a stop as her hand rested in the rolling water while the winged monster slowly flew down and hovered above her.

"I must say, you certainly have some tricks for a girl of your age. However I'm not up for playing anymore, and this game ends now." he said as he focused his fire magic to his hand while aiming at the snow girl. She growled and shakily looked up to him, then focused her power as the water where her hand was in froze over instantly. From below a few ice shards shot up and struck at the man. He dodged back as one sliced across his hand, the man yelling in pain as he grabbed hold of it while wavering slightly.

"You…won't…take her!" Arial screamed as she held out her ice claw to the monster. Suddenly ice spires and shards shot up from the ground and raced towards the monster, the man looking with surprise as the girl's monster energy spiked briefly while her hair frosted over. He growled then waved his arm, the man sending out a large wave of fire that burned with a purplish and red glow. The spires crashed into it and a blast of smoke and steam flew out as the two attacks collided. Arial slowly got to her feet before the monster flew down through the smoke and kicked her down, the girl crashing through the snowy island and shooting into the water. The monster growled and looked around with frustration.

"What the hell was that? She's just a kid, she can't-" he said before Arial shot up from below, the girl screaming with fury as she struck one of her claws into the man's chest and flew up with him. The water from below shot up and formed into ice spires instantly as the exit point of the snow angel's surfacing looked like a frozen explosion of spikes and shards. Arial shot into the air with the man looking with wide eyes, then she slashed at his face with a powerful swipe of her claw. The man flew back a bit before he stopped and flew in place, the monster slowly looking back to the girl as blood dripped from his face. Under his skin were black and dark red scales, the monster growling as he shifted into his full form. His feathered wings shifted into reptilian wings as the feathers seemed to meld into them. His body size increased as the shirts over his chest ripped and tore a bit. His long reptilian tail appeared behind him as he growled loudly at the snow girl.

"What the hell are you anyway kid?" the monster hissed as Arial flew in place before him.

"A pissed off angel." She hissed, then flew at him again. The monster slashed at her with his claws, the girl dodging to the side and firing off an ice shard towards his back. The shard shattered instantly as the monster turned and swiped at her again in the air.

"Ha, is that all?" he laughed as fire raced around his arm and gathered in his palm. He fired out a fiery blast towards the snow girl, the angel dodging down and flying straight down into the water. The monster looked down and around before the angel shot up again, the water seeming to explode and freeze into a frozen display of spires and spikes as the girl flew up towards the monster. An ice spire seemed to race up next to her, the girl throwing the large shard towards the monster. He growled then dodged to the side, the shard slicing across his leg briefly and drawing more blood. Arial shot up next to the monster and clawed at his back, the girl then darting down as he swung around at her.

"Hold still you little insect!" the monster yelled out. Arial darted around and screamed with anger, the girl letting out a blast wave of chilled air. The monster tumbled back slightly as ice and frost appeared on him, the dark being growling as the ice shattered off of him. He watched as the girl shook with anger, her teeth bared as her hair was frozen over.

"Nobody…hurts…MY FRIENDS!" She yelled as the air around her seemed to explode into a frozen wave, with ice spikes and shards expanding out from the girl. The monster looked with surprise as the air around the girl shot outward into frozen spikes, then dodged and ducked around a few as they flew out. A wave of super chilled air shot by and created another layer of frost and ice on the dark being as Arial yelled out with anger, the girl's aura flaring up briefly before flickering erratically. The monster showed signs of frustration and aimed his hand at the girl again, with fire building up around it and burning brightly.

"You damned pest!" he yelled as he fired a dark red stream of fire towards the angel. The girl watched with narrowed eyes then shot up and over the fire, the angel then screaming out as the heat shot by and washed over her. She trembled a bit in the air then looked to the monster with a glare as she started breathing heavily. She growled as her eyesight tried to focus on the enemy flying in the sky with her as the monster aimed his hand at her still.

"You…you-" she started before she suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over her, the girl feeling her strength suddenly dropping and her body feeling heavy. The girl felt her monster energy drop suddenly as she wavered in place. The monster looked at her cautiously then chuckled.

"Heh heh, you don't look so well. I think you may have been using too much energy out here kid." he said with a smirk, his scaled lips curling bit to show his fangs.

"I'm…fine. I'm going…to kick…your ass." Arial said weakly as she flew off balance. She wavered then dropped down in a daze as the monster laughed. She tumbled through the air then landed with a soft thump on the frozen patch of water down below, the girl kicking up snow that swirled around the little island.

"Hahahaha, oh yes, I'm shaking up here. Please don't hurt me." the monster said with a laugh. He narrowed his eyes as he flew down towards the island gently, the monster touching down as he stood over the dazed snow girl. She was groaning as her world was fading to black, the girl feeling like all her monster energy was drained.

"Well that was quite the show little girl. You definitely surprised me. However you drew my blood, and for that you're going to have to die." the monster said as he held his hand back, the claws shimmering a bit as he glared down at the snow girl. Arial shakily looked up to him as her eyes focused a bit, the girl trying to get back up as her strength was drained. She then slowly glanced to the side then went wide eyed. The monster chuckled, then paused. He glanced down to where Sun was lying, and saw that she wasn't there anymore. He slowly looked over behind him as he lowered his hand.

"S…un." Arial breathed out.

Standing on the edge of the frozen patch of water was Sun, the girl's hair flowing gently behind her as she was glaring at the winged monster.

"Oh, you woke up. Well no matter, you're coming with me right after I deal with your little friend here." the monster said with a dark smile. Sun glanced to Arial, the snow girl looking at her with weary eyes. The dark monster chuckled and looked down at the angel.

"This won't take long." he said as he prepared to strike down the girl again. Sun glanced to Arial, then held her hands over her ears and nodded at the snow angel. Arial watched her curiously as Sun repeated the gesture then looked to the monster with a glare as her hands returned to her sides. Arial looked at the girl with a bit of wonder then shakily brought up her hands to cover her ears. The monster looked at her with a chuckle as he geared back to strike.

"Haha, what do you think you're doing there? If anything you should be covering your eyes." he asked with a smirk. Arial kept her eyes locked onto Sun, the dark monster then slowly glancing back to her. He then looked at her curiously as white feathered wings appeared behind her. Arial looked at the girl with wonder as her white feathered wings fluttered a bit in the breeze.

"Oh, I see. Are you thinking of running away? You can't escape me Sun." the monster laughed as he turned to face the girl. Arial looked at Sun with wonder as the silent girl kept her eyes locked onto the monster. She felt a bit lightheaded from the lack of energy but kept holding her hands to her ears. The monster chuckled and started walking toward the silent girl.

"Or, are you thinking of fighting me? Surely you can't be that foolish to assume you can defeat me." he said with a dark gleam in his eye. The silent girl just kept glaring at him as she stood still. The monster looked at her with an amused grin while Arial watched the silent girl as she held her hands over her ears.

_Sun…run…get away from him!_

The monster laughed as he grabbed hold of the silent girl's arm. Sun just kept glaring at him as her hair flowed gently behind her in the breeze. Arial watched her friend with worry as the girl made no effort to break free from being held.

"Now, let's put an end to this little brat and take you to your new home." the monster said as he looked back to Arial and aimed his other hand at her, the palm again glowing a bright red as Arial watched with fright. Sun continued to stand there and glare at the monster for a moment, then narrowed her eyes.

"No." she said simply. The monster blinked then looked back to her with a glance.

"You're done." she said coldly, the girl's voice seeming to echo out into the sky with a dark tone. The monster looked back to her as Arial watched with worry. Before he could say a word Sun yelled out, the girl's voice sending out a massive burst of sonic energy and blasting apart the frozen ground around her. The monster was thrown back at high speed as the frozen island seemed to shatter and break apart from the sound wave. Arial drifted on a small piece of ice, the snow girl looking with wide eyes as Sun hovered above the rolling waves with her wings. The air around her seemed to ripple and distort a bit before returning to normal. The dark monster stopped his tumble through the air then hovered in place, the winged monster shakily looking back to the girl. His ears were bleeding as his eyes dripped a bit of blood.

"What…what are you…" he coughed out as blood dripped from his mouth. Sun narrowed her eyes, then opened her mouth with what seemed to be a scream, although no sound was heard. Arial held her hands over her ears still as she watched her friend look like she was screaming loudly. The snow girl blinked then looked over to the dark monster. He was looking at Sun with wide eyes as his body seemed to be turning a bit red. He coughed out blood as his eyes started bleeding. His ears dripped blood as he started breathing raggedly. He shakily looked down at his hands as he felt his body start to ache all over. He trembled a bit then coughed out more blood, the monster wavering in the air. Arial watched as the monster shakily hovered in the air, then yelled out before his head and upper body seemed to blast apart into pieces. The snow girl watched with wide eyes as the flying monster seemed to burst apart from the inside before dropping down to the water in pieces. Slowly Arial looked over to see Sun looking down at where the fallen monster vanished with a dull glare then over to her curiously. The snow girl lowered her hands and stared at the flying silent girl with wonder as she flew over to the small ice patch and landed down.

"What…what did you do…" Arial said before losing consciousness and passing out. Sun looked at the girl with a bit of worry then to where the dark monster vanished into the water.

* * *

Marin was looking out the window of the inn towards where the three had flown off, the woman having worry on her face as she had one hand held against the glass and the other holding Sun's sketchpad. Next to her the hallway was a mess, with broken glass and bits of the wall strewn about next to a large hole in the side of the hall while puddles of water were everywhere from the melting ice left by the snow angel. The woman watched the skies worriedly as she stood there, her eyes searching for any sign of the two girls.

"Please be ok…please be ok." she said softly. She looked down to the sketchpad in her hand, the woman showing worry about her silent friend.

"Hey Marin." Sandra called out from behind. The woman looked back to see the girl turning the corner and walking towards her down the hall.

"Hey, I got somebody coming over tomorrow for- what the hell?" Sandra cried out as she saw the broken wall and damaged hallway. She looked around with wide eyes then to Marin.

"What happened here?" she said shaking her head. Marin glanced around then down to the sketchpad in her hands.

"Well…" she said softly. Suddenly Sandra screamed and pointed to something behind the woman. Marin looked back to see Sun flying through the hole in the wall carrying Arial, both monsters having their wings seen clearly. The snow angel was unconscious in her arms as the silent girl landed down gently in the hall.

"Sun! Arial! You're ok!" Marin cried out as she ran over to them. Sun held Arial in her arms with worry then looked over to the woman with a smile. She glanced over then jumped with surprise to see Sandra staring at them with shock. Marin looked back then gasped as she looked between the two.

"She's…she's…a monster!" Sandra cried out. She looked to Arial and pointed to her with fright.

"She's one too! Those two are freakin' monsters! What…what the hell is going on here?" she cried out.

"Sandra wait, it's ok. Calm down" Marin pleaded.

"What the hell, did they do this?" Sandra said looking around in shock.

"No, another monster came here, he did this. He tried to kidnap Sun and things got out of hand." Marin said shaking her head.

"Another one of those things is here?" Sandra yelled out. Sun showed a bit of annoyance at the term 'things' as Marin walked over to the freaked out girl.

"There was one, but it's gone now. Please calm down, let me explain." she pleaded.

"Holy fuck, I'm calling the HDA!" Sandra cried out as she took off down the hall.

"Sandra don't! You can't!" Marin cried out as she ran after her. Sun followed as well while still carrying the sleeping snow angel.

"Holy fuck!" Sandra yelled out as she ran down the stairs and over to the front counter. She picked up the phone before Marin ran over and grabbed it, the two wrestling to hold onto it.

"Wait you can't!" Marin pleaded.

"Are you insane? We have monsters here destroying the place! We need to call them now!" Sandra yelled out.

"But you can't have them come here, Sun isn't registered!" Marin cried out as she tried to pry the phone away. Sun ran down the stairs and watched the two wrestling for the phone. Sandra looked at Sun with shock then to Marin.

"You're harboring an illegal monster here? Are you out of your mind? We need to get the HDA here right now, I am not going to jail all because of her!" she yelled as she tried to pry the phone away from Marin. Sun ran over to the living area and rested Arial down on a chair, then ran over to the two fighting girls. Sandra looked to her then screamed, the girl backing away while staring with wide eyes of fright at the silent girl.

"Get back! Get back you fucking monster!" she yelled out. Sun looked at her with worry then took her sketchpad back from Marin, the girl quickly writing something down.

Please Sandra, let us explain.

"Explain? You're a monster here illegally and now you've got more of your kind coming here and wrecking the place! Get out of here you damned monster!" Sandra yelled out. She grabbed a nearby broom and started swinging it at Sun, the silent girl ducking and darting back while the human girl swung at her furiously.

"I always knew you were a freak, I knew it! Get out of here before you destroy even more of this place!" she yelled out loudly. Sun darted around each swing as Marin watched with worry.

"Please calm down Sandra, let us talk about this. Sun isn't a bad monster, really." She pleaded. She ran over and grabbed hold of the broom and started trying to pull it away.

"Talk about this? Marin, as your financial advisor I have to say you're out of your fucking mind having this thing here! There is a hole in the wall upstairs, you've let this illegal monster work here, and now we've got more of these things coming here! That's the last thing we could possibly want!" Sandra yelled out. Sun blinked then looked down in thought.

"Please Sandra, you don't understand. She's not a bad monster, neither is Arial." Marin pleaded before Sandra knocked her away and swung her broom at Sun. The silent girl took the hit to the face and stumbled back before falling down, the girl shaking off the hit and looking to see Sandra gearing the broom back behind her for another swing.

"You goddamned bitch, you don't belong here, get lost!" she yelled out. Sun looked at her with wide eyes as the girl swung the broom at her again. Before it could hit an object whizzed past, with the broom breaking in half and falling out of Sandra's hands. She looked at her empty hands then over to see Arial standing up, the girl's wings fluttering a bit behind her as she had one hand outstretched towards her.

"Please stop trying to hit my friend with a broom." she said flatly. Sandra looked at the girl with fright as Sun slowly got back onto her feet. Marin looked over to see an ice shard stuck to the wall then over to Arial with a bit of wonder.

"You…you're a monster too. Are you registered? Are you? Does the HDA know about you?" Sandra asked franticly. Arial glanced to Sun then shook her head.

"Holy fuck, you've got two illegal monsters here? Call the HDA now!" Sandra cried out as she dashed towards the counter. She slipped on a patch of ice and crashed down onto the ground with a thud. Arial and Sun walked over to her as the girl groaned a bit. Marin walked back and put the phone away then looked over to the girls.

"Want me to freeze her?" Arial asked simply. Sun shook her head with a worried expression as Sandra looked up at them with fright.

"Sandra, please. I beg of you to listen to us. You can't let them take Sun away." Marin pleaded.

"Are you crazy? She's not supposed to be here, you could go to jail for her merely being here like this." Sandra said trembling.

"I don't care, I won't let them take her away." Marin said shaking her head.

"What? Why on earth don't you care? You can't run your inn if you're in jail." Sandra said looking to the woman with disbelief.

"Because if it wasn't for Sun I wouldn't be running this inn at all." Marin said softly. Sandra and Arial looked at her curiously as Sun looked down with closed eyes.

"What?" Sandra asked. Marin helped the girl stand back up and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Please let me explain dear." She said gently. Sandra looked to Sun with fear then to Marin. The four walked over to the living area and sat down in chairs as Sandra watched Sun worriedly.

"If it wasn't for Sun here I would be dead Sandra. She saved my life, and for that I'm eternally grateful." Marin said softly.

"What do you mean she saved your life? When?" Sandra asked puzzled. Arial looked at the woman curiously while Sun looked at her with a bit of remorse. Marin breathed out and nodded.

"Three years ago my husband was killed. I still remember the last moment we had with each other before it happened…" Marin said glancing towards the hallway that led to the sundeck. Images of her and a man flashed before her eyes, both walking side by side holding hands along the beach. He had a kind smile and short brown hair as they walked along the sand filled beach while the sun was slowly setting.

"How…did it happen?" Arial asked slowly glancing to Sun. Marin closed her eyes and looked down. Images of blood soaking the beach flashed before her eyes, the woman's screams and the man's yell of agony echoing out. She remembered kneeling down beside his body, the man's torso and chest torn apart and his mouth dripping with blood. She also remembered the figure that was standing on the beach, the dark silhouette watching her with blue eyes as the water gently lapped around his feet.

"A monster…it came right from the water. It looked to be a normal human at first glance, but…" Marin said as she trembled. The figure was etched into her mind, the dark silhouette seeming to shift into several large tentacles and an oversized head. She remembered how the monstrous kraken grabbed the husband and ripped him to pieces with his large appendages, all while she screamed in horror.

"It was something far worse in disguise. It…killed my beloved husband right in front of me. But, it didn't kill me." Marin said shakily.

"How come? Why did it kill your husband but not you?" Sandra asked worriedly. Marin looked at her with sorrow.

"It was only hungry…for one." she said quietly. The image of the monster dragging the body of the husband through the bloody sand and devouring it with it's razor sharp teeth flashed before her eyes, the woman shuddering and trembling with the memory.

"I…couldn't move. I was scared out of my mind. I could only…watch as it…ate him!" she cried out before she broke down, the woman burying her face into her hands. Sandra and Arial looked at her with remorse as Sun looked at the woman with worry. After she cried a bit she slowly regained herself.

"When it…was done…it just went back into the water. It vanished, without a trace at all. I tried to get help, I tried to tell everybody what happened, but…nobody believed me. The police pinned the disappearance and murder on some local street gangs, just to close the case." Marin said shakily.

"Oh man…I'm sorry. I never knew Marin." Sandra said looking down. The woman nodded then looked down with closed eyes.

"For three years I tried to pick myself back up. I kept the inn going with everything I had…even knowing the water that the monster came from was right in my backyard. I…just couldn't leave the place me and my husband built. It…was all I had left." she said softly. She looked to Sandra with teary eyes.

"For three years I was afraid…always watching the water and waiting for that…thing to come back. I don't know if it killed anybody else during that time, or if it was merely waiting for me. I never walked on that beach again, I stayed inside all the time. But I just couldn't bring myself to leave this place." she said with worry.

"So what happened?" Arial asked curiously.

"One day…a man came to the inn. He wanted to rent a room, and at the time business was doing ok still. However he was the only customer that morning…" Marin said looking down again. She shuddered then closed her eyes.

"It was…_him_. As soon as I turned to walk him up to his room…he grabbed me with that…that…disgusting limb of his. I don't know if he grew impatient for me to return to the beach, or if he was just playing some sick game, but he came back after me. He changed into his monster form and tried to tear me apart just like my husband." Marin said as she trembled. Sandra and Arial looked at her with worry, then over to Sun who had a solemn expression.

"And…you?" Sandra asked. Sun nodded as Marin looked to her.

"My…second customer that day. Before…that thing killed me, she came." she said graciously.

"What? But…what did she do? Flap her wings or something?" Sandra said confused. Sun glanced to her with a dull glare then looked to Arial with a small smirk. The snow girl looked at her curiously then tilted her head a bit.

"No, she...did something to him. She did something to that monster that tried to take her away too." Arial said curiously. Sandra looked at the girl puzzled as Marin nodded.

"Yes, she certainly did." she said softly.

_"Let her go!" Sun yelled out, the girl's voice sending out a massive shockwave and a burst of light that shattered the floor and ceiling above her. The shockwave rippled out and knocked the large kraken monster back through the hall and out onto the sundeck. Marin looked with wide eyes as Sun's wings appeared behind her, the girl glancing to her with her blue eyes. She wrote something down on her sketchpad and showed the woman._

_Stay here, you will be fine._

_Marin just nodded with wonder as the winged girl calmly walked back down the hall towards the kraken monster. The beast howled and snapped at her as its tentacles whipped around wildly. Marin slowly stood up and walked over to the hall, the woman watching with surprise as Sun stood there at the broken entryway to the sundeck, the girl's feathers and sundress flowing gently in the breeze. The girl sang a high melody, the girl's voice echoing out as the air around her distorted and rippled slightly. The kraken tried to grab her but another blast of sonic energy shot it back and knocked it off the deck, the monster rolling onto the beach and close to the water. The girl walked over towards the edge of the deck and looked with discontent at the monster. She glanced around, the girl seeing nobody else out or nearby yet. She looked back to the monster then opened her mouth slightly. A soft glow came from the back of her throat as the monster snarled and slowly crawled back towards the water. Marin watched with awe as the winged girl stood there at the edge of the deck, then saw the girl let out a sharp high note. Instantly the sandy beach seemed to explode before her, with a bloody mess erupting as well within the sandstorm. Marin blinked then walked slowly over to the girl. Sun glanced back to her, then slowly turned to face her with a slightly worried expression. The woman looked at her with awe then over to the beach._

_"Oh…my…" she said with wide eyes. The entire beach in front of the deck was torn apart, with a large gash running from the sandy beach out into the sea where the water was collapsing down into itself again. And littering the beach and part of the shallow water were bloody chunks of the kraken, the beast having been reduced to pieces from the ultrasonic attack that blasted it apart instantly. Marin looked around at the mess with surprise then over to Sun, the girl retracting her wings and smiling worriedly at the woman._

_"You…saved me." Marin said softly. Sun looked down for a moment then wrote something on her sketchpad._

_Are you ok?_

_Marin looked at the girl with amazement then smiled softly._

_"Yes…I am. Thank you. Thank you child." she said graciously. Sun smiled and wrote down something else._

_I was looking for a place to work around here, I noticed you have a 'Help Wanted' sign out front._

_Marin blinked then nodded slowly._

_"Yes…I have been looking for some help tending to the guests here. I…never expected a monster to answer the call though." she said softly. Sun showed a bit of sadness and wrote something else._

_I'm sorry if I frighten you. I understand if you don't want one of my kind here._

_Marin looked at the girl with concern then over to the destroyed beachside. The woman had been scared of monsters for years now after the death of her husband, yet it was a monster that saved her life and avenged her fallen beloved. She looked down for a moment then over to the girl, the silent monster starting to walk away with a saddened expression._

_"Wait, what's your name?" Marin asked. Sun stopped and glanced back to her with a curious expression as the woman smiled. After a pause she wrote something on her pad._

_Sun Otonashi._

_"Sun, what a lovely name. And…if I may ask dear, what manner of monster are you?" Marin asked cautiously. The girl looked down worriedly then slowly wrote down something else, the girl then showing it to the woman._

_A siren._

_"I see. I don't believe I've heard anything about such a…monster before. Um, this may be a silly question, but…how come you're writing everything down to me now?" Marin asked curiously. Sun smiled a bit and wrote down something else._

_My power lies within my voice, for your own safety I won't use it nearby._

_"But I heard you speak inside, and I heard you sing a strange melody just a moment ago." Marin said curiously. Sun looked at her with a gentle smile then wrote down something more._

_I had to in order to help you, but for your own protection it's best I don't speak if I can avoid it. You were just lucky your head didn't explode earlier._

_Marin blinked then smiled nervously._

_"Oh…I see…" she said shakily as she turned pale a bit. She regained her composure then smiled at the girl._

_"Well Sun, thank you for coming to my aid like that. I never thought a monster…well, I never thought a siren would be so kind to me. Thank you." she said graciously. Sun smiled and nodded a bit. Marin looked back to her inn then glanced to the girl._

_"So…you're looking for work are you?" she asked curiously. Sun looked at her with a bit of surprise then quickly nodded as she wrote down something else._

_Yes, I recently graduated from my school and am looking for work in the human world. I just love the seaside here, and I was hoping to find someplace to work near it._

_"Oh, I see. Well Sun, I'd be glad to have you work here with me." Marin said with a smile. Sun smiled softly and wrote down something else._

_It doesn't bother you that I'm a monster?_

_Marin shook her head with a gentle smile._

_"No, not at all dear. And you're no monster to me, if anything you're a guardian angel." she said gently. Sun looked at the woman with wonder. She was taught at Yokai Academy to be careful in the human world and to never reveal oneself to any human, that all humans would be terrified and scared of her, and would try to kill her on the spot if she did. Yet when she saw the woman in danger, the siren didn't hesitate to protect her. She knew it wasn't something a monster should do should they wish to remain in the human world, but she couldn't walk away from somebody in need of help, and it was pretty damn clear that the human woman needed help then._

_"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul about what you really are. After all you did for me, the very least I can do for you is give you a place to work." Marin said kindly. Sun smiled brightly and bowed to the woman. She looked back up at her and wrote down something else._

_Thank you ma'am._

_"Please dear, call me Marin. Now, the first thing we should probably do is fix this little mess." Marin said looking back to the destroyed wall in the inn. Sun looked to with a raised eyebrow then wrote down something else._

_I'm not too good with a hammer, but I'll give it a shot if you like._

_Marin laughed softly a bit and nodded._

_"I'm not too handy like that either. Something tells me we'll need a bit of help with that." she said with a shrug. The two laughed a bit, with Sun's voice being quiet still, and walked back towards the inn together._

Arial and Sandra were looking at Sun with wonder as the silent girl was smiling gently at Marin.

"She saved my life, and allowed me to keep running this place for my husband." the woman said gently. Sun nodded with a smile and then looked to Sandra. The girl blinked then looked down with worry. After a pause she leaned back in her chair and looked up tiredly.

"Fine, I'm sorry I tried to kill you with the broom." she said dully. Sun smirked a bit and nodded, the girl knowing that was likely the best 'apology' she would get out of her coworker.

"A siren, that explains why you had me cover my ears out there." Arial said with wonder.

"That's right, what happened out there? And what about that other monster that tried to take you Sun?" Marin asked worriedly. Sandra looked at the girl with a curious glance as Sun wrote down something.

He didn't like my singing.

She winked and giggled silently. Marin looked at her with wonder then laughed softly. Sun nodded then wrote down something else.

But it was Arial that saved me out there. She was quite a tough fighter for that monster, and bought me enough time to recuperate from his hold over me.

"Really? She saved you?" Marin said looking to the snow angel.

"Well…I tried. But Sun had to save me in the end. It wasn't fair, that bastard cheated, he used fire against me." Arial said looking down with a pout.

"Fire?" Sandra asked with a raised eyebrow. Arial nodded and glanced to her.

"We snow people don't really like fire." she said softly.

"Oh dear, are you ok now?" Marin asked worriedly. Arial nodded and looked to Sun with a smile.

"Yeah, she really took care of that creep though. She sang so powerfully that he exploded, it was awesome!" she cheered out. Sun smiled amusingly at her and shook her head a bit. Sandra just nodded once then looked to Sun again.

"Well that explains why you're always writing in that sketchbook of yours. Guess I should…thank you for not doing that to me." she said with a shrug. Sun nodded with a soft smirk.

"I'm just glad you two are ok. I was so worried when he took you Sun." Marin said softly. Sun nodded and wrote down something else.

I was lucky to have a guardian angel out there as well.

She looked to Arial as the snow girl looked down with a timid smile. Even in death she was able to save a life still, the girl feeling a sense of warmth from that. Marin smiled at the two then everybody looked to Sandra. The girl looked around at them then up with a dull expression.

"Ok ok, I won't call the HDA. But if you guys blow your cover here, I am _not_ getting involved with you. I still got my life ahead of me, and I don't intend to spend it behind bars." she said dryly.

"Thank you Sandra." Marin said graciously. The girl shrugged while looking back towards the stairs.

"Yeah yeah, I'm always too nice I guess." she said simply. Sun and Arial looked to each other, shook their heads, then looked back to the girl. Sandra sighed and stood up.

"Well I better go see how much damage is up there. I just hired an electrician with what little money we had, I don't know how we're going to cover all this now." she said shaking her head.

"That's right, that monster's money was fake. We're still in the red here." Marin said worriedly. Arial looked at them worriedly then down while Sun was looking up in thought. After a moment she wrote down something then showed Marin. The woman looked at it and blinked, then looked at Sun with a bit of surprise.

"What? Are you serious?" she asked. Arial and Sandra looked over to see Sun nodding with a curious smile.

"What did she say?" Arial asked. Sun showed them the pad, with Sandra and Arial reading it then jumping a bit.

"You can't be serious, that's a horrible idea." Sandra said shaking her head.

"Could that really work?" Arial asked curiously.

"Of course that won't work, that's insane! How did you even think of something as stupid as that?" Sandra cried out. Sun merely pointed to the girl, everybody looking to see her staring with wide eyes.

"What? Me? I never suggested that." she said shaking her head. Sun smirked then wrote down something else.

No, but you did mention the idea before.

"What? But…I wasn't being serious then! You can't really be considering…" Sandra said shaking her head worriedly.

"To attract customers and stand out from the other inns…" Arial said hopefully while looking to Marin. The woman looked at the silent girl with wonder then down a bit.

"We invite monsters to work here."

* * *

Inside a dark castle a figure was looking out over the shadowy land before him. Light was only seen with brief streaks that passed through the swirling dark clouds above the blackened mountain, with the palace being built right into it while its large stone courtyard overlooked the swirling clouds below. The man glanced down as a winged silhouette flew down from above and kneeled on the ground between the large pillars that stood at the front of the castle.

"I know, he has failed." the dark voice said with a hint of annoyance.

"It appears that the siren eliminated him, with the help of an angel." the minion said in a raspy female voice.

"An angel you say?" the dark voice asked simply.

"Yes, it seems that a soul from heaven slipped through the rift my lord. She escaped down into the real world down below while our guardians disposed of her angelic escorts. One of our warriors followed her down below, but he too was destroyed by the siren known as Sun." the minion said while still bowing.

"I see. So a wayward soul has left heaven and has sided with the siren. Interesting." the dark voice said as he was obscured by the shadows in the palace.

"Do you wish for me to try my hand? I shall not fail you my lord, I swear it." the minion asked eagerly.

"Yes, bring that siren back to me, and bring her back alive. Dispose of her guardian angel if you must, but do not fall victim to arrogance like your predecessor. This siren is not to be underestimated despite how she may appear." the dark voice said with a stern tone.

"Yes my lord, I shall not fail you. When the opportunity presents itself, I will bring you your new siren." the minion said as it stood up.

"Good, and do not return until you do. I expect that siren to be under my leash very soon." the dark voice said with annoyance.

"Yes…yes my lord." the minion said nervously. The winged figure flew off as the dark figure remained in the shadows.

"Another small setback, how annoying." the figure said flatly. After a pause he chuckled a bit.

"It sounds like my guest has quieted down a bit, I do hope she isn't too broken to appreciate what I'm planning on bringing her." he said with a laugh as the cries of agony and screams of torment had seemed to have quieted down a bit, the sounds having been constant since his latest catch had been confined inside the castle.

"Hmm, I suppose I will have to step up my plans to make up for this little setback." he said calmly. A wave of dark energy rippled out from the shadows and three winged minions appeared before him, the three kneeling down between the large pillars as they too were shrouded in darkness.

"You summoned us my lord?" one of them said in a gravely male voice.

"Yes, the siren is being handled right now, although I'm skeptical about her capture. What about the chronofly? I trust you have been keeping a sharp eye on that one still." the dark voice asked firmly.

"We have her located in the human world and have been keeping a close eye on her as requested. However she is well guarded it seems by her fellow monsters. And…we have another problem as well." one of the minions said in a shaky voice.

"A problem?" the dark voice asked with annoyance.

"Yes…it appears there are other monsters in the human world with her, one's that have not been seen until recently. And one has…healed her mind from her sickness. We have seen the chronofly using her chrono magic freely now." another minion said worriedly.

"Her magic has been freed? Are you certain?" the dark voice inquired carefully.

"Yes, she has been using her chrono magic without hindrance, even without her guardians she will be nearly impossible for us to detain while she is in the human world." a minion said regrettably.

"I have already been dealt a setback with the siren, I will not deal with yet another!" the dark voice yelled out as two of the minions exploded into flames, the monsters crying out in agony before stumbling back and fading away into ash. The fires hardly illuminated the inside of the palace while the third minion was obscured by the smoke from his fallen comrades. The remaining follower bowed nervously as the dark figure let out a quiet growl of annoyance.

"I am sorry my lord…I'll attempt to bring her back myself. I swear it." the minion said shakily.

"Don't bother, you would be dead long before you even got close to her. Her mind having been sealed before was our opportunity to capture her without a problem." the dark figure said dully. After a pause the figure looked to the cloudy skies.

"So…an angel from heaven set me back, like an insignificant pebble in clockwork." he said curiously. The minion shakily looked up to him with fear as the dark figure chuckled a bit.

"Well then, if I am denied one of my prizes by a soul that shouldn't have been there, it's only fair that I play by the same rules." he said with a dark tone.

"My lord?" the minion asked worriedly. The dark figure laughed a bit then looked to him through the darkness.

"Keep a close eye on the chronofly and alert me to any changes in her condition. I'll be sending somebody that would be capable of bringing her back to me." he said with an arrogant tone. The minion nodded then quickly flew off, the monster thankful it would live to see another day. The dark figure laughed a bit then looked down at the swirling clouds below his domain.

"Yes, there is only one type of monster that can stand against a chronofly…" he said with an amused tone. He chuckled as the courtyard rippled a bit with a dark wave, the dark and shadowy creatures in the waves being seen briefly before phasing back into the darkness. The figure kept his gaze focused on the swirling clouds down below that led into the other world, with streaks of light appearing briefly before vanishing again as lightning and thunder crackled loudly.

"Another chronofly."


	26. Date Night

Up in the sky of Paradise it was a star filled night sky, with green streaks flying around as a cool breeze blew by. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, yet the rain was still falling from above somewhere as it poured around the rocky hillsides below. Lightning arched around in the horizon as thunder boomed loudly, the sky flashing brightly with each crackle. In a cave sitting against the stone wall Ren was looking out at something with wonder. Tsukune was standing outside as his aura was flaring around him, the boy casting a red glow around him and on the ground as rain came down relentlessly. He had his fists clenched and was looking up at the sky, the boy's eyes black and crimson as he glared upwards. He felt the desire for blood, the hunger swelling within him as he focused on his vampire energy. The rain poured around him as another streak of lightning shot down in the distance, the boy becoming a dark silhouette to the siren for a moment before his red glow and his figure became visible again. She watched with amazement as the aura radiated around the boy powerfully, the girl's eyes locked onto him as she had a small blush. From the nearby surroundings she saw a large dark monstrosity lumber closer, the figure only seen as a black shadow to her yet seemed to tower far above the cave's visibility outside.

"Tsukune…" Ren said worriedly as she watched the boy just look up still, the siren not sure if he was looking up at the night sky or up at the monster's head. She looked around and saw Ruby wasn't in the cave, then over to see Tsukune roar loudly. His aura blasted around him violently as the ground below him cracked apart. A giant claw crashed down and the boy vanished from view, the girl looking with fright at the sight.

"Tsukune!" she cried out.

Suddenly the claw seemed to blast apart as Tsukune shot out, the boy racing up along the scaly arm of the monster and up out of sight. Ren watched with surprise as the arm yanked back up as a loud howl was heard, then a fierce shockwave erupted out from above. The girl then saw the dark shadow seem to fall back and crash into the ground, the cave shaking bit as the girl quickly got to her feet. Tsukune landed back down at the cave entrance, the boy down on one knee and hand as he was looking down with his hair covering his eyes. Ren looked at him with wonder then outside to see the dark giant not moving as rain continued to pour from above. She smiled with amazement then looked to the boy as he slowly stood up again.

"That…that was amazing Tsukune, how did you-" she started before he wavered a bit and held himself up with one hand against the cave wall.

"Tsukune? Tsukune are you ok?" she asked as she ran over to him. He slowly looked up and she saw his black and crimson eyes, the girl looking with awe at the powerful vampire.

**"Yeah…just…hungry again."** he said as he twitched a bit before shaking his head. He clinked back on his rosary seal, the boy's power suppressing once more as his eyes and hair returned to normal. His black shirt was soaked as it clung to his body, the siren blushing a bit as she saw his muscles below it.

"Are you…ok?" she asked softly as she looked up to him again. He nodded as he held a hand over his eyes.

"I'll be ok…I just…need to drink something." he said weakly. The girl looked at him with wonder then smiled as she tilted her head.

"Here, take what you need Tsukune." she said softly. The boy looked to her with concern at first then smiled gently.

"Thank you Ren." he said as he slowly held the girl close. She jumped a bit as she felt his arms around her, the girl feeling her heartbeat racing again. She smiled softly and closed her eyes as he bit down, the boy drinking the blood that tasted so good to him once again. She gently held one hand on the back of his head while the other was around his back.

"I hope…you like it." she said quietly.

The boy let go of her neck as she felt a bit lightheaded, the girl then looking with surprise to see he was still holding her.

"I do, your blood is certainly the best Ren." he said as he gazed into her eyes.

"Tsukune…" she said under her breath. She jumped a bit then looked down to see him holding her close to her, the girl's white t-shirt being pushed against his black one. The siren blinked then slowly looked up at the boy with timid eyes.

"You're certainly the best Ren." he said gently. She looked at him with wonder as the outside seemed to stop raining, with sunlight once again shining down from above as multiple rainbows formed in the sky. She blushed a bit more as he leaned in closer to her.

"Tsukune." she said as she closed her eyes. She felt their lips touch, the girl seeming to melt in his arms. He held her closely, the girl letting the powerful vampire hold and kiss her without any resistance. She felt his aura radiate through her, she felt a hint of her blood on his tongue but didn't care, she felt his hand around her back slowly move downward. The kiss broke as she looked to him with longing eyes.

"Tsukune…" she said as her mouth quivered. He backed her into the cave the slowly laid her down on the ground, the girl looking up at the boy with wonder as her arms laid by her head. He kissed her again as his hand held her leg, the boy caressing her thigh and moving upward. She moaned a bit before the kiss broke, the girl looking to him with pleading eyes.

"We…mustn't…" she said shakily.

His hand ran slowly up her thigh and towards her panties.

"We…mustn't Tsukune…" Ren said as she closed her eyes.

She felt his hand touch her down below, his fingers gently rubbing against her as she squirmed a bit.

"We…mustn't…Tsukune…we…" she said shakily as she looked to him with wonder. Her mouth opened a bit as she trembled while he pulled her white panties off, the boy smiling calmly at her as he gently brushed her pink hair away from her face. She looked at him for a moment as her heart was pounding then slowly her arms wrapped around his neck.

"We…must!" she pleaded as she pulled him into a kiss, the girl feeling her body being drawn to the vampire powerfully.

He kissed her neck as she moaned out in pleasure.

"Please!" she cried out.

He held her down gently as his other hand pulled down his own pants.

"Please!" she begged loudly as she looked at him. She blinked then looked down to seeing his pants pulled down and stared at something with lust.

"Oh dear lord please." she said quietly before she looked back to him. He pushed her down as her legs wrapped around him.

"Tsukune!" she cried out.

She felt him leaning over her, the boy ready to push into her as he kissed her neck with passion.

"Tsukune!" she cried out loudly.

Her hands held him tightly around the neck as her legs trembled while hooking around him.

"Tsukune!" she screamed.

She felt the boy enter her, the girl's eyes going wide with shock and pleasure as he pulled himself closer to her while taking her virginity.

"TSUKUNE!" she yelled as she shot up, the girl's voice echoing out in the cave and causing Ruby to jump up from her sound slumber, the witch looking around quickly as she franticly grabbed her nearby wand.

"What, what's going on? Tsukune? What?" she yelled out in fear. She blinked then looked to see Ren sitting up on the cave floor, the girl's eyes wide as her face was flushed.

"Ren? What…why did you scream? Hey, are you ok?" Ruby asked confused. Ren blinked then looked to her with wonder.

"Huh? What did you say?" she asked softly.

"I asked why you screamed like that. What about Tsukune? And are you ok, you seem shaken up." Ruby said looking at the girl. Ren was breathing heavily as she looked down, the girl holding her hand to her head as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Oh…sorry Ruby. Just…a dream." she said softly. Ruby looked at her as she rubbed one of her eyes, the witch also coming to her full senses after sleeping a bit on the floor of the cave.

"A dream? About Tsukune?" she asked. Ren jumped a bit then glanced away.

"Yeah…just…about…his…lust." the girl said, with the last word being quiet. Ruby blinked a few times then looked at the girl curiously. After a moment she smiled gently.

"His bloodlust? Don't worry about it, I've seen him do the impossible time and again. I'm sure he can beat this." she said assuredly. Ren nodded then glanced to the cave entrance. It was still a night sky outside, but since day and night here seemed to come erratically there was no telling how long she was really out for. The rain had stopped however as it was very dark out, with the only light coming from above by the stars and the strange streaks of green light that flew by.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"He went to look around while you were sleeping, he left when the rain finally stopped. I watched for him for a bit, then I decided to catch a little more sleep while I could." Ruby said sitting back against the cave wall as she looked to her wand. Ren nodded and looked down, the girl still wearing her white t-shirt while her green jacket was folded behind her as a simple pillow against the hard ground. Ruby looked to her and smiled gently.

"I promise Ren, he'll be ok. I've seen him do some incredible things in the past. If anybody can beat this condition, it's him." she said confidently. Ren nodded then looked to her curiously.

"What other things has he done in the past?" she asked.

"Well, where to start. Besides surviving being caught in a five-way tug of war with his friends for his heart? Well, let's see…" Ruby said looking up with a curious smile. Ren listened as Ruby told her all the things Tsukune and the gang had been going through in the past. From fighting against a deranged vampire lord, to standing against the armies of Fairy Tale, to him even defying time and surviving, to taking down Kiria and Hokuto, and to his battle against Alucard which Ren was very familiar with. As the siren listened to the stories she smiled softly with wonder, the girl having no idea before that the powerful vampire boy had been so brave and courageous in the past, and had become a mighty S-Class vampire in his own right from all his trials and ordeals. Ruby told the siren about all the hardships the boy had faced and all the impossible challenges he had overcome, and as she did the siren felt her heart beat a bit faster for the vampire boy, the girl looking down with a timid smile as she glanced to the cave entrance again.

_You really are amazing Tsukune…so amazing…_

* * *

Walking across the street from a rundown apartment building two boys were heading towards their car in the adjacent parking lot. They were both dressed in their normal attire after they had returned home briefly. Render was wearing his usual outfit of a white t-shirt, a black and red checkered jacket over it, black jeans, and black steel tipped leather boots. Leon was dressed in his usual attire of a Hawaii flower style short sleeve button down shirt that was left undone over a white t-shirt, a frayed ended pair of blue jean shorts, worn tennis shoes, and his small locket around his neck. They walked over to the parked car as Leon glanced back to the building.

"I got a bad feeling about this." he said cautiously.

"What? About the thief remaining here? I hear you man, all our stuff is at risk. But this is all for a greater treasure, one that will easily replace anything that guy might steal." Render said hopefully.

"That's not what I'm talking about. And what's he going to steal anyway?" Leon asked shaking his head.

"He'd better stay out of my room, that's all I gotta say." Render said getting into the car.

"I'm talking about the girls suddenly wanting to have a date night like this." Leon said as he got into the driver's seat of the car.

"What's wrong with that? C'mon, that Apoch's kinda cute. Haven't seen a girl like that in all my life." Render said looking up at the sky with a cool gaze.

"Really? You haven't seen her sister that's always with her? Because they look exactly alike." Leon said flatly.

"Nah, Apoch's got more of a wiggle to her." Render said as he shifted around a bit with a cocky smirk. Leon rolled his eyes as he started the engine.

"_Anyway_, I'm talking about how they were so against us opening the box, then the next moment they're perfectly ok with it. It's just too suspicious." he said as he looked ahead with a cautious expression.

"Hey, c'mon man, this could be fun tonight. Besides, we need them to cover for Falla when she goes with us tomorrow." Render said with a shrug.

"That's also something that's bugging me. The way Ceal cured her illness out of the blue like that, and how she's so dedicated to him now. This all seems too strange for just a coincidence." Leon said as he looked to his friend.

"Well I say take what we can get. We finally got somebody who can be our fourth, and we have all the keys still. We know what's inside the chest now and what to expect. And to top it all off, we get to have a double date night with twin sisters. How awesome is that? I mean seriously. Me, you, them, this is happening man." Render said with an excited smile. Leon just looked at him for a moment then ahead while he started to drive the car.

"I'm not complaining that we have what we need for the box, I'm just saying there's a lot of potential for something to go wrong here." he said glancing back to the apartment building in the rearview mirror.

"We're partners with Ceal on this, that alone is potential for something to go wrong. Would you just relax and try to enjoy the night? We need these two to like us a little at least or they might not help us. So, as difficult as it sounds, please try to show some joy about spending the night with two cute twin sisters." Render said looking out the window casually as they drove down the street.

"Fine, but don't expect me to agree to be anybody's boyfriend after tonight." Leon said with a bit of annoyance. Render glanced to him then to the boy's locket around his neck.

"How long?" he asked gently.

"How long what?" Leon asked simply.

"How long are you going to keep every girl away from you like this?" Render asked softly. Leon glanced to him then back ahead. Render looked at him worriedly then out the window.

_She wouldn't want you to be alone like this man…_

As the car drove off down the street Razico watched from the boys' apartment. He agreed to stay back under the pretense that the girls would be angry with him if he went with the boys. Of course he knew he had to stay back and let the girls work their charm in order to get the keys, and was willing to play the role of being hated by the girls in order to do so.

"Good luck girls, just get one of their keys and then we're golden." he said simply. He walked back and sat down on the couch, the man looking up with a blank expression as the light was on in the apartment. The generator down below had a good charge of electricity from the warlock's magic, so he wouldn't be spending the night in total darkness. As he sat there he thought about the witch that was waiting for him back at Yokai Academy, the one he wanted to be with again.

"Soon Ruby, I'll be coming back soon. Just wait a little bit longer." he said softly. He pictured her smile and the way she always seemed to blush and become timid around him.

"I won't let the world end, we'll have a future together. I promise." he said softly as he closed his eyes for a moment. He then glanced over and looked to the picture that was on the boys' table near the couch, the man then looking at it carefully. It was of the two boys and a girl in some sort of forest. He looked at the picture carefully, the man seeing the girl holding Leon's hand. After a moment he leaned back in the couch and looked to the window with a curious glance.

_"You know nothing Razico, you know nothing of what we've gone through and what we've lost to get this far."_

Leon's words echoed in his mind as he looked back to the picture.

"I wonder what happened to their first 'third'." he said softly as he looked at the picture of the girl who he had yet to see with the boys now.

* * *

Down in the realm of hell screams echoed throughout charred and smoking caverns. Souls of monsters and humans were tortured for all time by the demons and residents of the dark domain, the place smelling of sulfur and ash while flames seared around the walls of larger corridors. Those that were brought into this realm would only know pain and suffering for what they had done in their previous life. If they were slowly ripped and torn to pieces their suffering wouldn't stop there, as they would be reformed to suffer the pain again and again. If one of them had lost an arm or a leg in their previous life they were granted the limb again in hell, only for it to be mercilessly torn off again and again. If they lost something minor like an ear or an eye they may or may not get it back, depending on if the dark demons wanted to torture the souls with them or not. However, whatever agony they would experience the souls of hell would soon learn that they would relive the pain and agony again and again for all time.

In a smoky and flame filled corridor a blood red ogre was looking at a wall of torture instruments, ranging from whips to rusty chains to knives to clubs. Small cleavers and razor sharp blades shimmered from the fiery light around the area as the ogre's red eye looked around for the next instrument to use on his prey. Chained to the adjacent wall was a figure, the naked body of a girl being held against the scorching hot walls by black chains as her legs were shackled down and her arms were chained to either side. Her face and body were obscured by a deep haze as the ogre chuckled a bit.

**"Now then, what should we play with next?"** the ogre laughed as he glanced back to the girl.

"Why don't you make me go down on you…that's a popular choice for us girls…isn't it?" the girl said with a wicked smirk.

**"Ha, nice try, but I'm not going to fall for that. You may have lured a few others into that little ploy of yours, but I know damned well what your mouth can do."** the ogre said with a chuckle. The girl scowled a bit with her smile as her hands clenched tightly.

**"I think next…I'll use these."** the ogre said as he took out a pair of sharp machetes. The girl's mouth showed frustration as the ogre scraped the blades together menacingly.

**"Now let's hear you scream loudly for me, our fun's just starting after all."** the monster laughed as he walked closer. The girl's mouth showed a bit of fright as she bared her teeth, her body shifting around in what little way she could as she watched the demon walked up to her. Before the demon could slice the girl's flesh with the sharp blades a black streak of light raced through him, the demon howling out before a rift tore open and splattered the demon apart. The girl looked with surprise as the demon from hell was torn to pieces as the blades dropped to the ground, the clanking of them echoing out along with the faint screams of the tortured souls down the corridors. The dark rift seemed to pulsate with a bright darkness as the girl looked at it with surprise.

"What…how…" she said shakily.

"Haha, oh I'm sorry, did I ruin your fun with your friend?" a dark voice said from within the darkness. The girl looked around at the slaughtered remains of the demon then to the darkness.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself down here, I can tell by the look on your face." the dark voice said with a laugh. The girl looked at the rift as her body was obscured by the deep haze of the corridor.

"Who…are you?" she asked cautiously. The dark voice chuckled the rift pulsated a bit.

"Not even a thank you for sparing you from being sliced into pieces for that pathetic being's pleasure, how rude. And here I was thinking of taking you far away from this world, and giving you so much more." the dark voice said with an annoyed tone. The girl looked at the rift cautiously then looked around to see nobody around the area. She looked back to the rift and smirked a bit.

"I see…and just…who should my little thank you go out to?" she asked curiously. The dark voice chuckled as the rift expanded a bit, the tear seeming to be carved right through the air in the corridor.

"Why, your king of course." the dark voice said with a calm tone.

* * *

Leon drove down the streets of the human city while Render provided directions with the paper given by Apoch. It was a pretty straightforward route from their apartment to the girls' home, although they did make a slight detour along the way.

"Seriously…" Leon said as the car pulled up next to a two story building in a small quiet town. He glanced to his friend who was drinking something with a smug smile.

"You _just_ had one of those things before we got home, how could you possibly need more caffeine in you?" he finished with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey man, don't deny a man the simple joys in life." Render said as they got out of the car.

"I'm starting to think they just put nicotine in yours to keep you coming back." Leon said flatly as they walked down the path towards the front door of the building.

"You should try it, it's good." Render said with a smile. Leon just shook his head as he rang the doorbell to the home. Render chuckled and looked ahead as he took another sip of his drink.

"Let's just get this over with." Leon said tiredly.

"Oh c'mon, what exactly do you have to be so moody about anyway? Tell me." Render said glancing to him.

The door opened and the two boys looked with wide eyes at the two girls that stood before them.

"Welcome." Apoch and Astreal said in unison. The girls weren't in their school uniform as they wanted to try to look appealing to the two boys. Apoch was wearing a pair of white shorts with a black t-shirt, the girl smiling softly at Render as she had her hands casually held behind her. Astreal was wearing a pair of white shorts and a yellow button down long sleeve shirt that was buttoned up, the girl smiling timidly at Leon as her hands were at her sides. They bowed a bit and spoke again in unison.

"Thank you for coming." they said gently. Render blinked then looked to his friend.

"Seriously, tell me." he said simply. Leon rolled his eyes as the two boys walked into the home. Apoch shut the door behind them as the boys looked around with a bit of wonder.

"Nice place you girls have here." Render said with a nod.

"Thank you, it was provided by the human government for us to stay in while we attend the school here." Astreal said with a smile.

"I'm glad you found the place ok." Apoch said with a small smile.

"Piece of cake, I'm an expert navigator after all." Render said proudly.

"It was a straight line here, and you had us go out of our way to get your caramel frappe again." Leon said flatly glancing to him. Render blinked then rubbed the back of his head with a weak smile. Apoch and Astreal glanced to each other then back to the boys.

"Anyway, so um…" Render said looking around.

"Are they here?" Falla's voice called out from the top of the stairs. The group looked to see the chronofly walking down the stairs with a curious smile. She was wearing her black and red stripped miniskirt and a white t-shirt, the girl looking around quickly then back to the boys.

"Where's Ceal?" she asked.

"Don't know. Like hell we were going to give him a ride in our car." Leon said simply.

"Oh. Ok then. Well-" Falla asked before they heard the revving of an engine. In an instant she appeared over by the door and opened it with a bright smile.

"Wha…how did she do that?" Render said looking from where the girl was one moment then over to the door with wide eyes.

"What is she exactly, she keeps…jumping around like that." Leon asked puzzled.

"She's a chronofly Mr. Leon. She has the power to control time." Astreal said coolly.

"Yes, it would be best not to get on her bad side. Trust us." Apoch said with a smirk.

"Control time? Really?" Render said with surprise.

"Yes, she's able to move through time at will now that her mind has been healed." Astreal said with a nod.

"I was wondering why I didn't see any magic myself." Leon said with a raised eyebrow. The sisters glanced to him then to Falla, the girls wondering if Leon would be able to mimic her magic if he couldn't actually see it being done. The two boys looked at the chronofly with wonder as she was watching something with a dreamy eye. Over on the side of the road Ceal was coming to a stop, the boy dismounting the motorcycle and then casually walking down the path towards the building. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark gray t-shirt along with his black leather glove over his hand.

"Ceal!" Falla called out as she waved to him. The boy showed no reaction to the girl's call as he walked up towards the door. Falla backed in and the boy walked inside with a glance to the other boys.

"I see you're taking good care of Razico's bike still. So very kind of you man." Render said with a smirk.

"Mr. Razico? That's his bike?" Apoch said looking outside.

"That's right, you mentioned something about that earlier didn't you. You took his bike." Astreal said with a bit of discontent. Falla looked out to it then back to the boy curiously as she shut the door.

"And?" Ceal asked simply.

"You stole it from our friend. Do you have any intention on giving it back?" Apoch asked with her hands at her hips. Ceal chuckled and glanced to her, causing the girl to jump a bit.

"He's welcome to try to take it back if he misses it so much." he said simply.

"So that would be a no." Render said with a dull expression.

"You're such a bad boy Ceal." Falla said bashfully. The group looked to her as she was looking down timidly.

"Anyway, shall we begin?" Ceal asked reluctantly.

"Yes, we're all here. So now what?" Leon asked looking around.

"Come, we have a movie all picked out." Astreal said as she and her sister walked towards the living room. Falla nodded and quickly followed after. The boys watched them go then looked to each other.

"So…" Render said slowly.

"Let's get this over with so we can open the box tomorrow." Leon said looking at Ceal.

"For once I agree with you, however I think we need to be a bit cautious tonight." the boy said looking to the living room.

"Cautious? About what?" Render asked.

"You two idiots don't really think they would pull a complete 180 on us opening the box like that do you? They're up to something." Ceal said with a glance at the boy.

"I actually have been thinking about that myself. Apoch and Astreal seemed way too friendly right after they tried to take the key from us by force." Leon said looking to Render.

"You boys coming?" Falla said walking back out of the living room. The boys glanced to each other then back to the girl.

"We don't bite." Astreal called out playfully.

"Hard." Apoch said with a purr, the two sisters then giggling while Falla smiled at the boys with a shrug. Falla waved them over then walked back into the room.

"Keep on your guard, they're up to something." Ceal said as he walked in. Render and Leon looked to each other then followed, with Render tossing his empty drink into the trashcan nearby.

"Ok, so for the movie we picked out a good one." Falla said as she turned on the T.V., the one that was replaced by the human officials after Astreal destroyed the previous one. Render and Leon walked over to the sisters, with each girl quickly grabbing them and pulling them down onto the couch with them. Apoch held onto Render's arm with a bashful smile as the boy smiled nervously at her. Astreal held onto Leon's arm for a moment before he quickly pulled it away and sat in content on the couch. The girl looked at him worriedly then down as he glanced to her. Ceal sat down on a chair and glanced out the window with a bored eye. Falla clicked the T.V. to the right channel then turned on the video player, the girl looking back to the group with a wicked smile.

"Attack of the Brain Eaters 4." she said with a chuckle. Apoch and Astreal blinked then looked at her with worry.

"Wait, that wasn't the movie we agreed on." Apoch said worriedly.

"I know, but I thought this would be a better pick for the night." Falla said with a giggle.

"But…that's…" Astreal said shaking her head.

"What's wrong with that movie?" Render asked curiously.

"Besides how cheesy it sounds?" Leon asked simply.

"Based on how they're shaking, I'm going to guess they're scared." Ceal said plainly as the group watched the witch sisters tremble a bit.

"Scared? Of a movie?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow. Astreal glanced to him then to the T.V. with a forced look of determination.

"I'm not scared." she said shakily.

"Yeah…me either." Apoch said with a gulp.

"Good, then there's no problem then." Falla said pushing the button on the player. She giggled to herself and glanced back to the girls. She knew the sisters would be scared of the movie, and was counting on the boys comforting them and hopefully warming up to them as well. Falla started the movie then walked over to Ceal, the boy glancing up at her.

"I thought…we could sit together." she said timidly. The boy glanced around then back to the girl.

"They're on the couch, and there are only single seat chairs here. How exactly did you picture that happening?" he asked flatly. Falla giggled, then instantly appeared sitting across his lap, the girl having her head resting on his shoulder as she looked to him with a mischievous smile.

"Like this." she said softly. The others looked to her with a bit of surprise as Ceal just looked at her, the boy not moving an inch.

"I have a better idea. How about you sit in a chair, or on the floor." Ceal said flatly. Falla looked at him with a bit of disappointment then slowly got up off of him.

"Sorry." she said softly while looking down. Apoch glanced to Render then pulled him up to his feet.

"We'll take the chair, you two can sit over here." she said happily. Render looked at her with wide eyes as Falla looked to her with wonder.

"Wait, what? We will?" the boy asked. Apoch nodded and smiled timidly at him.

"If that's ok with you." she said softly. The boy looked at her with a nervous smile then over to Ceal.

"C'mon Mr. Ceal, it would make Ms. Falla very happy to sit with you." Apoch said gently. Falla looked to the boy with a worried eye as he glanced to her.

"Why do you two keep saying Mr. and Ms.?" Leon asked looking to Astreal. The witch laughed nervously then looked down embarrassed. Ceal just rolled his eyes then stood up.

"Whatever it takes to get this night over with." he said as he walked over to the couch. Apoch guided Render over to the chair, gently pushed him down onto it, then sat across his lap with a quick giggle. The boy looked with wide eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Comfy?" she asked sweetly. The boy trembled a bit as he tried to fight off a nosebleed and nodded shakily.

"Yeah…sure." he said weakly. Falla walked over and sat next to Ceal, the boy sitting at the end of the couch with Astreal next to her and Leon sitting at the other end. The chronofly looked at him timidly then towards the movie.

As the movie started to play the three girls were glancing to the boys curiously, each one having something on their mind. For Falla she was wondering what it would take to get to Ceal's heart and kinder nature, the girl positive that he had to have a kinder side than what he's shown tonight. For Astreal she was worried she wasn't making any progress getting closer to Leon, the boy seeming to be giving her the cold shoulder the entire time as he sat with his arms casually crossed before him. And for Apoch the girl was keeping a feel out for that strange aura the boy let off before, the girl now in close proximity to him and fearful he would have a strange effect on her at any moment.

Falla glanced to Ceal then downward. His gloved hand was resting on the couch as his other hand was laying on the armrest, the boy seeming to watch the movie with no interest. She slowly crept her hand towards his and glanced to him again. This time she caught him glancing to her, the girl freezing in place as he looked into her eye. She slowly looked down as she gently pulled her hand back.

_What am I doing wrong? Doesn't he like me?_

"Apoch, are you ok?" Render asked nervously. The group looked to see Apoch trembling with a pale face, the girl whimpering quietly to herself as her eyes were twitching a bit while watching the movie.

"Yes, I'm ok…really." she squeaked out.

"Are you sure? You're really squeezing my hand tightly." Render said weakly.

"What are talking about, I'm not-" Apoch said before she looked down, the girl seeing that she was applying a lot of pressure to the boy's hand. She wasn't even aware she had grabbed his hand in fright, let alone crushing the life out of it. The girl quickly let go and smiled nervously at the T.V. again.

"Sorry, I just-" she started before a scream and a bone crunching sound echoed from the movie.

"Apoch?" Falla asked softly as the witch turned pale again.

"Sister?" Astreal asked worriedly as Apoch started to shake more.

"Do…you want to watch something else?" Leon asked as the witch let out a quiet whimper. She shook her head a bit before another scream came from the T.V., along with what sounded to be a body being ripped apart savagely. Apoch screamed and buried her face into Render's shoulder, the boy jumping with a bit of surprise.

"I'm not scared! I'm not!" she cried out as she held onto the boy tightly.

"So you girls faced Alucard huh?" Ceal said with a raised eyebrow. Leon looked to Astreal as the girl was trembling while watching the movie.

"Astreal? You ok?" he asked. The girl forced a weak smile and nodded as more screams came from the T.V.

"Yes…dandy." she said quietly.

CRUNCH!

The witch screamed and buried her face into Leon's shoulder as another gruesome fatality occurred in the movie, the blonde haired sister holding onto the boy's arm and shaking her head with closed eyes.

"I'm fine! Really!" she pleaded loudly. Render and Leon looked to each other then to Falla. The girl nodded with a weak smile.

"Well…they did help stop Alucard. Really." she said softly.

"Oh yes, I can see it now." Ceal said flatly as the sisters screamed again from another cry of agony on the T.V.

"If you want to watch something else, that's ok. Really." Render said worriedly. Apoch shook her head and peeked back to the movie, the girl then looking away as all she saw were brains, blood, and a tortured face frozen in its last moment of life.

"I'm ok. I'm ok. I'm ok." she said shakily. Render smiled a bit and held her gently, the girl slowly glancing up to him.

"You don't have to be scared you know, you took down Alucard after all. I don't think any corny monsters in a movie can compare to that. Besides, it's just a movie, it's fake. I promise it can't hurt you at all." he said gently. The girl looked at him with wonder as suddenly all her fears melted away, the witch watching as the boy held her gently. She felt perfectly safe and sound, the girl suddenly seeing the boy in a different light as he looked back to the movie with a calm smile.

"I've been trying to get that through to them since we got here. Good luck with that." Falla said tiredly.

"Whatever you say Render." Apoch said softly. Astreal looked to her with surprise as Falla just blinked and looked at her with wonder. The shy witch then looked back to the movie, and the two girls watched as she remained calm and peaceful while another scream of agony sounded from the T.V., the witch not flinching at all as another helpless human was ripped apart by a mindless zombie.

"Wow, that had to hurt." Render said with a chuckle. Astreal and Falla watched then as Apoch smiled softly and nodded, the girl blinking then looking to him with wide eyes. She then looked to her sister then back to the boy as she realized it happened again.

"You're…ok watching it now? Really?" Falla asked curiously.

"Sister…are you…ok?" Astreal asked cautiously. Apoch nodded then looked down a bit.

"Yeah…I feel…fine." she said in disbelief.

_How…did he do that?_

"Um…ok then." Astreal said worriedly.

"You ok?" Leon asked the witch. She nodded with a nervous smile then looked back to the movie.

"Yes, perfectly fine." she said calmly.

Another high pitched cry of agony came from the T.V., the witch watching with wide eyes as she saw the human being gutted and ripped apart on screen.

"Is it just me, or are there a lot of continuous back-to-back deaths in this movie?" Render asked curiously. Another scream came from the movie as yet another human was taken to the ground by a groaning zombie.

"I'm noticing that too. And they're not very original either." Leon said with a nod as he watched the human being ripped apart as more zombies swarmed the unlucky human group.

"Astreal? Are you ok?" Falla asked worriedly as she saw Astreal looking like she was ill. The group looked to her as she trembled while holding a hand over her mouth.

"Astreal?" Leon asked curiously.

"Hey, you alright?" Render asked. The girl shakily nodded as she continued to watch the massacre on screen.

"Yes…I'm…ok." she said weakly.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Apoch asked worriedly. The blonde haired girl trembled a bit as she held her hand over her mouth.

"Um…if this movie is going to be that bad for you, I can change it." Falla said worriedly.

"No…I'm fine." Astreal squeaked out.

"You don't look so good." Render said shaking his head.

"I'm fine." Astreal said as she wavered.

"She's turning greener than the zombies on the screen." Leon said with a bit of concern.

"I'm…fine." Astreal said weakly.

"That's good, because here comes a gory part." Ceal said calmly, right before two humans on screen let out a scream of agony before a horde of zombies tore them apart viciously in a darkened alley. Astreal watched as the people were dismembered and devoured and wavered a bit more.

"Sister?" Apoch asked worriedly.

Astreal trembled, then threw up…right onto Leon's shirts. The boy just looked with wide eyes as the group looked to her with worry, the girl coughing as she shakily wiped her mouth. She slowly looked up to him then down with remorse and embarrassment while Falla and Apoch looked at the girl with wide eyes.

"I'm…not fine." Astreal said quietly.

"I noticed." Leon said looking at the vomit on his chest.

"Well, and here I thought I would be bored tonight." Ceal said with a slight smirk.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" Falla said as she held her friend's shoulder worriedly. Astreal nodded slowly then looked down as she coughed a bit. Apoch hopped to her feet and rushed over as Leon was frozen with a look of disgust and shock on his face, the boy having his arms up to either side as he looked down at his shirts. Astreal nodded then glanced to Leon worriedly.

"Sorry…about that." she said softly. Leon looked to his shirts then to Render.

"Do I need to tell you still?" he asked flatly.

A few minutes later the group minus Astreal who had run to her room in sorrow was standing in the laundry room of the home with the boy's shirts in the washer. Ceal was out in the hall leaning against the wall with an amused smirk as Leon was looking up with no shirts on.

"I'm so sorry about that Leon, we'll get those cleaned up for you." Falla said with remorse.

"It's ok, I've been covered in worse out on the battlefield." Leon said simply.

"Never been vomit before, that's gotta be a first." Render said with a shrug. Leon looked to him causing the boy to jump and smile nervously.

"Anyway, it'll be good as new soon enough. No worries, right bud?" he asked quickly.

"I didn't know they wouldn't like the movie that much, that wasn't what I was counting on." Falla said with regret.

"What exactly were you counting on Ms. Falla? You know how we are with those movies." Apoch said looking down embarrassed.

"I know, you get scared. I thought Render and Leon would be able to comfort you and you guys would get along, I didn't know she would throw up! I mean the last time you guys watched a scary movie she just blasted the T.V., she didn't hurl all over you!" Falla cried out with remorse. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the chronofly as Ceal looked to Apoch cautiously.

"Wait, you mean you wanted them to get scared so we would hold them?" Render asked. Falla looked to him and smiled nervously.

"Well…I mean…I was just trying to…help." she said weakly.

"Help with what?" Leon asked with narrowed eyes. Falla looked to Apoch then down with remorse.

"I'm sorry. It's just…I know how much they were hoping to have you guys like them. I thought that if you could play the part of their protectors during the movie, you would warm up to them." she said softly. Render looked to Apoch who glanced away with a small blush.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Falla said softly as she looked to Ceal. He looked at her with no expression then glanced to the side as footsteps were heard. They looked to see Astreal waking into the room with a sorrowful expression.

"Sister, are you ok?" Apoch asked worriedly. Astreal nodded then looked to Leon.

"I am so sorry Mr. Leon, really. I hope…this doesn't ruin the night for you." she said looking down.

"It's fine Astreal, I've been through worse. You ok now?" Leon asked. The girl nodded then looked to Falla with a bit of discontent.

"Next time me and my sister will pick the movie." she said before she looked down and shuddered.

"Yeah, ok Astreal. Sure thing." Falla said with remorse.

"She only picked that movie so you and your sister would get scared on purpose." Ceal said simply. Astreal looked to him with surprise then to Falla.

"What? Why?" she said shaking her head.

"So Render and Leon could hold you and…hopefully have you warm up to them." Falla said with remorse. She looked to Astreal with a worried expression.

"I'm sorry, I know how much you two wanted to find new boyfriends, I thought…this would be your chance." she said before looking down with worry. Astreal looked to Leon as Apoch looked to Render. The boys glanced to each other then back to the girls as Falla fidgeted a bit.

"I'm sorry you guys. This date night is a disaster." she said worriedly. Astreal glanced to Apoch and nodded once before they both looked down quickly.

"Well, not like I've had another date night to compare it to anyway." Render said with a smile and a shrug.

"We've had rougher nights before, it's not a complete disaster." Leon said glancing away.

"No, I'd say it was a success for them alright." Ceal said looking to Astreal. The group looked to him as he narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"What do you mean?" Astreal asked worriedly.

"I mean you got what you wanted, didn't you?" Ceal said with narrowed eyes. The witch sisters looked at him worriedly as the group glanced between the two.

"What do you mean by that?" Falla asked. Ceal glanced to Leon and waited, the boy just looking at him puzzled.

"I told you they were up to something." Ceal said before walking closer to the twins.

"What…what do you mean?" Astreal asked worriedly.

"When you threw up Astreal, why didn't you do so right in front of you? Why did you turn your head to face Leon?" Ceal asked curiously. The girl jumped a bit and looked down with a nervous expression.

"I'm sorry! Really!" she pleaded.

"Hey, it's alright man, no harm done." Render said defensively.

"Yeah, my shirts are being washed right now. Why are you picking on her for that?" Leon asked. Ceal glanced to the boy and smirked a bit.

"Where's your key hunter?" he asked. Everybody looked to Leon as Astreal's eyes went wide. The boy looked at Ceal curiously then jumped a bit. He looked to the washer as it was going with his shirts inside of it. He ran towards it before Ceal chuckled.

"Don't bother, the key isn't in there. Besides I'm sure Falla would have noticed and taken it out before putting them in there." he said simply. Everybody looked to him as he looked to Astreal.

"What? But…where…" Leon said before looking to Astreal, the girl shaking bit with fear.

"You didn't even apologize for what you did, you didn't even try to clean up the mess. Instead you ran straight for your room to be alone. Why was that Astreal?" Ceal asked with narrowed eyes. Apoch gulped and looked to her sister as the blonde haired girl trembled a bit. Falla looked at the two curiously as Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the witch.

"I…was embarrassed, I just wanted to be alone for a moment. But I did apologize for what I did." Astreal said worriedly.

"You apologized for throwing up on him, which you did so on purpose. What you didn't apologize for is taking his key." Ceal said with a bit of discontent. Astreal jumped a bit and looked at him with wide eyes as the group looked to her.

"She…took my key?" Leon said with narrowed eyes.

"Astreal?" Falla asked. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then back around at the others.

"What Falla said was true wasn't it? You don't normally vomit with such films. You may be scared of them, but you're not so weak as to become nauseous, are you." Ceal said as he crossed his arms. Astreal shook her head worriedly.

"No, that's not true. I didn't take anything of his, I really did get sick." she said with a nervous expression.

"Really, it's hard enough to believe that you faced Alucard seeing as how a few humans in rubber suits scare you, but are you saying that after all you've been through your constitution really is so low that such a movie would have you throwing up so quickly?" Ceal asked sternly.

"I was…nervous…about the boys being over as well. It was just too much for me." Astreal said worriedly.

"Tell me, why did you girls suddenly want us all over here for a movie night, right after you all were so desperate to get the keys from us? What changed your minds so quickly?" the boy asked curiously. Falla, Render, and Leon looked at the sisters as they trembled a bit.

"Well…we listened to Mr. Razico's side of the story…and we decided that…if Ms. Falla trusted you guys we should too." Apoch said shakily.

"Yes, that's it. Really." Astreal said nodding quickly.

"So if we go up to your room right now, we won't find Leon's key hidden away?" Ceal asked glancing to the doorway. The group looked to Astreal as she just looked at the boy with worry.

"Astreal? You…didn't…did you?" Falla asked worriedly.

"If my key isn't in my shirts still, where is it?" Leon asked sternly.

"You girls just had us over to try to steal the keys away from us. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Ceal said shaking his head.

"What? That's not true man, they wanted to be nice to us. Tell him girls." Render said looking to the sisters. Apoch and Astreal glanced to him then to Ceal.

"Girls?" Render asked.

"You did…didn't you Astreal." Falla said with disappointment. The sisters looked to her with worry then to Ceal. Leon ran out of the room and down the hall as Render just looked at Apoch with disbelief.

"Wait!" Astreal cried out as she tried to follow, the girl falling to the ground as a black tentacle was wrapped around her ankle. She looked back with wide eyes to see Ceal holding his hand gloved hand down towards her.

"What's wrong Astreal? Afraid he'll find something that doesn't belong to you?" Ceal asked playfully.

"It's true? You girls…were just trying to steal from us?" Render said softly. Apoch looked to him as he looked down with disbelief.

"I…we…" she said softly.

"Let me go!" Astreal yelled as she tried to pull off the dark limb, the tentacle then releasing her and vanishing into the small black rift on the ground. Astreal looked at him then scrambled to her feet, the girl running down the hall again. She took two steps before Falla appeared before her, the girl looking at the witch with a narrowed eye.

"You stole from them? Is that…is that why you and Kyouko wanted the boys to come over here? To steal the key from them?" she said with anger.

"But…Ms. Falla, please listen to us." Astreal said worriedly.

"Mr. Render?" Apoch asked worriedly as the boy was looking away. He shook his head and looked back to her with discontent.

"I would have expected this from Ceal, or even Razico. But…I thought you really did like me." he said with remorse.

"But…we…only meant to take…" Apoch said as she shook her head.

"What was ours. That, and my first kiss, something I was saving for a girl who deserved it." Render said looking away. He then ran out of the room and down the hall after his friend.

"Mr. Render wait!" Apoch pleaded as she tried to follow, the girl being halted by Falla who was glaring at the sisters.

"You two were plotting this whole thing the entire time, weren't you?" she said with discontent.

"Ms. Falla you don't understand, we only wanted to-" Apoch started before Falla yelled out.

"This entire night is falling apart, and it's all because of you two!" she yelled. The air around her distorted as she glared at the sisters, the two girls backing up a bit with fear.

"And Kyouko, she was in on this too wasn't she? This was her all her idea, she knew what you were going to do!" Falla yelled out.

"Why are you so mad at us though, Mr. Ceal doesn't care about you to begin with, he never has. He only wants to use you for the key, that's all." Astreal said urgently.

"He's not using me!" Falla screamed, the air around her cracking apart slightly as the girls watched with worry. Ceal watched the chronofly with a curious glance as the girl growled loudly.

"He won't even tell you what he's after, he just wants you to turn the key and to kill off the others that don't follow his command. He's manipulating you." Apoch said worriedly.

"No he isn't!" Falla yelled out shaking her head.

"Yes he is, why can't you see that? How can you trust him still, it's so obvious he doesn't care about you. He hardly even wanted to sit with you during the movie." Astreal said urgently.

"Shut up!" Falla yelled as she held her head and looked down with a closed eye.

"He's bad Ms. Falla." the sisters said together. Falla growled then glared at them.

"This is my choice to help him, a choice that _I'm_ going to make on my own. After all he's done for me it's the least I could do for him. He's given me back so much, he's not a bad guy. I trust him still." Falla said looking down with a closed eye. Ceal glanced to her then back to the sisters.

"He's not a bad guy…he's not a bad guy…he's not!" she screamed as a rift tore apart behind her briefly, the air seeming to crackle as a glow etched through the air for a moment. Ceal looked at the tear closely then to Falla.

"But…Ms. Falla…" the sisters said in unison with worry.

The group then looked back to see Render and Leon coming down from the stairs, the boys looking to the girls with discontent. In Leon's hand was the key, the golden object with a strange oblong eye on it that had a green jewel in the center.

"You little thief, I knew you girls were up to something." Leon said with discontent. Falla looked at the key then growled with rage.

"You…you did steal from them…how could you?" she said shaking her head.

"You can keep the shirts, we're out of here. I can only assume they weren't going to cover for Falla tomorrow anyway." Leon said with discontent.

"Yeah, we were really fools to trust them." Render said with narrowed eyes at Apoch. The witch looked at him with worry then down with remorse. Falla looked at the sisters with disappointment then down with a closed eye.

"Please Ms. Falla, listen to reason." Astreal said softly.

"You can't let him make a wish like this, he's after something evil, I just know it." Apoch said worriedly. Before anybody could say anything else Ceal walked past the witch sisters, the boy stopping next to Falla while facing away from her still. He glanced to her as she timidly looked to him.

"Let's go." he said simply. The girl looked to him puzzled.

"What? Go?" she asked.

"Yes." Ceal said simply. The group looked at him puzzled as Falla looked to him curiously.

"What are you talking about? Go where?" she asked.

"You want to know what it is that I desire, that I will wish for?" he asked. The girl nodded slowly as Ceal just looked at her with no expression.

"Then come with me. I'll show you." he said calmly. Falla looked at him with wonder as the witch sisters watched him carefully.

"What? But…why are you…" she asked.

"Do you want to know or not?" Ceal asked plainly. The girl jumped a bit then nodded slowly. Ceal nodded then glanced to the witch sisters.

"She's going to be out late. Tell the human officials that and you and I are going to have a problem." he said coldly. The sisters jumped a bit as Falla looked at the boy with a bit of wonder.

"But…she can't…" Apoch said shaking her head. She gasped and looked down to see multiple black tentacles creeping around the ground below them, the sisters looking with wide eyes at the sight then over to Ceal. Falla looked at the dark limbs then to the boy with wonder as Render and Leon just watched with dull expressions.

"You won't be interfering again. She's coming with me, that's final. Now, let's go Falla." Ceal said. The chronofly looked at him with wonder and tilted her head a bit.

"Why are you…offering me this?" Falla asked softly. Ceal glanced to her then turned to walk out, the boy's magic fading and the dark limbs vanishing. He walked past the two boys and got to the door, then glanced back to Falla.

"If you want to be my girl, then listen up. I said let's go." he said simply.

Falla's eye widened as she stared at the boy while everybody looked to her.

"Your…girl?" she breathed out. She blinked then jumped over to him instantly, the girl looking at him with wonder still as a soft smile appeared on her face. Ceal glanced to her then back to the others.

"I'd say this night's been a real eye opener for us all, wouldn't you agree?" he asked playfully.

"What do you mean by that?" Apoch asked cautiously.

"Render and Leon get to see what you two really are, and I get to see what Falla really is. Wasn't a waste of a night after all." the boy said as he walked out. Falla looked at him with wonder then back to the sisters.

"Don't go Ms. Falla, you can't go with him please!" Apoch pleaded.

"He's just using you, that's all he's been trying to do from the start." Astreal said shaking her head. Falla looked at them for a moment then showed discontent.

"Please, listen to us. He saw what you can do Ms. Falla, that's why he's being nice to you now. Don't fall for it." Apoch begged.

"He just wants to use you, that's all. He's nothing but a dirty liar!" Astreal said worriedly.

"You would know." Leon said with narrowed eyes. The sisters looked to him as he and Render shook their heads.

"I take back what I said before." Render said firmly.

"What…you said before?" Apoch said softly.

"That you were the beautiful one of you two." he said with regret. Apoch looked at him with wonder as he glanced back to the doorway.

"You're both just monsters after all." he said as he and Leon walked out. Falla looked at the sisters with discontent then turned to leave. The sisters looked to the doorway with worry then to the chronofly.

"Please Ms. Falla, we're begging you." Apoch pleaded.

"Don't let him do this to you, you can't possibly think that he's a good guy." Astreal said with worry. Falla paused for a moment as the sisters watched her worriedly.

"Please…we're friends." Apoch said softly. Falla glanced back to her then looked forward again.

"Is that boy…really worth more to you than us?" Astreal asked worriedly. The chronofly closed her eye for a moment, then walked out without saying a word. The sisters watched with worry then ran over to the door. Render and Leon got into their car while Ceal mounted his bike. Falla got on behind him and held on tightly, the girl looking back over to the house.

"Ms. Falla…" the sisters said in unison. They watched as Ceal drove off with the boys following after him.

"What…what do we do now?" Astreal said shaking her head. Apoch just watched the hunters drive off with a saddened expression before the two walked back into the home.

"I'm not sure…this is bad. Very bad." Apoch said softly.

"What if they go open the box tonight? The world could end tonight." Astreal said with fright.

"Hopefully they won't. We have school tomorrow, maybe they can't head out this late. We can only pray we delayed them for at least one more day." Apoch said softly.

"What do we do then? Ms. Falla's angry with us, and she's still being used as their fourth member for this." Astreal said with concern.

"I don't know but at best we only have one more day to stop them. I just don't know how though. Even if we threaten to call the human officials that won't stop Ms. Falla. And it'll make monsters everywhere look bad again if we get the humans involved." Apoch said worriedly.

"I'm sorry, I had the key and I failed to keep it from them." Astreal said with remorse.

"It's not your fault, Mr. Ceal seemed to be watching you. By the way, how did you manage to throw up like that? It was very convincing, I even thought you were really sick." Apoch asked curiously.

"Well I managed to grab the key from Mr. Leon when I was holding onto him during the scary part of the movie. Then I tried to think of the grossest thing possible to look convincingly sick so I could slink away for a moment." Astreal said softly. She looked to see Apoch looking at her curiously then continued.

"I remembered the meals Ms. Yukari used to make for us at Yokai Academy." she said with a smirk. Apoch blinked then giggled a bit. Astreal nodded then looked down with remorse.

"Turns out it was worse than I thought it would be. I wasn't actually planning on throwing up on Mr. Leon, I originally was going to turn to him to ask if it would have been ok for me to leave. But…I couldn't keep it in." Astreal said with sorrow.

"It's ok, that was a good try at least. We'll just have to try harder tomorrow. I know Ms. Falla is mad at us, but we can't let that stop us. We need to get one of those keys tomorrow during school or else it's all over." Apoch said softly.

"It may come down to us fighting with them. Ms. Falla and Mr. Ceal alone will not go down easily, and Mr. Leon can duplicate anything we try." Astreal said worriedly.

"I know, and Mr. Render's keys are hidden away, we can't get them out of him by force." Apoch said with closed eyes.

"Then…what can we do?" Astreal asked.

"All we can do is watch and wait…and hope an opportunity presents itself." Apoch reasoned as they walked up the stairs towards their rooms.

"Tomorrow's going to be a bad day, I just know it." Astreal said shaking her head.

"Don't give up. We can still do this, just have faith." Apoch said softly.

"I hope so. Honestly, with Ms. Falla being on their side, and them having all the keys like this, I don't know how this could possibly get any worse." Astreal said with despair.

* * *

"No…NO! NO MORE! PLEASE!" Luna cried out, the girl crying and screaming as a light was shining from above. She was still chained from all sides, her arms held out to either side as she was down on her knees. The girl screamed as she was pushed from behind again and again by a shadowy figure, the girl crying out of sorrow and agony as she was violated again and again. She had been suffering in the darkness as unseen monsters were having their way with the bound chronofly, the girl having been violated constantly since she was brought here.

But this time a light was shining from above so she could be seen by somebody. Somebody who was trembling while watching with a frightful expression. Somebody who was watching as the poor girl was raped constantly before her.

Somebody who's soul was brought out of hell.

"Wait…what is this?" Falla said, the girl dressed in a black miniskirt and t-shirt. She had dark shoes on and her butterfly wings were extended out behind her as she was looking with a single red eye at the sight before her.

"NO! STOP!" Luna cried out as the monster howled behind her, the girl trembling before keeling over and groaning with agony, the chains clacking slightly in the darkness as monsters around her snarled with glowing red eyes.

"Why, I just thought you would want to say hello to your sister while you were passing through." a dark voice said from above. Falla watched with fright as the monster behind Luna backed away, the girl trembling and whimpering as she was kept down on her knees. Before the girl could say anything another dark figure walked behind her and grabbed hold of her hips with its claws. She screamed as she was again forced into a carnal act while Falla trembled with fright.

"NO! STOP! RASON! RASON HELP!" she shrieked out before crying again, the girl being ridden from behind again as Falla watched with fear.

"This…this is what you brought me here for?" she asked frightfully.

"Haha, no no my dear guest. You couldn't serve that purpose, you're dead after all. You can't provide me with powerful warriors who could control time." the dark voice said from around her. Falla nodded slowly as she watched her sister being raped before her.

"I see…then…why did you bring me here?" Falla asked looking around.

"Like I said, you cannot give me the warriors I desire, but…there is another in the living world that can. I believe you know her well, she killed you after all." the dark voice said with a chuckle. Falla growled and clenched her fists.

"Her…that pathetic twisted version of me." she said with a hiss.

"Yes, she is still alive my dear, and is somebody that I would simply love to have around the palace. I'm sure her sister would even be happy to see her again, wouldn't you agree?" the dark voice said with an intrigued voice. Falla looked at her sister with discontent as the bound chronofly was violated constantly.

"She should be rotting in hell, not me. Dammit she shouldn't even exist, it's not possible!" Falla yelled out. Luna continued to scream and cry, the girl's senses of her surroundings shot to the point where she didn't even know Falla was in the room with her. She didn't even know light was shining down on her, the girl's mind becoming torn and broken from the constant abuse.

"You want her to suffer, that can be arranged my dear. I brought you out here so you could bring her to me. It seems she has full control of her chrono magic again, and would prove…problematic for any of my forces to take her in the human world." the dark voice said casually. Falla growled and glared upwards towards the sound of the voice.

"I'd rather tear her apart and watch her scream in pain. I want that bitch dead for what she did to me!" she yelled out.

"Sorry, but I have better plans for her. She will help provide suitable warriors alongside her living sister." the dark voice said. Falla growled and looked around with a glare.

"Like hell she will, I'm going to fucking tear that bitch apart with my bare hands when I see her! She's going to pay for what she did to me!" she yelled out.

"Something to consider my dear chronofly, is that you are still dead. You're nothing but a detached soul." the dark voice said with a chuckle. Falla looked around cautiously at that remark.

"So what does that mean?" she asked.

"It means that should you die while outside of the realm you were sent to, you will die permanently. You will cease to exist at all, nothing will remain of your being. If you die now, you are gone forever." the dark voice said with a cold voice. Falla looked around cautiously and nodded slowly.

"So, you're threatening me are you?" she asked slowly.

"Haha, merely reminding you of your place." the voice said with a laugh. Falla looked around and smirked a bit.

"I see. Here's a random question for you, let's say I go rogue on this little quest of yours then, what could you do about it? If you can't get my other self on your own, what could you do about me?" she asked with a shrug. Suddenly a collar lit up around her neck, the girl screaming as she dropped to her knees as a chain lit up behind her. She cried out in pain as the glowing collar sparked wildly, the girl thrashing about as her sister was violated nearby. After a moment the collar vanished from sight and the girl coughed a few times.

"You honestly didn't think I would have you travel around freely did you? As long as you are outside of hell you belong to me girl." the voice from above said. The girl growled a bit and shakily got back to her feet.

"Ok…point taken." she said bitterly.

"Good, now you will be going to the human world and you will bring me the other chronofly _alive_. Understand?" the voice said sternly. Falla growled and looked up with a narrowed eye.

"Yes…my _lord_." she said bitterly through bared teeth.

"Excellent to see you behaving my dear. The chronofly is apparently guarded by a few other monsters, some of which have displayed some noticeable strength." the dark voice said.

"I'll tear them all apart no problem. You underestimate what we chronoflies can do." Falla said arrogantly.

"Be that as it may, I will take no chances with this. Should you be killed I will not be able to bring you back to try again. As such, I've arranged some escorts for you, to help with isolating and capturing your target." the dark voice said. Falla heard some giggling behind her and looked back, the girl only seeing darkness all around her.

"Escorts?" the girl asked cautiously.

"Yes. Use them to help achieve your goal. But if you try to harm the chronofly, or attempt to flee from my grasp, they will kill you where you stand, and you shall fade away into time forever." the voice said with a dark tone. Falla looked into the darkness cautiously as two figures approached, both covered in the shadows.

"Very well…_my lord_." she said with a bit of discontent. The two figures giggled a bit as the chronofly looked at them cautiously. The darkness kept them from being seen properly, their bodies covered in shadows completely. All was hidden except for the glow of their eyes.

One's was multicolored with green, red, blue, and white colors while the other's was comprised of yellow, pink, purple, and black.


	27. Keep In Control

In the human world all was quiet in the Blue Fish Inn. It wasn't because there weren't any customers. It wasn't because there was significant damage to the upstairs as a room and hallway were in ruins from a monster visit not too long ago. It wasn't because the place was empty, as there were four individuals down in the living area of the building.

It was because everybody was looking at a blue haired girl with surprise as she smiled innocently with a simple shrug. After a while a voice finally spoke up.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sandra cried out. Sun shook her head and wrote down something on her pad again.

It could work, it would be something no other inn has to offer.

"Monsters? You want to invite _monsters_ to _work_ here off of the streets? You…you can't be serious Sun." Sandra said with disbelief.

"Why can't we? It could attract customers away from all those other inns." Arial reasoned.

"Why can't we? How about the fact that our inn is in need of further repair because of monsters coming here in the first place." Sandra barked out while pointing up.

"Invite monsters to work here, could that really work?" Marin asked curiously.

"Of course it couldn't work Marin, don't tell me you're actually considering it." Sandra said with surprise. The woman looked to her then to Sun as the silent girl wrote down something else.

If we have monster entertainment here it would make this place stand out. People are aware we exist now, it won't cause a riot anymore to have our kind seen in public.

"Yeah, people know monsters are real now. What's the big deal?" Arial asked looking to Sandra. The girl looked down holding her head and closing her eyes.

"First off, need I remind you of what just happened again by a monster coming here for a visit? The creep tried to kidnap Sun! Secondly if we have monsters working here that's going to draw attention alright, especially from the HDA." she said worriedly. She looked to Sun and shook her head.

"If we have them snooping around here they're going to find out about you and your little friend." she said with concern. Sun looked down with a worry while Arial looked at her silent friend.

"Oh dear, that's right. If they learn about you not being registered, they'll take you two away." Marin said worriedly.

"So can't we just register with them then? Would it really be so bad?" Arial asked. Sun nodded and looked to her worriedly.

"I don't get it, why don't you register Sun? They're not going to lock you up or run experiments on you. If anything you'll be protected by the human government." Sandra said confused. Sun shook her head and wrote down something else.

If they register a monster they treat them like a second-class citizen. They will tell me where to live and where to work here in this world, they will take me away from the inn all the same.

"It's true, they may say registering is for the best, but…they don't treat those that do with respect. They try to keep them on a short leash and keep them from going out into the world. It's horrible." Marin said with sadness. Sandra looked at the two monsters in the room then down with worry.

"Well…if you don't want to register that's up to you. But we can't have them being drawn here. A place with monsters working publicly, that'll catch their eye for sure." she said with concern.

"Are Dark and his friends registered?" Arial asked.

"Dark?" Sandra asked.

"Yes, my husband. He's one of the warriors that slayed Alucard." Arial said with a smile.

"Husband?" Sandra asked confused. Arial nodded with a curious expression.

"Yes, what's strange about that?" she asked.

"Aren't you a little young for a husband?" Sandra asked with a laugh. Arial just looked at her with a blank expression, then her hair slowly froze over as her eyes seemed to turn colder.

"Not at all." she said sternly. Sun quickly scribbled down something else and showed it to Sandra.

Agree with her, or else this place is going to need serious repair.

Sandra glanced to the pad then smiled nervously at the snow angel.

"Oh, ok then. Just asking." she said with a weak smile. Arial nodded slowly as her hair returned to normal, all while Marin and Sun breathed out in relief.

"Anyway, I'm not sure if they are. I would imagine they would have to be though, right?" Sandra asked looking to the others. Sun and Marin just shrugged.

"But if they aren't, the human government won't lock them away for being here. They're heroes after all. Hey...that's it. We get them to come _here_!" Arial cheered out. The group looked to her as she smiled brightly.

"Come here?" Marin asked.

"Yeah, it'll be perfect. Nobody's going to stop them from coming into this world, whether they're registered or not. Plus think about it Marin, you'll have the heroes that saved the world at your inn, think of all the customers that'll come here for that." Arial said to the woman. Marin looked at her with surprise as Sun looked up curiously.

"You're kidding right? It would be hard enough to find monsters that would be willing to work here, but you're asking us to invite the most famous ones of all here? That's like trying to get a world famous band to play at your birthday party, we can't do that." Sandra said shaking her head.

"Yes we can, they go to Yokai Academy in the monster world, Sun was going to take me there tomorrow." Arial said looking to Sun. The silent girl looked around at the group and nodded with a shrug.

"But…why would they agree to help us? They're celebrities, we're just some humans working in an inn. I would think they have better things to be doing than coming here and helping us." Sandra said crossing her arms before her.

"Because one of those celebrities is my husband, and I'm sure he'll help out. And I'm sure he'll get the others to help him out too." Arial said proudly.

"Do you really think they would do that?" Marin asked.

"Of course, my Dark is the best, I just know he'll come to our aid." Arial said confidently. Sun thought about it then wrote down something else.

I don't know who the heroes are personally, but I do know somebody still at the academy. He and I used to run the newspaper club there. He owes me a favor still, so maybe he can help with this.

"Yay! I'm going to see my husband and your inn will be saved! This is perfect, everybody wins!" Arial cheered out.

"I suppose with the heroes of the world being here, the HDA wouldn't get angry. Registered or not those kids are well known to be peace oriented." Marin said looking down in thought.

"I don't know, I still think having monsters working here is a mistake. Don't get me wrong, I'm cool with you two being here, but…we've seen what happens when monsters we don't know come here. What if this draws unwanted attention to us?" Sandra asked worriedly.

"Would you stop worrying so much? With my Dark here nothing could possibly threaten us. He'll help save your inn, just watch." Arial said sternly. The human girl nodded nervously as the snow angel's hair froze over slightly while Marin smiled a bit.

"If we had such famous monsters here, that would indeed draw more business to our inn. It would help bring this place back to life again." she said hopefully. Sun smiled and wrote down something else.

Then it's decided, I'll contact the academy tonight after work and leave a message for my friend. Hopefully he can pull something together for us.

"Yay! I'm going to see Dark again, I'm going to see Dark again!" Arial cheered as she jumped around joyously. Marin laughed a bit with a smile as she watched the snow angel hop around while Sandra looked up with worry.

"Having an inn full of monsters…this is going to be trouble." she muttered.

* * *

Up in the night sky stars were shining behind the clouds that were slowly passing by. A red moon was obscured as a cool breeze gently rolled by. Standing in a clearing near the cliffside overlooking the red sea a blue haired succubus was looking around her carefully. Kurumu had her wings and tail extended out as well as her nails. Surrounding the girl at a safe distance were her friends, all watching her with a keen eye. Moka had a focused expression as her rosary was glowing softly over her chest, the vampire keeping her strength up and ready to fight. Yukari had her wand in hand and was watching the succubus carefully as she kept on guard. Ahakon stood ready as his cape flowed gently in the breeze behind him. Kokoa had her oversized Kou-hammer in hand as she was ready to dive into a fight as well. Gin was in his werewolf form as he stood ready, the wolf glancing to the sky every now and then and watching for the moon to shine through the clouds. Rin was standing ready as her wings were extended out behind her, the girl listening to her music and watching the succubus carefully. Ran was watching the blue haired girl with a careful expression as her wings were also extended out.

Off by the tree line Dark was watching with his earbuds once again playing music for him. He was holding onto Rason's wrist and keeping the angel cloaked, the blonde haired boy watching his girlfriend closely while remaining hidden from her view. And Mizore was standing next to Dark, the girl looking down timidly at the ring on her finger as she smiled softly.

"Do you think this is safe? I mean, we all saw how strong she became before." Rason asked worriedly. Mizore glanced to him then over to her winged friend.

"She wanted to try again, so why not? Besides everybody agreed to at least try to face her, even the siren sisters." she said softly.

"Yeah, but Ran's only doing so because Ahakon is, and Rin probably forgot why she's out there in the first place." Rason said dryly. Mizore nodded and shrugged.

"Oh well." she said softly.

"Still, what if she…goes out of control again?" Rason asked worriedly.

"That's why Dark's cloaking you. Hopefully if Kurumu doesn't see you again she'll keep in control." Mizore said simply.

"But she knows I'm here, we're bound together. She can feel where I am exactly at this range." Rason said with a bit of fear. Mizore nodded and glanced to him.

"Well…here's hoping that's not enough to send her over the edge again." she said softly. Rason sighed and nodded, then glanced to the girl.

"How come you didn't want to fight too? You seemed more than eager to try against Moka earlier." he asked curiously. Mizore blushed and looked down a bit.

"I can't…Dark's orders." she said softly. Rason looked at her puzzled then to Dark.

"What? Why doesn't he want you fighting now?" he asked.

"Because she's going to need her stamina for tonight." Dark said simply, the boy still watching the fighters before him. Rason looked to him with surprise as Mizore blushed more and looked down bashfully.

"What…you heard us?" Rason said puzzled. Dark didn't respond as he kept watching the group in front of him.

"Music was changing tracks then Rason." Mizore said softly as she held a hand to her cheek, the girl excited for her upcoming night with her fiancé. Rason nodded then glanced to the snow girl. After a pause he looked out to the group again.

"Well, I guess somebody's going to get it either way tonight." he said weakly as he watched his blue haired girlfriend closely. Mizore glanced to her fiancé and smiled timidly before looking back to the ring on her finger.

Kurumu glanced around as the group surrounding her was ready to fight.

"You all set Kurumu?" Moka called out. Kurumu looked down and breathed out.

_Ok, focus Kurumu. Keep it together…keep it together. For once, just once, don't think about your sexy angel that's watching you. Don't think about him…just for once._

She nodded and got into a fighting stance.

"Ok, let's do this." she called out.

Moka narrowed her eyes then dashed towards the girl at full speed. Gin growled then shot out as well while Kokoa focused her overcharge, the girl watching the succubus closely while holding her giant hammer with the cute smiley face on it. Yukari aimed her wand towards her friend as she focused her elemental power while Ahakon focused his magic as he held his hand towards the sky. Ran and Rin took off into the air while watching the succubus closely.

As all the fighters moved Kurumu glanced around quickly. She would need every bit of strength she had to fend off everybody that was attacking her. Moka alone would push her to her normal limit. The only way she would be able to overcome this was to use her full demonic power, something that would not only increase her fighting capability drastically, but would also increase her succubus lust to uncontrollable levels.

_For Rason…I will overcome this._

Moka dashed to her as Gin closed in from the other side, the two striking at the succubus in a pincer attack. Moka sent out a kick while Gin slashed with his hand. In a flash Kurumu shot into the air as she focused her demonic power, the girl concentrating on the dark and evil aura within her. As she flew up Moka and Gin looked up as the earth below them blasted up, the two being propelled up by stone pillars. Yukari focused her magic on the earth as Moka and Gin leapt up at Kurumu, the two grabbing onto her legs and pulling her down again. As they fell back down Kokoa dashed towards them with her hammer held back, her skin starting to give off a haze as her aura multiplied from her overcharge. Moka and Gin slammed Kurumu back into the ground as Kokoa leapt up, the girl swinging her hammer down towards the succubus. Kurumu rolled to the side as the hammer crashed down, the girl then kicking Moka and rolling back onto her feet. She swung her nails towards Kokoa, the vampire darting back while leaving her hammer in the ground before kicking back at the girl. Kurumu darted back then swung behind her causing Gin to dart off from his attack, the succubus then shooting back into the air. She flew up slightly before Ran flew down and kicked her, the succubus being shot down again as Rin started to sing up in the sky. Ahakon waved his hand down and a lightning bolt struck down, the succubus rolling to the side as it blasted into the ground and detonated into an explosion.

"Kurumu!" Rason called out as the girl was tossed into a tumble from the blast.

"Piece of advice Rason, keep quiet. If she hears you she will likely lose it." Mizore said simply while still admiring her ring, the girl more focused on her engagement gift than the fight before her.

Kurumu rolled to her feet and tried to take off into the air again, the girl suddenly being spun around as a tornado formed around her. Up in the sky Rin was singing a quick and erratic melody, the siren using her magic to create a whirlwind around the succubus. As the girl was spinning around wildly Yukari aimed her wand while Ahakon aimed his hand.

"Magical BLAST!" Yukari yelled as she fired a powerful burst of bright magical energy. Ahakon fired out a blast of fire, much smaller in size compared to his girlfriend's attack, and the two projectiles flew towards the succubus.

"C'mon Kurumu, focus." Moka said with frustration.

**_If she doesn't put her all into this fight there's no way she'll make it through in one piece._**

_I know, but she said we can't go easy on her. This was her choice._

The two attacks flew into the tornado and detonated, the air blasting into a bright explosion as the group watched carefully. Flames and smoke swirled around in the whirlwind as everybody watched for any sign of their friend.

"Oh man, that wasn't too much was it?" Ahakon said worriedly.

"She said we had to use our all." Yukari said nervously.

"Um…was I supposed to do that? I was…right?" Rin asked worriedly as smoke billowed around as the tornado dissolved. Ran landed down next to Kokoa and the two exchanged worried glances.

"Maybe we all shouldn't have been fighting from the start." Gin said worriedly.

"Kurumu." Rason said softly as he and the silent couple watched closely. He looked to Dark to see the demon looking up.

"Dark?" he asked. He glanced over and saw Mizore glancing up with a raised eyebrow. The angel blinked then looked up, the boy jumping with surprise. Slowly the group all looked up as the smoke vanished, revealing no body or anything there at all. But higher up there was something, a figure with a purplish hue swirling around her.

"Kurumu." Moka said softly in wonder.

The girl's wings and tail were smoking as she had a focused expression on her face.

"She…dodged the explosion." Kokoa said with awe.

The succubus retracted her nails, the girl choosing to do so for her friends' safety.

"I didn't even see her move out of the tornado." Ran said with wonder.

Her aura flared around her, the girl's demonic blood fueling her strength rapidly.

"She's doing it again…wow." Yukari said with amazement.

A burst of power radiated around her as her eyes narrowed a bit, the girl concentrating on the sudden surge of monster energy within her.

"So…what do we do now?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

Her wings and tail ignited, the demonic limbs burning brightly with a purplish flame that flared wildly.

"Now we get serious." Gin said as he tensed up.

Her wings arched back as she clenched her fists, her power flaring around her wildly in a concentrated burst.

"Rin get away from there!" Ran called out. The blonde haired siren looked to her sister then up as a purplish glow flew down at her. Suddenly the siren vanished, the group looking at the sky with surprise to see her gone.

"What?" Ran said with wide eyes. She blinked then slowly looked down. Standing right before her was Kurumu, the girl holding onto Rin around the waist and glaring at her while her purple flames burned wildly behind her. The group looked down and jumped to seeing her there instantly while Rin was looking at the girl with shock. Before Ran could scream Kurumu flung the blonde haired girl at her, the sister crashing into her and taking them flying back into a wild tumble at high speed. The group watched the two crash into a tree before slumping down with a groan.

"Holy…shit!" Gin cried out as the group looked to Kurumu, the girl merely glancing over to them.

"Her speed!" Yukari cried out. Kokoa growled then swung her large hammer right towards the succubus. The group watched as the overcharged redhead swung the hammer right towards the back of Kurumu's head before the succubus reached back and blocked it with one arm. The group looked with wide eyes to see the succubus standing perfectly still as the hammer came to a complete and sudden stop.

"No…way…" Kokoa breathed out.

"She…blocked it." Ahakon said with disbelief.

"Kurumu." Rason said under his breath, the boy looking with amazement at seeing his girlfriend standing there with her full power flowing around her. Kokoa shook her head then swung the hammer around, this time swinging the large object down towards Kurumu's head. Again the hammer was blocked with one arm and stopped instantly as Kurumu just eyed the redhead with narrowed eyes. Kokoa screamed and shook her head as the others just looked at their friend with disbelief.

"It's like she's not even trying." Yukari said trembling.

"That's…not possible!" Kokoa cried out. She backed up and gripped her hammer tightly as Kurumu stood there. The redhead growled as fire flared around her shoulders then swung again at the succubus. This time Kurumu held out a hand and stopped the hammer in place before it hit her in the face, then grabbed the hammer's handle with her other hand. The group watched as Kurumu yanked the hammer away and spun around, the girl promptly swatting Kokoa away and sending her flying into a spiral away. She crashed into the ground and carved a deep crevice through the dirt, the girl coming to a stop groaning in pain next to the siren sisters.

"Kokoa!" Gin yelled out. He looked to see Kurumu tossing the hammer to the side effortlessly as he and Moka watched her carefully.

"Her strength…it's…" Moka said in disbelief.

**_The true power of the Princess of Hell. I can't even believe it myself._**

"Um…now what?" Ahakon asked with a tremble. Yukari looked at the girl with surprise then narrowed her eyes. She held up her wand and it glowed brightly. The group watched as a golden washtub suddenly appeared over Kurumu and flew down towards her head. Before impact the girl reached up, snatched it, then flung it towards the witch without looking.

BANG!

Yukari was knocked clear off her feet and bounced back as the golden washtub connected to her face. Moka and Gin looked with surprise as the siren sisters were helping Kokoa stand again.

"Yukari!" Ahakon cried out.

"She…caught it." Gin said in disbelief.

"I was wondering how long before she did something like that." Mizore said softly, the girl now watching with interest at her friend's sudden increase in strength. She glanced to where Rason was next to Dark.

"Keep quiet Rason, or else you're really in for it." she said softly. Rason nodded while he was under the demon's cloak, the angel knowing that his girlfriend's libido was increasing just as much as her strength.

Moka and Gin tensed up, then charged the succubus. Moka wound back a kick while Gin geared back for a punch. In a flash Kurumu dashed towards Gin and kicked him back, the wolf howling as he flew back and crashed into the ground. As he did Kurumu darted up over Moka's kick, the blue haired demon flipping over and landing behind the vampire. Moka looked back as Kurumu sent out a powerful kick, the vampire then being knocked into a high speed flight across the ground and crashing into the ground next to her sister.

"Big sis!" Kokoa cried out. Moka groaned a bit as she slowly stood up, the vampire looking back to see Kurumu glaring over at the only fighter still standing.

"Oh…crap." Ahakon said as he backed up a step. In a flash Kurumu flew towards him at blinding speed, the mage screaming and covering his eyes with his hands. He waited a bit then slowly peeked to see no sign of the girl. He looked around fearfully, then slowly glanced behind him. Standing back to back with him was Kurumu, the demon looking ahead with a focused expression still. She slowly looked back to him as the mage turned pale. After a pause her aura blasted around her, the purplish flames seeming to flare up as the ground around her cracked apart. Ahakon was thrown away into a tumble as Yukari, Moka, and Gin got back to their feet.

"Ahakon!" Yukari cried out.

"She knocked him back…with only her aura." Gin said with wide eyes.

"Her power…it's insane." Kokoa said with wide eyes as her body started to give off bursts of fire around her arms and legs.

Kurumu glanced back to them, then let out a loud moan as she held herself with one hand between her legs, the girl seeming to waver as her legs wobbled. The group watched her closely as she slowly stood back upright, the girl's face flushed as she was breathing heavily.

"Her succubus nature is increasing too. She's getting stronger alright, and more turned on." Moka said cautiously.

"Oh man, if she sees Rason now…" Gin said glancing over to Dark and Mizore. The angel was still hidden by the shadow demon's power, the boy watching with worried eyes now as he knew if Kurumu got to him he wouldn't be able to stop the love demon from having her way with him.

"Can she keep in control?" Kokoa asked as her shirt started to burn more.

"What's wrong with you? You're on fire!" Rin asked with fear as Kokoa's shirt started on fire. The vampire glanced back to her then forward again, the girl feeling no heat from her overcharge. Rin blinked then tapped her headphones, the siren then remembering why the vampire was starting on fire.

"Ah, never mind." she said simply as she looked back to the succubus.

"Let's try this again. Kokoa, build up all your strength for one good attack. Gin, you and I will charge from the front. Ran, Rin, you two take to the air and use whatever magic you can to strike from above." Moka said firmly. The group nodded and got ready as Ahakon slowly got to his feet, the boy looking back at the succubus with wide eyes.

"My god, how much energy does she have now?" he asked worriedly.

In a flash Moka and Gin shot past the boy, the mage looking with surprise to see the two fighters racing towards the succubus.

"Magical BLAST!" Yukari's voice shouted out, the mage looking to see his girlfriend firing her trademark attack towards Kurumu from the other side. He looked up and saw Ran and Rin flying overhead as they started signing a fast and energetic song in unison. He looked back to see Kokoa having her fists clenched, her aura flaring around her wildly, and her clothing starting ablaze as her overcharge built up even more.

The air around Kurumu started to spin around while the sky above crackled with lightning. The girl glanced back for a moment then sent a quick kick in front of her, the girl knocking Yukari's attack right back at her at high speed. The witch screamed and jumped to the side as the attack raced past her and exploded behind the girl. At the same time Kurumu turned around and caught Moka and Gin's punches with a hand each, the girl's feet digging into the ground from the force a bit as she glared at them.

"No-" Moka said with wide eyes.

"-way." Gin said as they looked to see their attacks stopped instantly. The succubus then threw Gin up into the air with one hand, the wolf crashing into Ran and taking them down to the ground while Moka was hurled into Rin, the two tumbling down to the ground with a thud. Ahakon shook his head then aimed his hand towards the girl, his arm sparking wildly before a bolt of lightning shot out. The boy watched with surprise as Kurumu merely backhanded the bolt, sending it right back to him.

"What?" he cried out as the attack blasted in front of him. After a small explosion the boy tumbled back smoking. The succubus then looked to see Kokoa dashing towards her while on fire, the girl's aura flaring around her wildly. The vampire struck out with a powerful kick as her leg seemed to have fire swirling around it. The vampire's attack struck at the succubus, the blue haired girl holding an arm out to the side and blocking the kick. Instantly the ground around her other side blasted apart from the kinetic energy as a large explosion erupted around the girl. Dust and debris shot up as the group slowly got back to their feet.

"Did that work?" Yukari said as she held her head in a daze.

"How…did she do that anyway?" Ahakon said as he got up, the boy smoking a bit still as he dusted himself off.

"Why are we doing this again?" Rin whined as she got up next to Gin.

"Just how strong is she anyway?" Ran said as she and Moka watched carefully. The group watched the dust slowly clear away to reveal Kurumu standing still, the girl holding Kokoa up by one hand as the vampire was unconscious now.

"She…took the attack full on…and nothing happened." Yukari said trembling.

"It's…not possible. Is it?" Gin said with a bit of fear.

"Her energy…it's…it's…" Moka said shaking her head.

**_It's far beyond what she could normally wield. It's at the same level as Tsukune's, she was the only one who managed to fend him off._**

_I can see that, nothing we have is making a scratch. It's like she's not even trying yet._

**_I don't think she is…_**

Kurumu narrowed her eyes then whipped the redhead behind her, the vampire flying back and crashing into Yukari. The two tumbled back as Kurumu's wings arched back, the girl's purple flames flaring around wildly. The group watched as the girl shot forward at blinding speed, the ground tearing apart in a straight line towards them. The crevice shot past Ahakon, the mage being knocked to the side instantly by the blunt force of the girl's power. The other fighters blinked then looked to see Kurumu standing between them, the group's eyes widening as she raised both fists up. She yelled out and slammed both fists down onto the ground, and in doing so caused a powerful shockwave that shattered the ground around her and tossed the group away from her. Moka rolled to the side before her hand was grabbed and she stopped, the girl looking to see Kurumu having appeared over her instantly.

"K…Kurumu?" the vampire said with surprise. The succubus then swung her around and threw her towards Gin, the girl slamming into the wolf and crashing them down into the ground again. Kurumu then looked down to see Rin trembling before her.

"Please…don't kill me." she begged shakily.

"She's unstoppable like that." Mizore said with wonder.

"I don't believe this, we can't even touch her." Gin said as he and Moka slowly got up again.

"Oh no, run Rin!" Ran cried out. The group looked to see the blonde haired siren trembling on the ground while the succubus was looking down at her with narrowed eyes. Kurumu trembled a bit then moaned loudly into the air, the girl grabbing her breasts as her knees wobbled. The group watched her as she trembled before dropping down to her knees over the siren. Kurumu shuddered then dropped down onto all fours, the succubus looking at Rin below her with a flushed face.

"What…what are you doing?" Rin said worriedly.

"What's she doing?" Ran asked worriedly. Ahakon was watching with wide eyes as Yukari slowly got back to her feet, the witch standing up as Kokoa was sleeping at her feet.

Kurumu's wings arched behind her as they flared brightly with purple flames, the girl's tail waving around behind her as she stared at the siren under her. She licked her lips as her eyes showed a great amount of lust, the siren looking at her with fear again.

"Why…are you looking at me like that?" Rin asked as she saw she was pinned down by the love demon, her hands being held down by Kurumu's tightly.

"Wait…she's not…going to…" Gin said shaking his head. Moka and Ran's eyes widened as they thought of the same thing.

Without another word Kurumu kissed the siren deeply, the succubus holding down the siren's hands tightly as her hips started grinding on the girl's waist. Rin tried to scream but couldn't be heard over the succubus moaning loudly with each kiss.

"She's lost it!" Yukari cried out.

"Why is she molesting my sister though? She's not a boy!" Ran cried out while gripping her hair.

"She can't control herself, I don't think she even cares who she's kissing now." Moka said covering her mouth, the girl watching with wide eyes as Kurumu was wildly rubbing her body against the siren while kissing her. The succubus had lost all control, the urge to make love simply overwhelming to the point that any unlucky soul nearby would draw her into a mating frenzy.

Rason watched with wide eyes while Dark and Mizore just watched with blank expressions.

"Well…didn't see that coming." Dark said simply.

"Poor Rin." Mizore said shaking her head.

Kurumu's hand went to Rin's shirt and started to rip it off, the siren thrashing around while held down with a powerful embrace. Rason shook his head then yanked his hand away from Dark, the boy becoming visible again as the demon glanced to him.

"Kurumu! Stop!" he yelled out. Kurumu snapped up and looked to him with wide eyes as Rin gasped for air, the siren looking at the succubus with wide eyes and shock.

"Rason what are you doing?" Ahakon cried out.

"Get off her Kurumu! I'm right over here!" Rason called out as he waved his hands around. He glanced to Dark and Mizore then shrugged.

"Can't have my girl raping other people to death can I?" he asked weakly.

"Very noble of you." Dark said simply.

"We'll be sure to speak highly of you at your funeral." Mizore said with a nod.

Rason looked back to see Kurumu flying towards him at high speed. The group watched as the succubus tackled the boy and they rolled into the forest nearby. Rason's screams and Kurumu's loud moans echoed out as the group just looked at the sight with disbelief.

"Oh no, Rason!" Ahakon cried out.

"Oh man, not like that." Gin said shaking his head.

"Poor angel." Yukari said weakly with wide eyes, the girl staring at the woods as sounds of the succubus echoed out during her mating frenzy. The group just stood there stunned as Kurumu's cries of ecstasy rang out while Rin was trying to come to her senses.

"Yukari do something, quick!" Moka called out. The witch snapped out of her shocked state then ran over towards the woods with her wand glowing. The group looked to see Ran helping Rin stand again, the blonde haired sister staring ahead with wide eyes as she trembled.

"Rin? Rin are you ok?" Ran asked worriedly.

"Damn…headphones…" Rin said shakily.

"What?" her sister asked as the group ran over to them.

"Why couldn't they have glitched out then?" Rin said nervously, the girl remembering clear as day the succubus forcing her tongue into her mouth while rubbing her breasts against hers vigorously.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" Gin asked as he shifted back into his human form. Rin shakily nodded then looked over towards the woods. A loud bang sound echoed out from a washtub knocking a succubus out.

"I can't believe it, she tried to rape…_you_." Moka said looking to Rin. The siren blinked then looked to her with disbelief.

"What do you mean _try_?" she asked with a shiver.

"You would have been in for more than just that if Rason didn't make a noble sacrifice just now." Mizore said simply as she and Dark walked over to them.

"I wouldn't have thought her succubus nature would have her…do that." Moka said looking to the woods. Yukari was walking out watching Rason carry his girlfriend in his arms. His shirts and pants had rips and tears all over, the clothing apparently having been torn apart by the succubus, as his hair was messy. He shakily walked up to the group and looked down to his girl with a dazed expression.

"She's…out now." he said weakly.

"You ok?" Gin asked. Rason blinked a few times then looked to him.

"Huh? You say something?" he said as he wavered a bit.

"He's still alive, that's what matters." Dark said simply.

"Looks like her libido really gets going the longer she does that." Ahakon said curiously.

"You think?" Rin cried out with disbelief. She shuddered a bit while her sister held her gently.

"Well now we know, if she uses her full power she can't do it for long. She'll go out of control and try to rape anybody she sees." Yukari said with disturbed expression. Rason blinked then slowly looked to the witch.

"What? Did you say something?" he asked weakly. The group looked at him worriedly then to the succubus that, until she was knocked out by Yukari, was mauling Rason with love while she forced him into herself once again.

"She's going to be upset to hear what she did again, I hope she'll be ok." Moka said worriedly. Rin just looked at her with disbelief and shook her head.

"_She's_ going to be upset? _I'm_ upset! She tried to have sex with me!" she cried out.

"Rason got it a lot worse than you, calm down." Mizore said glancing to the angel that was trying to come back from his traumatic event. Rason shook his head a bit then looked to his girl with wonder.

"Her real power…it's…unreal." he said softly.

"Yeah, we couldn't even get one hit in. Even with all of us fighting her at once, it was like…we were nothing for her." Ahakon said with wonder.

"Even Kokoa's overcharge had no effect." Yukari said looking back to see Gin walking over and picking up his sleeping girlfriend. The wolf walked back to them with the girl in his arms.

"She took her attack dead on…and didn't even get fazed." Gin said with wonder.

"She really is the Lord of Hell's daughter." Mizore said softly.

"Too bad she can't use that power for prolonged use." Gin said looking at the succubus.

"I would never have imagined she had such potential within her like that. For as long as I've known her she's never seemed like the one to be that strong of a fighter." Moka said curiously. She remembered back to their first little fight, with her inner self effortlessly bringing the succubus down to her knees in defeat. Yet now the blue haired demon had her full power she could tap into, and was able to fight at a level nearly the same as Tsukune could, although only for a short time.

"Here's hoping she can at least control herself long enough to stop the power from going wild like that again. The last thing we need if we're in a real fight is for her to go into a mating frenzy with one of us." Mizore said glancing to the succubus.

"You can say that again." Rason said softly. He didn't mind dating a succubus, and certainly didn't mind making love to a beautiful girl such as her. However the way Kurumu was going about it a few minutes ago wasn't something Rason thought to be desirable, what with the wild look in her eye and the complete lack of control on her part.

"Well this has been an interesting night. Mizore got engaged and Rin got traumatized." Gin said looking to the blonde haired siren who was looking down with fright.

"She didn't mean to do that Rin, it was…just her inner nature." Moka said gently. Rin nodded a bit and tapped her headphones again.

"C'mon…forget…forget..." she said nervously.

"Well, seeing as how two of our fighters are out cold and another is in a state of shock, I vote we call it a night." Ahakon said as the group watched Rin murmur again and again while trying to block out the memory of Kurumu on top of her. Ran walked over to her and held her gently by the shoulders, the blonde haired siren seeming to be in her own little world.

"Let's go back sister, we've done enough for one night." She said softly.

Mizore held onto Dark's arm and looked at him with a warm smile, the demon glancing to his maiden and smiling softly for a moment.

"Let's go my little snow bunny." He said gently. She nodded eagerly and looked down to her ring again, the girl unable to take her eyes off of her crystal band as it gave off a faint dark glow.

"Ok husband." She said softly. The group, the ones that weren't unconscious or traumatized, looked to them with smiles.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow, and congratulations man." Rason said with a kind smile as he held his sleeping girlfriend.

"Yeah, I can't wait for the wedding!" Yukari cheered out with a jump.

"Same here, and I'm sure Tsukune will be happy to hear the good news as well." Gin said looking at the silent couple as he held the sleeping vampire, her clothing slightly charred and burnt from her overcharge. Moka nodded with a saddened smile from hearing her boyfriend's name, the vampire looking down a bit.

"Thank you everybody, this has been…a perfect night. It's just too good to be true, it's like a dream." Mizore said softly as she blushed a bit. She sighed happily and held onto Dark's arm, the girl still reeling from the shadow demon's official engagement with her.

"Well I'm sure Rin may disagree on some parts of that, but I'm happy for you Mizore." Ran said with a weak smile as she held her frightened sister.

Yukari held Ahakon's hand with a smile, the mage smiling back and walking with her. Gin and Rason followed while carrying their girls as Dark and Mizore walked with them. Ran helped guide Rin as well, the blonde haired siren whimpering a bit as she remembered how wet Kurumu was getting while grinding on her. As the group walked off Moka was looking out at the red sea with a gentle expression.

"Tsukune…I wish you were here now." She said softly. The girl then walked off after her friends, the vampire missing her mate dearly.

_It's not going to be the same without him here._

**_I know how you feel. Hopefully we'll be able to visit him before classes tomorrow._**

_How long do you think he'll be in Paradise for?_

**_I have no idea, bloodlust isn't something that would just go away for our kind before. Still, if anybody can overcome it, it's our Tsukune._**

_I hope so…_

* * *

In the world of Paradise two girls were sitting inside of a cave eating sandwiches. Ruby and Ren were sitting down against the cave walls looking outside, the two seeing the sky turning from night to dawn as light was quickly appearing again. Streaks of pink and yellow flew by above in the sky as daylight came back.

"It's going to be difficult keeping track of time here." Ruby said taking another bite of her sandwich.

"How long do you think we've really been here for?" Ren asked curiously.

"I'd say a few hours at least, though I'm not really sure." Ruby said with a shrug.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Ren asked looking outside with a bit of wonder.

"Well you're free to go back whenever you wish, you're not under orders from the headmaster to remain here if you so choose to leave. I however need to stay with Tsukune until he gets a hold on this, for as long as it takes." Ruby said leaning back against the cave wall. She wanted to return to the academy to see Razico when he returned, but had her orders from the headmaster. She was Tsukune's chaperone in this strange land, and the one that would be able to bring him out once he had a good grip over his vampire urges. Ren glanced away and looked down a bit.

"I don't mind staying…but what are we going to do about food?" she asked softly. Ruby glanced to her then to her own sandwich.

"Well these were all I brought with me. I guess we'll have to forage for food here or make a quick run back to the academy for supplies if need be." she said simply. Ren nodded slowly and looked down with a gentle gaze.

"Of course I guess we're Tsukune's food while we're here." Ruby said with a weak laugh. Ren glanced to her then just took another bite of her sandwich, the girl having a dull expression.

"So strange to think about it actually. I always used to dream of getting closer to that boy, but I never imagined I would be giving him my blood like this." the witch said with an amused smile. Ren just chewed her food then looked to the cave entrance.

"Still, he's my good friend. I won't abandon him during his time of need. If my blood is what will help keep him sane, then I'll do what I can for him." Ruby said with a nod. Ren finished her sandwich then stood up, the girl glancing to Ruby then walking towards the entrance.

"I'm going to go look for him, I'll be right back." she said simply.

"What? Hold up, I'll go with you." Ruby said getting up. Ren looked back to her with a smile and shook her head.

"No, you stay here in case he comes back before me. I won't be long, I'm just going to make sure he's ok." she said kindly.

"But it's dangerous out there, you shouldn't go alone." Ruby said worriedly.

"I'll be fine, just wait here. Besides he might need some more blood, he might need me." Ren said as she walked to the opening out into Paradise.

"Why don't you stay and I go then? I can offer my blood too, and I'm more rested than you are. You've already given him enough blood Ren, you don't have to keep being the one to do so." Ruby said with a gentle smile. Ren paused then glanced back to her with a smile.

"I don't mind offering for him, it's no problem Ruby. I'll be back soon." she said before running out, the girl's wings extending out behind her as she took off into the air. Ruby watched her disappear then looked over to the siren's green jacket that was still on the floor.

"Um…ok then. I guess I'll just wait here." she said simply before taking another bite out of her sandwich.

Outside Ren was flying through the air looking around carefully, the girl surveying the rocky hillsides that rolled around the land below her. Her unique hat remained on her head as her pink hair flowed behind her.

"Where are you Tsukune?" she asked herself quietly as she looked around, the girl only seeing barren hillsides nearby. She looked around then noticed a large moving figure in the distance. Looking closely she saw dust kicking up around it as it seemed to move about quickly. The siren flew over and landed down next to a boulder, the girl peeking out from behind it. In front of her was a massive four legged demon, the beast having black scales with yellow ones along its backside. The large reptilian demon was snarling loudly as it waved its long spiked tail behind it, the monster looking at a boy who had black and crimson eyes.

"Tsukune?" Ren said in wonder as she saw the boy standing there just looking up at the monster, the giant beast towering over him as it roared. The massive lizard's red eyes watched the boy carefully as it bared its razor sharp teeth. It roared out before lunging down towards the boy. Tsukune clenched his fists then darted back just as the monster dug its mouth into the ground. The boy then landed back then darted forward with a punch geared back. Before impact the large monster shot off to the side in a flash, the demon digging its claws into the ground and coming to a stop as it tore up the dirt below him. Tsukune merely glanced to it with an annoyed expression.

**"Think you're quick do you?"** He said dryly. Instantly the monster bolted forward and appeared next to Tsukune, the giant demon again lunging down with its mouth open. The boy darted back then swung a kick towards the monster, the scaled beast jumping to the side in a flash while whipping its tail around towards the vampire. Tsukune jumped up and flipped over the spiked appendage as he watched the demon closely. As he landed down the large beast spun around instantly and snapped at him again, the boy grabbing the upper and lower jaws and holding them back. As he dug back into the ground a bit with his feet while the monster snarled at him Ren watched with amazement.

"Wow…" she said softly, the girl watching his movements with wonder. Tsukune darted to the side, his eyes locked onto the monster as his fists were clenched. He swung at the monster again, the punch missing as the large beast darted back at high speed despite its size. Ren watched the boy move quickly as his vampire aura flowed around him, his dark hair with the gray streak through it flowing gently as he moved about, and his black t-shirt fluttering a bit as he moved about at high speed. The surrounding land seemed to be a blur to her as she couldn't take her focus off of the vampire.

"Tsukune…" she said as she watched the boy with awe.

The large demon jumped to the side, then darted around Tsukune at high speed, his movements carving up the ground as he came to a sudden stop each time. The boy glanced around quickly as the large demon circle strafed him, the beast snarling as it tried to keep behind the boy. Tsukune clenched his fists tightly as he focused on his vampire blood, the boy summoning his strength as the demon charged from behind. A wave of vampiric energy shot out, the ground around him cracking apart as he jumped back into a kick. His foot connected to the lizard and knocked it back into a tumble, the boy then landing down and dashing to it at blinding speed. As he closed in on the beast Ren felt her heart skip a beat as the powerful vampire aura rippled past her.

_My god…his aura…_

**"Stay DOWN!"** Tsukune yelled as he delivered a powerful punch to the monster, the beast being blasted back down into the ground with a powerful explosion that kicked up dust all around him. The boy stood there as he slowly retracted his fist, his crimson and black eyes glaring at the large crater with the demon in it, the monster's head bleeding from the mouth and ears as it lay dead. Tsukune growled a bit and then yelled out into the air with a roar, the boy's voice echoing out around the hillsides.

Ren watched with amazement as Tsukune stood there before his kill, the boy looking up while a calm breeze blew by. The girl smiled brightly as she walked out from behind the boulder.

"He really is amazing…wow. Tsukune! Hey Tsukune!" she called out as she ran over to him. The boy kept looking up while growling a bit to himself as the siren ran closer to him.

"That was incredible, I saw the whole thing. I can't believe how much power you have, you really clobbered that thing." She said with wonder as she walked up to him. The boy slowly looked down as he continued to growl a bit, the vampire facing away from the siren. She looked at him curiously and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Tsukune?" she asked.

In a flash the boy spun around and snarled at the siren, his eyes glaring at her as his aura flared around him. The girl trembled a bit then gulped as he slowly walked a bit closer to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, the girl yelping a bit as he held her closer to him.

"Tsukune? Are you…ok?" she asked quietly. The boy snarled then shook his head, the vampire then leaning back from her as he showed signs of struggling. After a moment he looked at the girl with a strained expression before he calmed down.

**"Ren? What…are you doing out here?"** he asked as he slowly let her go and backed up. Ren looked at him carefully as she caught her breath.

"I was looking for you, I wanted to make sure you were ok." she said softly.

**"I see. I'm sorry…I wasn't quite…myself when you touched me. I…I didn't hurt you did I?"** he asked worriedly. She shook her head and looked at the boy with worry.

"I'm fine. But are you? Is…is the bloodlust getting to you again?" she asked. The boy looked away and nodded.

**"Yeah, I've been dealing with it for a while now. I've been walking around out here trying to keep my mind focused, it's so hard to fight the thirst."** He said as he calmed his breathing. He could feel the hunger within growing even more now, the boy trying to remain in control. He shook his head and looked back to Ren, the girl's blood illuminating before him as the world around grew dark.

"If you needed blood all this time why not come find us?" she asked worriedly.

**"Because I need to try to last as long as I can each time this happens, I need to work on my endurance to fight this condition."** he said looking down with closed eyes. Ren looked at him with wonder then around.

"How…many of those monsters have you been fighting out here?" she asked.

**"That would be the eighth one, and the fifth I had to use my full power on."** Tsukune said tiredly. The girl jumped in surprise then looked at him with wide eyes.

"You've been fighting them all this time out here alone…while you've been struggling with your bloodlust?" she said with amazement. The boy nodded as he kept looking down.

**"I'm here to get this under control, and the faster I can build up a resistance to it the better. I have to push myself Ren. But…it's so difficult to keep in control. My entire body…it feels like it's starving even though I have plenty of energy to move around still." **The boy said holding a hand to his head. The smell of the siren next to him was only escalating his thirst even more.

"Tsukune…" Ren said softly. The boy looked to her worriedly, the girl's blood lighting up for him again. He could smell and nearly taste the girl's sweet blood as everything around him was shrouded in darkness. He focused his mind the best he could, the world around returning to normal briefly before once again going dark. She looked at him curiously then stepped closer to him.

"Is it…happening again?" she asked gently. The boy slowly nodded as he clinked back on his rosary seal. Ren watched as his hair and eyes returned to normal while his vampire aura was greatly suppressed.

"Yes…I think I'm at my limit now." The boy said wearily. Ren nodded then walked up to him with a soft smile.

"Then it's a good thing I came looking for you after all." She said as she tilted her head and flicked her hair away from her shoulder. Tsukune looked at her with a gentle expression as she glanced away.

"Ren, you don't have to keep offering your blood. I think I can make it back for Ruby to-"

"Don't be silly Tsukune, you need blood to keep in control. We can't have you going crazy during our first day here can we?" Ren said with a giggle. The boy looked at her with a bit of wonder and shook his head a bit. The girl nodded then glanced away timidly.

"Besides…isn't my blood…better?" Ren asked innocently. The boy looked at her curiously as she looked back to him with a gentle smile.

"You said mine tasted better than hers, right?" she asked softly. Tsukune blinked then smiled weakly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…yeah…" he said softly. He couldn't argue that between the two girls Ren's blood did indeed taste a lot better.

"Then that settles it. A vampire like you deserves the best Tsukune, so…here I am." Ren said gently. The boy looked at her with wonder as she smiled softly at him while having her head tilted for him to drink her blood.

"I'll give you as much as you need Tsukune. Don't worry about it, I want to do this." She said gently.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly as he walked up and gently held her. She nodded as he leaned in closer to her neck.

"Yes, I'm so sure." She said before he gently bit down onto her neck. She jumped a bit then smiled softly while holding the boy's head with one hand behind him. She closed her eyes as she felt the vampire holding her close, the girl's heartbeat picking up as she felt his arms holding her gently and securely. The boy drank the blood that tasted perfect to him, and as he did so his hunger receded. He felt his strength coming back to him while his mind was able to focus properly again. While he drank the blood to help calm his mind Ren was smiling gently as she had one hand holding the back of his head while her other arm was holding him around his waist.

_For you Tsukune, I'll do anything…_

* * *

Down an empty road in the human world a motorcycle was driving along under the night sky. It traveled down a road from the human town towards a quiet and empty part of the area. Following behind it was a car driven by two boys, both watching the cyclist carefully as kept close to them. On the bike Falla glanced back to the boys then ahead to Ceal, the silent boy driving the vehicle while looking ahead with a calm expression.

"They're following us still." Falla said simply.

"Makes no difference to me." Ceal said without a care. The boy drove the bike down a darkened road as Falla looked around curiously. Houses were becoming less frequent as small wooded areas and a river were seen near the road.

_Where is he taking us anyway?_

"So…may I ask where you're going?" she asked. The boy didn't respond as he kept driving. She looked at him curiously then around. They drove in silence a good distance as the town behind them disappeared from view.

Ceal drove the bike down the road then slowly pulled over onto a worn dirt road, the girl then looking around to see them driving down a path with trees on both sides of them. They all seemed nearly bare and rotten as the bike and car traveled down the path.

"Reminds me of Yokai Academy." Falla said softly as she saw the old forests on both sides of the path. Ceal drove down the worn road then pulled over in front of a small house. It was a single story building, with a single window on the front wall next to the door. It was dark colored as it seemed to blend in well to the surroundings. Ceal parked the bike and got off as Falla looked around curiously. They appeared to be in the middle of a rotting forest with only a small house near them. Behind them the car pulled to a stop and two boys got out of the car.

"Let me guess, you're going to wish for a better home to live in from Pandora's Box." Render said looking around with a raised eyebrow. Leon got out of the car and just looked around curiously, the boy now wearing a spare black t-shirt from the car.

"Don't get me wrong, our place is a dump too. But we are closer to civilization than this place." Render said with a shrug. Falla glanced to him with a glare then looked to Ceal.

"Why exactly are we out here Ceal?" Leon asked.

"Falla is out here to see something as she requested. You two are out here because you followed us uninvited." Ceal said looking to the boy with a bit of discontent. Falla got off the bike and looked around curiously as Ceal started walking off. She quickly followed with the two other boys following cautiously. The four walked around the small building then behind it.

"Wow." Falla said with a wide eye.

"Should have brought Apoch and Astreal here, would have scared the shit out of them." Render said flatly as the group saw the large cemetery behind the building. Rows and rows of tombstones seemed to stretch out surrounded by the rotting forest nearby.

"I don't know, we had plenty of tombstones back at Yokai Academy, although never so much in one area." Falla said as they followed Ceal down a worn brick path through the cemetery.

"Why is a cemetery way out here in the middle of nowhere though?" Leon asked as he looked around at all the graves.

"It's a private cemetery hunter, one that belongs to my family." Ceal said as he kept walking with a calm expression.

"Your family owns a cemetery, now I see why Falla is nuts about you." Render said with a smirk. Again Falla shot him a dirty look. She then looked around curiously.

"Are all these graves your family?" she asked.

"No, only a few are. Most of these are those we've killed in the past." Ceal said simply. The group just looked to him puzzled at that.

"Those…that you've killed?" Render asked cautiously.

"That's what I said." Ceal said flatly.

"That just raises more questions." Leon said shaking his head. The boys looked around at all the tombstones while Falla looked back to Ceal curiously.

"So what is it you wanted to show me here Ceal?" she asked curiously.

"Besides his…interesting collection?" Render said with a disturbed face at all the graves.

"You wanted to see what it is that I desire didn't you?" Ceal asked plainly.

"Well yes, but…" Falla said looking around.

"He's got a backyard full of dead bodies, what more could he want?" Render said with a laugh. Falla growled then glared at him.

"Would you shut up already?" she barked out. The boy raised his hands defensively with a weak smile.

"Hey, c'mon now. For a necromancer that's gotta be like a dream, right? Am I right?" he asked nervously.

"Necromancer?" Falla said looking to Ceal. The boy stopped and glanced back to the group.

"I mean that's what you are right? What with your dark magic, and those slithery tentacles you keep casting out from the netherworld, you're a necromancer aren't you?" Render asked with a confident smile. Ceal smirked a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"A necromancer. That's what you assume I am?" he asked playfully. Render and Leon looked at him cautiously while Falla looked at the boy with wonder.

"Well…yeah." Render said with a shrug. Ceal chuckled then resumed walking ahead.

"Interesting." he said simply. The group looked to each other then followed after him.

"Wait, you're saying you're not?" Render asked curiously.

"When did I ever say that I was?" Ceal asked flatly.

"If you aren't a necromancer just what the hell are you? Your power is that of the netherworld. Your hand isn't human at all. If you're not a mage of the dark arts just what are you?" Leon asked carefully. Ceal just kept walking while Falla watched him curiously. She too had been curious about that as well but wasn't sure how to ask the boy. Render and Leon looked to each other then followed after them.

"Always with the secrets, what's his deal?" Render muttered.

The group walked down the path then came to the end of the cemetery far from the small house. The brick path led up to a few gravestones that were placed at the edge of the burial grounds. Ceal looked at them with a blank gaze while the others looked at them curiously. There were three gravestones that seemed to be different from the rest, mostly because they seemed to be in good condition and cleaned compared to the many others they passed. Falla walked up to one and looked at the name.

"Yamato Erres." she read aloud. She jumped then looked to Ceal.

"Your father?" she asked. Ceal shook his head and pointed to another gravestone.

"No, Yamato was my great grandfather. My father's grave is over there." he said simply. Falla looked over at the stone then to the boy with wonder.

"These all have your family name on them." Leon said looking at the stones.

"That's because this is where my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather lay hunter." Ceal said glancing to the boy with discontent. Render and Leon looked at the graves with a bit of wonder while Falla looked at the boy with a bit of sadness.

"I'm sorry Ceal." she said softly.

"The dates on these stones…none of them died at an elderly age." Leon said cautiously as he examined the tombstones.

"No hunter, they did not." Ceal said with a blank gaze at the graves.

"Ceal…why are we…" Falla said looking at the stones with worry.

"I brought you here Falla so you can see why I will open Pandora's Box, and why I will have my wish." Ceal said looking to her.

"I don't know about her, but I have no clue what you're talking about here." Render said scratching his head. Falla looked at the stones for a moment then to Ceal.

"Revenge." she said softly. The boy nodded and looked at the stones again.

"That's what you said earlier today. You wanted the wish for revenge." Falla said softly.

"Correct." Ceal said looking at the three graves before him.

"Revenge against what?" Leon asked. Ceal glanced to him then looked at the gravestones again.

"The one that's killed three generations of my family. The one that I need the wish for to find again. The one that I will kill with my own hands." Ceal said coldly as his gloved hand glowed with a black hue. The group looked to him as he narrowed his eyes at the tombstones of his deceased family.

"Fafnir."


	28. The Werewolf's Song

Up in the night sky a few clouds were gently rolling by, the red moon behind them partially obscured along with the stars above. Students at Yokai Academy were turning in for the night as a few lights flickered out in the courtyard between the dorms. Everybody had a long day today, and needed their rest for classes tomorrow when school resumed. The day of the festival was over, and although death and destruction ran rampant during the festivities, classes were still on schedule tomorrow. After all, monsters will be monsters, and a few dead students wouldn't keep the academy from running as usual.

In the girls dorm building a vampire with long pink hair was looking out at the sky, the girl still in her academy uniform as her hair flowed gently behind her from the calm breeze through the open window.

"Tsukune…" she said softly. Her room was cleaned up again, thanks to the speedy construction crew at the school, however she didn't feel like turning in just yet for the night. Her mind was still thinking about her mate who was isolated from her in a strange world, the boy learning to overcome a vampire's ancient condition that had surfaced and caused quite a stir at the academy. Even though he wouldn't be blamed for the chaos at the festival as nobody recognized him personally, Moka still felt guilty about what he was going through.

_It's all because of us…we did this to him._

**_You can't think like that, we had to do what we did to save his life. If it wasn't for all of us giving our blood that day, we might have lost him. We all might have been lost._**

_I know, but still…_

**_But nothing. Have faith in our mate, just like we've always done. He's rightfully proven himself to be worthy of us, he's proven himself worthy of being a true vampire._**

_But it's because of us that he's trapped in Paradise now. What if he's there for the rest of his life?_

**_Stop thinking like that already. After all he's done in the past overcoming a vampire's bloodlust is something he _****can****_ do. You must remain positive, you know as well as I that our Tsukune will not let anything keep him down._**

_I know. I do have faith in him…I do, it's just I can't help but worry about him._

**_As do I, but you know as well as I do that if anybody can beat this, it's him._**

Moka sighed and nodded as she watched the clouds above roll by. She knew her boyfriend was the strongest monster on campus by far, he was certainly S-Class in power now. He had done the impossible time and again in the past, the girl always being amazed by how he pulled through for everybody. Yet now with what he was facing the girl couldn't help but worry if he could indeed overcome something that took vampires generations to surpass.

"Tsukune…I'll be here whenever you get out, I'll always be here for you." she said softly. She looked over towards the boys dorm building, the girl looking at the window to Tsukune's room. It was dark still as nobody was in it now, the vampire sighing quietly as she missed her mate so much.

"I can't sleep now." she said quietly as she walked to her door. The vampire walked out of her dorm and slowly walked down the halls. All was quiet as most of the students were asleep or doing a late night study session for tomorrow. As she walked she thought about her mate, the boy with the warm smile and the gentle eyes. Even when he was in full vampire form now he always looked at her the same, with a warm smile that showed his fangs and gentle eyes that were black and crimson. And of course she missed his aura, the girl remembering how it always resonated within her and lit her up on the inside.

_I know it's a bit dirty to think of, but…_

**_Conjugal visits in Paradise may be pushing it, but as soon as he is out officially I for one intend to make up for lost time._**

She smiled softly and blushed a bit at the thought. The girl always had been shy and timid before in the past about such things, but she had to admit that having Tsukune as an official mate, and one that knew how to please his girl behind closed doors, had really changed that about her.

The vampire walked down the stairs and then wandered around aimlessly in thought, the girl walking the halls of the dorm building as she let her mind drift and unwind. She passed a door that had frost on it and had a chilled mist around the floor. Moka giggled silently as she walked past, the girl knowing that her friend was enjoying some quality time with her new fiancé. Tsukune and Rason had to sneak into the girls dorm building to see their girls, although for Rason it was as simple as flying in through a window, but Dark could casually walk in whenever he wanted and never be seen by anybody, something that Mizore was exceptionally fond of under the circumstances.

"I'm happy for you Mizore." she said quietly as she walked down the hall. The snow maiden was keeping quiet as Moka didn't hear anything from her room, although whether that was because she was trying to or if she passed out during her intense love session with her demon remained unknown.

"At least they're keeping it down for everybody." Moka said with a bit of relief. She stopped when she heard a loud howl echo out, the girl looking around with surprise. It was a wolf's howl, the sound again being heard as the vampire looked ahead curiously. She ran down the hallway and stopped at her sister's room.

"That sounded like…Gin." Moka said before she knocked on the door. After a pause Kokoa answered the door, the girl still wearing her usual attire.

"Big sis? What are you doing up this late?" she asked, the girl obviously wide awake herself.

"Oh, I was just taking a walk. I couldn't sleep. Um…is…Gin in here with you?" Moka asked with a nervous smile. Kokoa shook her head then walked back into her room. Moka looked around inside with a bit of wonder. She rarely spent any time in her sister's room, or even saw the interior that often. It had the usual school furniture in it, from a bed, desk and chair, bookshelf, closet, and a ceiling fan. What it also had was a punching bag hanging off to the side, what appeared to be several large rocks in the corner that had indentations in them from being pummeled by the redhead, a fire extinguisher (which she needed to have in close proximity just in case of any sleep-overcharges), and a small cage on the ground with a sleeping bat in it.

"No, he's out there." Kokoa said with a soft smile as she walked over to her window, the girl sitting in the open window with her back against the frame as she looked up at something. Moka walked over and looked up as well. Her room was facing the boys dorm building, and on the roof a werewolf was seen, the large beast arching back and howling at the moon as it became visible in the sky.

"What's he doing? He's going to wake up the whole school." Moka said as she covered her ears, the girl cringing a bit as the wolf let out another loud howl. She then looked to see Kokoa looking up at the wolf with a dreamy expression.

"Isn't it wonderful big sis? I can't believe I never noticed it before, it's like music." she said softly. Moka looked at her with bewilderment then up at the wolf.

"Music? It's loud and annoying." she said shaking her head. Kokoa looked at her with discontent and crossed her arms before her.

"What would you know big sis? His howl is like music, how can you not hear it?" she said firmly.

"For one I can't hear anything properly when he's doing that." Moka said rubbing her ear. She then looked at Kokoa with a raised eyebrow.

"And how can you consider that music? He's just howling at the moon, and waking up everybody around here." she said simply. Kokoa scoffed at her and looked back up at Gin with a calm smile.

"It sounds so beautiful to me though. I never would have imagined anything could sound so lovely, but his voice…it really is perfect." she said softly.

"His voice? He's _howling_ Kokoa, he's not singing or anything. It's just noise, and it's annoying." Moka said shaking her head. Kokoa growled a bit then looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"I say it's like music, so deal with it." she said sternly. Moka looked at her sister with wonder as the redhead eyed the vampire with a narrowed glance.

"You really like it Kokoa?" she asked curiously. Kokoa nodded then looked back up to the wolf as he howled again. By this time a few lights were turning on in both dorm buildings as students were being forced to listen to the loud noises coming from the roof.

"I really do. I don't know why, but when I hear it…it just lights me up inside." she said softly. Moka looked at her with a bit of wonder then up at the wolf as he let out another loud howl.

"It's no vampire aura, but…I love it all the same." Kokoa said with a gentle smile. Moka smiled at her sister as the girl watched her mate howl, her eyes focused on the wolf with a loving expression.

"I'm happy for you Kokoa. We were all surprised at first that you picked him for your boyfriend, but…it looks like you were just what he needed to change his ways." Moka said gently. Kokoa giggled and looked to her sister.

"I remember when I first met him. Caught him lying down in a bush taking pictures of girls' underwear." she said with a smirk.

"That sounds like the old Gin alright." Moka said with a laugh.

"And I kicked him clear off the ground for taking a picture of mine. Pretty sure I broke his camera too." Kokoa said with a giggle. The two sisters laughed a bit then looked up at the wolf as he let out another loud howl.

"But now, look at him. I never thought it would have turned out this way, but…I'm glad it did." Kokoa said with a soft smile.

"We all are Kokoa, I'm glad you found a mate who you love like this." Moka said kindly. Kokoa nodded as she watched her boyfriend howl at the moon. Each time she heard the sound the girl could feel the sound wave resonating within her, something that attracted her as if she was exposed to a powerful vampire aura just the same.

"Me too." she said softly.

"To be honest, I thought when I heard his howls that he was in here with you." Moka said with a laugh.

"He was, but then he left before he started howling." Kokoa said casually. Moka blinked then looked at her sister.

"He…was in here? At this hour?" she asked. Kokoa glanced to her and smirked.

"Well yeah, he brought me to my room after I passed out earlier. He really is a gentleman, he stayed by my side until I woke up again." she said looking back up at the wolf. Moka nodded with a warm smile.

"Yeah, he really has become one for you." she said gently.

"It's so weird. He was such a horn-dog before, but now I can't get him to climb into bed with me even when I ask him." Kokoa said with a shrug.

THUD!

Kokoa looked back to see Moka on the ground looking at her with wide eyes.

"What?" the pink haired vampire asked shakily. Kokoa just tilted her head a bit.

"What? I just said that he was such a pervert before and now I can't get him into bed with me even by asking." she said with a shrug.

"You asked him…to _sleep_ with you?" Moka asked surprised.

"Yeah, I just said that." Kokoa said with a raised eyebrow.

"You just came out and asked him to…have sex with you?" Moka said stumbling back to her feet with a nervous expression.

"What's wrong with me wanting to mate with my _mate_?" Kokoa asked confused.

"Kokoa…should you really be thinking about…I mean isn't it a bit soon…" Moka stuttered. Kokoa just looked at her for a moment then glanced to her bed. After a pause she looked back to Moka with a smirk.

"What's wrong, not like I'm a virgin anymore anyway." she said with a shrug.

"I know that, but still…" Moka said trying to think of what to say.

"And he along with nearly everybody else at this school has seen me naked by now." Kokoa continued.

"Yes, I know Kokoa, but…" Moka said worriedly.

"And he _is_ my mate." Kokoa said firmly.

"And a fine one at that, but…" Moka said with a nervous smile. Kokoa looked at her carefully then raised an eyebrow.

"Is there some sort of problem with me sleeping with my boyfriend?" she asked plainly.

"You're…a bit young, don't you think?" Moka said weakly. Kokoa just looked at her for a moment then narrowed her eyes a bit as another howl was heard outside.

"I'm only one grade below you and two below him. How is that too much of a difference?" she asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Well…it's just…I'm not sure if…" Moka said as Kokoa glared at her.

"Big sis." she said simply. Moka blinked and nodded with a nervous smile.

"Let's get something straight here…" Kokoa said as she drummed her fingers a bit on her arm as they remained crossed. Moka looked at her with a weak expression as the young vampire bared her fangs a bit.

"Gin is my mate. I love him with all my heart. And he has become a _perfect_ gentleman like Tsukune. That being said what we choose to do is none of your concern. Whether we simply sit next to each other in the courtyard or I ride that wolf like the world is coming to an end is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" she yelled out. Moka jumped back as Kokoa growled a bit at her.

"Well, I'm not saying…I mean it's just…" Moka stammered.

"For the record, I've already gone down on him before, you should know since you kept walking in on us!" Kokoa yelled out. Moka blinked and smiled weakly as she tried to block out that memory again.

"Well…I know…but…" Moka said nervously.

"No buts!" Kokoa shouted out. Moka looked at her as the younger vampire's aura flared up briefly.

"This choice is up to me and him, not you." Kokoa said firmly. Moka looked at the girl with a bit of concern then up at the wolf on the roof of the adjacent building.

"I've tried to do so with him before earlier today as well, and he declined then too." Kokoa said looking up at the wolf.

"You did?" Moka asked with a bit of surprise. Kokoa nodded while looking at the wolf with a loving gaze.

"I did, offered myself to him, plain and simple. And he refused. He did so because he doesn't want me to think he's like how he was before. It's crazy to think it, but the roles have become reversed here. He's trying to be the innocent one and I'm the one trying to get him into bed." Kokoa said with a bit of sadness. She whimpered then wiped a tear away, the girl looking down as Moka watched her worriedly.

"Kokoa?" she asked softly.

"It's just…I know he's changed and all. I get that, but…part of me wants a bit of how he was. He kisses me now sure, and holds me close. But he's never tried to feel me up, or do anything with me. He's never tried to do anything dirty or wild with me." Kokoa said softly.

"Maybe that's because he thinks-" Moka started before Kokoa glared at her.

"If you say 'because he thinks I'm too young' I'll use my overcharge on you. If that was the case he wouldn't be dating me, let alone let me do anything dirty with him to begin with." She said sternly. Moka nodded nervously then looked back up to the wolf.

"I know it's crazy to say this, but…I kinda want him to be like that a bit." Kokoa said looking back up at her boyfriend.

"You want him to be that perverted peeping-tom that he was before?" Moka said with disbelief.

"No, not _that_ much like he was. Just…I want him to be a bit more wild with me. To show me that dirty side of him, to show that he wants me like that. I want him big sis, but…he's being too much of a gentleman to do anything." Kokoa said with a bit of sadness. Moka nodded and looked at her sister with a bit of wonder. She looked at her sister then up at the wolf that was still howling, and was now waking up a good portion of the dorms as there was now some yelling and cursing flying through the air towards the wolf. After a moment she looked to her sister again with a gentle smile.

"Can I offer you some advice then?" she asked. Kokoa nodded and glanced to her.

"I can't say you can't do…_that_ with him, it's your choice after all. But if he's taking it slow that must mean that he really does care about you." she said with a smile. Kokoa looked at her curiously as Moka looked up at the wolf with a calm gaze.

"You're right Kokoa, he has changed into a gentleman. And that's a good thing. Just give it time, I'm sure he'll show his feelings to you when he feels he's ready. And when he does you'll know that he's doing so because he loves you, not because he just wants to get you into bed." she said softly. She looked to Kokoa as the girl was just looking at her curiously. After a moment she tilted her head.

"Big sis?" she asked softly.

"Yes?" Moka asked.

"I already know he loves me, there isn't a doubt in my mind about that. He died for me in the alternate timeline, he saved my life in this one, and he burned all of that perverted student's pictures just for me." Kokoa said simply. Moka nodded as Kokoa just stared at her with a blank expression.

"So, knowing that, I already know how he feels about me." Kokoa said simply. Moka glanced to the wolf on the roof that howled again then to her sister who was leaning back against the window frame.

"Therefore, what I want to know now is how to get him to ride me senseless in his werewolf form until I scream for mercy." Kokoa finished with a calm expression. Moka looked at her with wide eyes as Kokoa looked back to Gin with a loving gaze.

"Is that too much to ask?" she asked innocently. Moka's eye twitched a bit as she just stared at her sister.

_O…k…then…_

**_Well, we tried to use reason, time to kick some sense into her._**

_I can't do that, she's in love with him._

**_Did you not just hear her? She wants what borderlines bestiality with her mate._**

_He's a werewolf, no matter what it's going to stray into that region._

**_That's not my point, she can't just throw her pride away like this. You need to set her straight right now._**

_Starting a fight won't do anything. Look at her, she's completely in love with him now, this is…what she wants._

**_And you're just going to allow that? Father would have that wolf skinned alive if he heard Kokoa talking like that._**

_He's not doing anything wrong, he's being the gentleman here and politely refusing her, remember? Besides, she did make some good points. After all she's already done and been through with him, having sex with Gin isn't really…that bad I guess._

**_You just used the words 'having sex with Gin' and 'isn't really that bad' in the same sentence._**

_He's changed for her, we've all seen this. It was only a matter of time until she wanted to take their relationship to the next level._

**_…I'm sorry, but, how long exactly has she been his mate? I'm not saying she can't be with the wolf, I've already admitted that he is worthy of our sister. It's just-_**

_We're done with this conversation._

**_What?_**

_Kokoa's right, this is her choice. Although I'm not wild about…her choice of words, what they do is up to them. If she's ready for that kind of relationship with Gin we can't interfere._

**_Wait, are you being serious?_**

"Kokoa." Moka said softly. The redhead looked over to her as Moka smiled at the girl.

"If it helps for either of you to know, both me and my inner self are ok with what you two…do." Moka said with a slight smile.

"Really?" Kokoa said with a bit of surprise.

"Yes." Moka said with a nod.

**_Hell no!_**

_Enough, give me one good reason why they can't do this._

**_…well…_**

_Age difference? She already shot that down. Question of his morality? He's a saint for refusing her so far. The fact that she's already _had_ sex by now? She didn't choose to then but it still happened._

**_…but…it's Gin._**

_You were perfectly fine before with him taking care of her each time her overcharge wiped her out, and after our mate drained her blood today._

**_Yes, but that's because I thought he wouldn't…_**

_And he hasn't. It's our sister that desires a more intimate relationship with him. It's her choice._

**_…_**

_Well?_

**_…I can't believe I'm agreeing to this._**

Moka nodded with a smile and looked to Gin up on the roof.

"Piece of advice though." she said calmly. Kokoa looked at her curiously as she giggled a bit.

"If you want to hear his howl so much, ask him to do so for you elsewhere." she said pointing to the wolf. Kokoa looked over to seeing shoes, pots, and books being thrown from the windows towards the wolf, the large beast dodging around on the roof with surprise as students from the dorm building were yelling at him. He darted around a bit before a golden washtub clonked him on the head from above. The beast wavered then fell from the roof and crashed down onto the ground. Kokoa looked with surprise and worry as Moka giggled.

"Why don't you go see if he's still alive after that, he could probably use a bit of moral support about his singing." she suggested. Kokoa blinked then looked to her with wonder.

"I thought you said it was just noise to you." she said curiously. Moka looked down to where the dazed wolf was twitching in the bushes and then to her sister.

"If my sister says it's singing, then it's singing." she said with a shrug. Kokoa looked at her with wonder then smiled gently. The girl hopped down from the window and ran towards her door.

"Kokoa." Moka called out. The vampire stopped and looked back to her as Moka was gazing up at the sky.

"You know, on calm nights like this, me and Tsukune used to sneak out and go for a walk in the woods together. It was kind of romantic, just the two of us. Alone." she said glancing to Kokoa. The redhead blinked and looked at the girl with a bit of wonder.

"Big sis…are you suggesting that…I…" she said softly.

"I'm not suggesting anything, just letting you know something about me and Tsukune is all." Moka said casually with a shrug. She walked towards the door and glanced at her sister.

"Though I'm sure nobody would hear his howl if you were far out enough…or either of you for that matter." she said with a wink. Kokoa looked at her for a moment then smiled softly. Moka walked out then headed down the hallway. Kokoa smiled at the girl then quickly ran down the hall in the other direction towards a stairwell. Moka glanced back and smiled softly then looked ahead again.

_As long as you're happy Kokoa, as long as you're happy._

Outside on the ground Gin was groaning a bit as he shifted back into his human form. He stood up holding his head with a dazed look in his eye.

"Yeah…brings me back to when I first arrived here." He said tiredly. He remembered how he used to howl at the moon when he first came to the academy, and how he quickly made a lot of enemies with the students in doing so. There were no other werewolves at the school then, and no other student was appreciative of his form of singing back then.

Well, there was one.

"What was I thinking doing that again? I guess I got carried away in the moment." Gin muttered as he dusted himself off.

"Gin!" Kokoa called out. The boy looked over to see the redheaded vampire running over to him from the girls dorm building.

"Are you ok?" she asked as she ran up to him.

"Oh, Kokoa. Yeah, I'm alright, I've taken a lot worse for a lot less. Sorry if I woke you." He said with remorse. Kokoa smiled and shook her head.

"No, I was listening to you the entire time. You sounded great." She said softly. He smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, thank you Kokoa. But it seems you're the only one that thinks so." He said as he looked up at the dorm buildings. Lights were again turning off as students were trying to get back to sleep.

"Screw what they think, you sounded terrific. I know it for a fact." Kokoa said firmly. Gin smiled at his mate as the girl hugged him closely.

"Thank you Kokoa." Gin said as he held her.

"Your howl really is the best Gin." She said as she had her head against his chest. The boy smiled down at his girl as they stood there together.

"You know…I'm still not tired yet. Mind if we go for a walk together?" she asked looking up at him with a gentle gaze.

"A walk?" he asked.

"Yeah, maybe…in the woods? We can have some quality time, just you and me. Would that be ok?" she asked softly. Gin looked to the nearby forest then to her. She had a gentle smile while she was holding onto him, the girl glancing to the woods then back to him with hopeful eyes.

"Well, I guess that would be ok. Are you sure you don't need your rest after today?" he asked. She shook her head and held onto his arm with a small smile.

"Not yet, I've still got a lot of energy in me." She said with a wink. The boy chuckled nervously and the two started walking towards the forest. As they did Kokoa glanced to the boy curiously. He was looking ahead with a calm smile as she held onto his arm. He wasn't trying to touch her anywhere, or ogle her, or anything. He was always treating her with the utmost respect and being a perfect gentleman with her. She smiled softly as she was still amazed how much he had changed for her. She then giggled silently as she looked ahead, the vampire eager to try to bring out a bit of his old nature for the night.

Back in the dorm building Moka was walking down the halls casually. She still felt restless and unable to sleep so decided to just walk around for a bit until she got tired. As she walked aimlessly through the dorm building she stopped at a door when she heard colorful language coming from it.

"Sounds like Yukari got woken up by that as well." Moka said with a sigh. She knocked on the door with a worried expression and stood there. After a moment Yukari opened the door, the girl dressed in her yellow pajamas with a teddy bear face on the shirt.

"Oh, it's you Moka. Sorry if I was being too loud, I didn't mean to wake you." Yukari said looking back into her room.

"If you were being too loud? I thought you were upset because of Gin's howling." Moka said confused.

"Huh? Oh, him. Yeah I already took care of that." Yukari said glancing to her wand in her hand. She growled a bit then looked to the window.

"I'm upset because of _her_." She said with a glare. She and Moka walked over to the window. Her room was facing Ahakon's in the adjacent building, the boy looking out his window with a worried expression. He was looking at the cause of Yukari's yelling, which wasn't a loud wolf on the roof but rather a quiet siren in a nearby tree. Ran was sitting on a branch holding a paperback book and looking at Yukari with a bit of fear.

"Ran? What are you doing out there?" Moka asked as the blue haired siren blushed a bit and looked down.

"She's stalking my boyfriend while he sleeps, that's what she's doing!" Yukari yelled out.

"No I'm not, honest." Ran pleaded.

"Yes you are, I caught you watching Ahakon's window while you're hiding in that tree!" Yukari shouted out.

"I wasn't…stalking him." Ran said looking down worriedly.

"Then what are you doing out there?" Moka asked curiously.

"I was just reading…that's all." Ran said glancing to her.

"Reading? In a tree outside facing my boyfriend's window at night?" Yukari growled through bared teeth.

"I just wanted to read someplace private." Ran said looking down again.

"Why didn't you just stay in your room then?" Moka asked.

"Rin's still awake, and she keeps…making pestering me about my book. She wouldn't go to sleep in her own room and wanted to sleep over in mine. But she doesn't go to sleep, she's too energetic, so I came out here to read in peace. Well, I was trying to before that wolf started howling at the moon." Ran said looking up at the roof.

"That's such a load of crap, you just came out here to stalk my boyfriend, admit it!" Yukari yelled out.

"Calm down Yukari, you don't know that for a fact." Moka said worriedly.

"Hey Ran?" Rin called out. Ran jumped and looked over to see Rin walking over towards the tree.

"I'm bored, come back to the room." She said with a pout.

"Can't I just have some privacy out here?" Ran said in defeat. Rin looked at her for a moment then flew up to her as her wings extended out behind her. She landed on the branch and looked at the book in her sister's hand.

"Is that the book from before? That's more of your boy manga isn't it?" she asked eagerly. Ran jumped a bit and glanced to the girls nervously.

"Well…it's…" she stammered. Moka gave her a weak smile while Yukari merely raised an eyebrow with a dull expression.

"How come you like this stuff so much anyway? It's all young boys and young boys." Rin said as she snatched the book and looked through it curiously.

"Hey, give that back!" Ran cried out as Rin held her back with one hand while flipping through the book. She stopped on a page and looked at it with wonder. She then scooted away from Ran and looked at the page closely.

"Rin give that back!" Ran said as she reached out for the book.

"Wait…did you…did you make this?" Rin asked with a smile forming. Ran stammered nervously as the girls looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?" Moka asked.

"You drew this didn't you? Yeah, you did. That's me!" Rin said with bright eyes as she saw a drawing of her in one of the pages. It wasn't as expertly drawn as Luna's pictures, but it looked pretty good nonetheless. Ran blushed a bit with a nervous expression.

"She can draw?" Moka asked curiously. Rin nodded and looked through the pages.

"Wow, you're drawing your own manga story, how come you didn't tell me I was in it?" she asked eagerly.

"It's not…done yet. Please give that back." Ran said nervously.

"What are you talking about? It looks great. Hey, Moka, you're in it too." Rin said looking to the vampire. Moka smiled curiously and looked to Ran. The siren stammered and shook her head worriedly.

"I am? Really?" Moka asked. Rin nodded and turned the page.

"Hey, there's Tsukune, and Ren, and that loud werewolf that wouldn't shut up earlier, we're all in it. This is so cool!" Rin said with a bright smile. Moka and Yukari looked to each other with wonder then to Ran. Even Ahakon was looking at the siren curiously now.

"Wow, you're making a story about all of us? That's amazing Ran." Moka said with a smile.

"Am I in it?" Yukari asked. Rin turned a few pages and nodded.

"Yep, she drew you pretty well too. I didn't know you could draw like this, why didn't you ever show me?" Rin said looking to her sister. Ran smiled nervously and glanced to Yukari, the witch looking at her with wonder.

"Well…it's a work in progress, so please give it back." Ran said as she reached for the book again. Rin held it away while looking through it curiously.

"So…you were just working on your own manga story out here?" Yukari asked. Ran looked at her and nodded with a nervous smile.

"Yes…that's all, really." She said shakily.

"You see Yukari, she wasn't doing anything wrong. This had nothing to do with stalking Ahakon at all." Moka said reassuringly. Rin looked through a few pages and scratched her head.

"Where are you? Are you in it?" she asked.

She turned the page and just blinked, then started laughing. Ran blushed brightly as the others watched Rin laugh loudly. The blonde haired siren looked to Ran as she held a hand over her mouth while trying to hold her laughter in.

"Oh…_there_ you are." She said in a playful tone.

"Stop it Rin, just…give that back now." Ran pleaded as she tried to grab the book. Rin jumped off the tree and hovered in the air with her wings, the girl looking at the book with an amused smile.

"Wow sister, that's…so like you." She laughed.

"Give that back Rin!" Ran cried out as she leapt from the trees with her wings extending out, the girl flying towards her sister with her arms outstretched. Rin laughed and darted around while looking at the book with a big smile.

"I never knew you were so talented haha!" Rin laughed as she flew around the blue haired siren. She glanced to Ahakon and waved the book at him.

"Hey, want to see how she drew you?" she called out. Ahakon jumped and looked at her with a bit of worry while Yukari and Moka glanced to each other.

"I…well…maybe not…" the boy said nervously.

"Ahakon's in it too?" Yukari asked looking to Ran with narrowed eyes.

"Don't!" Ran cried out as she dove for the book. Rin dodged the side then flew over to Ahakon's room, the siren holding the book open for him to see. He looked at it for a moment then jumped with wide eyes, his mouth opened slightly with shock.

"Haha, well? What do you think? Can she draw or what?" Rin said jokingly as she looked back to her sister. Ran was hovering in the air looking at them with embarrassment, the girl's face red as she was trembling.

"Um…Ran?" Moka asked with a nervous smile.

"May I see that book Rin?" Yukari asked with a bit of anger. Ran jumped a bit then glanced to her nervously.

"But it's not finished yet, I told you already. It's not ready for…anyone to see." She stammered. Rin looked at the book curiously and tilted it a bit.

"Is that why he doesn't have a shirt on?" she asked scratching her head.

"WHAT?" Yukari yelled out with anger. Ran blinked and looked at the witch with a nervous smile.

"I…was going to add it on…really." She said shakily.

"Let me see that book Rin." Yukari growled out. The blonde haired siren flew over while Ran watched with fear. Yukari snatched the book from Rin and looked at it along with Moka. The vampire glanced to Ran then back to the book with worry, then looked to see Yukari grinding her teeth as she shook a bit. The page had a drawing of Ahakon, the boy standing proudly on a cliffside overlooking the ocean wearing his pants and his flowing cape as he had a bold smile on his face. And lying at his feet was Ran, the girl drawn to be looking up at him with admiration as she held onto one of his legs, the siren seeming to be drawn with only her underwear while her wings were retracted a bit behind her.

Moka backed up a bit as the young witch's monster aura flared around her, or perhaps it was pure rage, the vampire couldn't really tell the difference. Yukari slowly looked up to Ran, the siren trembling with a bit of fear in her eyes.

"Ran…" Yukari said as she held her wand tightly, the stick glowing brightly suddenly. The siren smiled nervously while Ahakon ducked down a bit, the boy fearing the worst.

"I…thought I drew him pretty well…don't you think?" she asked shakily.

"Yeah you did, especially on the next page." Rin snickered. Ran grabbed the girl and started shaking her by the collar with frustration and fright as Yukari glanced down to the book. She quickly flipped the page then gasped in shock. Moka looked at the page then jumped a bit. It was a picture of Ahakon looking down at Ran as she as on her knees before him, the girl looking up at him with a loving gaze as he had one of his hands on the back of her head. Granted the detail was well done, but the young witch wasn't really impressed as much as she was filled with unbridled rage.

"Oh…dear…" Moka said softly. Ran trembled a bit as she saw the murderous look in Yukari's eye then shook her sister wildly.

"Why can't you just shut your mouth? Why can't you let me have one private moment here? Why?" she cried out. She blinked then slowly looked to see Yukari aiming her wand at her, the stick sparking as it glowed brightly. The witch was holding it out with one hand as she had the book in the other.

"What's wrong with her?" Rin asked worriedly.

"I don't think she liked my drawings of him." Ran said with fright. Rin thought for a moment then looked to her sister with a weak smile.

"Good thing she didn't see the last page then huh?" she said with a small laugh. Ran jumped then clasped her hand over the girl's mouth.

"Shut up Rin!" she cried out as she held her thrashing sister with fright. Yukari twitched a bit then slowly glanced down to the book in her hand. She slowly flipped the page and looked with narrowed eyes. Moka gulped and slowly looked over as well.

_Oh no…_

**_Well, Ran's dead. Pity._**

Yukari and Moka were looking at the last drawn page in the siren's book, the page showing Ahakon holding Ran close in a kiss while she was kneeled down before him, the girl's wings arching back slightly as he held her close with one hand behind her head. Yukari's eyebrow twitched then she slowly looked back to Ran with fire in her eyes. The siren trembled a bit as she stared down the end of the witch's brightly glowing wand. Rin looked at the witch with worry then to her sister.

"Is she mad?" she asked. Ran just slowly nodded while she was frozen in fear.

"Ran…" Yukari growled out in a dark voice, the girl seeming to have an aura of death around her. Rin broke free from Ran's grip and flew into the tree afraid while Ahakon ducked down completely, the boy afraid to watch.

"I'm sorry…" Ran squeaked out as a few tears started to form as a light started brighten up before her.

From the woods nearby Kokoa and Gin were walking together, with the vampire holding onto the boy's arm with a gentle smile. It was peaceful as only the sound of a calm breeze blowing by along with the rustling of dead leaves and branches was heard. Both of them were enjoying their quiet walk together as they headed deeper into the forest, with neither of them hearing a loud explosion and an angry witch's roar echo out from the dorm buildings near the academy.

"Thank you for walking with me Gin." Kokoa said with a soft smile at the boy. He nodded as he looked up at the sky, the red moon barely being seen behind some clouds.

"Of course, I always love being out at night. I guess that's part of my nature as a werewolf." He said with a chuckle.

"There's nothing wrong with your nature Gin, nothing at all. Like you howling at the moon for instance. It really is like music to me." Kokoa said while holding onto his arm securely. She held his arm close to her chest and brushed her breasts against him, the boy glancing to her then away quickly.

"Well, if you say so Kokoa." He said nervously.

"I do." Kokoa said as she jumped in front of him, the girl looking at him with longing eyes.

"I really do Gin. And not just your howl either, I really do love everything about you. You're so caring and protective of me, you're…like…" she said before looking down.

"Kokoa?" he asked. She paused then looked at the wolf with a saddened smile.

"Like a perfect gentleman." She said softly.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he saw the girl seeming to become sad. She looked at him with wonder as he stood there, the boy showing genuine concern for her.

"It's just…you're a perfect gentleman. All the time Gin." She said softly.

"What's wrong with me being like that though? I thought that would be what you wanted." Gin said worriedly.

"It is. It's just…well…" Kokoa said looking down. She fidgeted a bit then looked at him timidly.

"How come you never try to…touch me?" she asked. He looked at her curiously as she seemed to fidget a bit more in front of him.

"Touch you? What do you mean? I hold you close every chance I can, and I'm certainly not against kissing you either." He said with a warm smile. She nodded then glanced away.

"I mean…_touch_ me." She said as she waved her chest a bit. The boy looked at her for a moment then jumped a bit.

"Wha…you mean…" he said nervously. She nodded and looked to him with worried eyes.

"Do you not want me like that Gin?" she asked. He stammered something for a moment while rubbing the back of his head with a nervous smile.

"Well…it's not that…it's just…um…I…" he said shakily.

"It's just what?" Kokoa asked softly.

"Um…well…" Gin said nervously.

"Don't you want me?" She asked worriedly. He looked at her then nodded slowly.

"Yes, of course I do Kokoa." He said softly.

"Then why don't you ever do anything?" Kokoa asked as tears started to form. The wolf looked at her worriedly as she trembled a bit, the girl holding her hands to her chest timidly.

"You always used to touch every girl you could, you used to look at them like a…wild animal. But now, you won't look at me like that at all. And you don't try to touch me ever." Kokoa said shakily.

"But…it's just I don't want you to-" Gin started before Kokoa shook her head.

"To think you're some perverted wolf? That you're some sort of…peeping-tom? That you just want to get me into bed?" she said as a few tears started to fall. Gin looked at her with concern and nodded.

"Yes, I really do love you Kokoa. I want to treat you with the respect that you deserve, to be that mate you deserve. I don't want you to think of how I was then." He said gently. Kokoa choked back a sob and smiled gently at him.

"I already know you are the mate for me Gin, I do. You've changed so much from how you were, I couldn't think of anybody else I could have for a mate other than you." She said softly. She then looked at him with worried eyes.

"But…you're being too perfect." She said shakily.

"Too perfect?" Gin asked. Kokoa nodded and looked down with a slight tremble.

"You're being too much of a gentleman with me. It's…just…I want you to…show me you want me too. Big sis and Tsukune…they're intimate with each other, even though he's so kindhearted he expresses his love physically. Kurumu and Rason are doing such things daily for sure, and we all know Mizore gets it from Dark to the point where she can't even think straight anymore." She said shaking her head. Gin looked at her with worry as she looked back up to him with teary eyes.

"I'm dating an S-Class werewolf, one who used to be the most lecherous wolf on campus…but he won't even try to do anything with me at all." She said trembling.

"Kokoa…" Gin said softly.

"I feel like I'm not good enough…or that you don't want me like that…but I want you. I really do Gin." She said shakily. Gin looked at her with a bit of wonder as she stood before him, her eyes watery as she was trying to calm down.

"But I do want you Kokoa, honest." Gin said gently.

"Then take me!" Kokoa cried out with desperation. She jumped and looked at him with a bit of surprise, the girl covering her mouth as she realized what she just blurted out. She wanted to get more intimate with him, but she didn't want to sound so blunt about it. He just looked at her with surprise then wonder as she glanced away.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"Kokoa…I didn't know…you felt this way about it." Gin said softly. Kokoa looked down and nodded.

"It's just…everybody is always together and doing stuff like that, and…with how you used to be…I just thought…maybe…" she said closing her eyes. She wiped her tears away then looked at the wolf with a longing gaze.

"I kinda expected…you to…want me like that too." She said softly.

"Kokoa…" he said gently.

"I'm sorry, it's just…with you refusing to do anything like that before, I felt like you didn't want me." She said with remorse. Gin looked at her with a gentle gaze as she stood there. He had thought about going further with their relationship, but was worried not only of how the rest of his friends would likely kill him but mostly that he feared losing Kokoa's love and respect. He rested his hands on her shoulders, the girl looking up at him with a worried expression.

"I love you Kokoa, everything about you. And I always will. I wanted to be a gentleman for you because it was you that once said that only somebody as chivalrous as Tsukune would be worthy of you." He said gently. She sniffled a bit and nodded.

"I never meant to make you feel unwanted or undesirable, quite the opposite actually. I just wanted to take things slow because I thought that was what you wanted…and also because I didn't want your sister to kill me." He said, the boy having a weak smile at the last part.

"She said its ok." Kokoa said softly.

"What?" Gin said with a jump.

"I told her how I felt tonight. She understands it's our choice and is ok with that." Kokoa said with a worried expression.

"Really? Both sides of her are ok with that?" he asked curiously. She just nodded while looking up at him. He looked up for a moment in thought, the wolf trying to picture Inner Moka giving him her blessing to be intimate with Kokoa, then down to her again.

"Well, that's a weight off my shoulders knowing that, even if it sounds way too good to be true. But still, I'm sorry for how I've made you feel Kokoa, I never meant to hurt you like that. I'm really sorry." He said gently. She glanced away and looked down a bit as Gin held her around the waist. He looked around at the woods then back to his girl.

"Really, I am sorry. Can you forgive me?" He asked with a kind smile. Kokoa looked at him then around at the woods. After a moment she looked back to him with discontent.

"No." She said pushing away from him.

"What? No? But…" Gin stammered.

"All this time you did want me, and you didn't do a damn thing because you were scared of my sister. Then I pour my heart out to you like this, and you just say you're sorry?" she said shaking her head and crossing her arms before her.

"But…" Gin said weakly.

"No buts." Kokoa said with discontent.

"I wasn't trying to be mean to you, honest. And it wasn't just your sister I was scared of, who knows what Dark would have done to me if I crossed a line. Besides I wanted to become a gentleman for you, I wanted to show you my strength of heart. I wanted to show you that I really do love you Kokoa." Gin said worriedly. Kokoa glanced to the wolf then around at the surrounding forest.

"If you're sorry then you're going to have to make up for this." She said firmly as she put her hands to her hips. The boy looked at her nervously as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What…exactly do you want me to do?" he asked. Kokoa looked at the nearby dark forest of rotting and bare trees for a moment then looked back to Gin.

* * *

Between the dorm buildings Moka, Rin and Ahakon were looking down with wide eyes at Ran, the girl lying on the ground and twitching. Her body was still smoking from the direct hit from Yukari's magical attack, the young witch just looking down at the siren with a glare from her window still.

"Sister!" Rin cried out as she dove down from the tree towards the downed siren. She landed down and knelt beside the girl's body, her eyes looking at her sister with fear.

"Ran! Speak to me!" Rin cried out with worry. Ran twitched a bit as she coughed.

"…ow." She said weakly.

The ground next to the girls building shifted and rose up into a stone pillar, the earth raising up to the young witch's window. Yukari hopped onto the stone before it slowly descended back down. Moka and Ahakon watched the witch lower down to the ground on her makeshift stone elevator then walk over towards the sirens. Rin looked at the witch with fear as Ran was smoking still. Yukari tossed the book onto the ground next to her and held her wand towards Ran again.

"Yukari stop!" Ahakon called out before he ran in to run downstairs.

"Ahakon's…mine." Yukari growled with fury.

"It was just a drawing…don't kill her please." Rin begged with a tear in her eye. Ran shakily looked up at the witch through her smoke covered glasses.

"He's mine, you got that?" Yukari shouted out. Moka looked down at her worriedly then to Ran, the siren looking at the witch with fear.

"Say it…say it!" Yukari yelled out as the wand glowed brightly. The siren looked at her with fear and nodded shakily.

"He's…yours." Ran said under her breath.

Yukari lowered her wand and glared at siren, the girl slowly sitting back up with her sister's help. Ran looked at the witch with fear as her sister did the same.

"Stay away from him, you hear me? Just stay away from him!" Yukari yelled out.

"I wasn't…hurting anybody…" Ran said with a tremble.

"You were drawing my boyfriend _kissing_ you!" Yukari yelled out.

"It was just…a fantasy, a dream. It wasn't real." Ran said looking down with teary eyes. Yukari growled and aimed her wand at the book just as Ahakon was running over to them. The sirens watched with surprise as Yukari fired out a blast of magical energy, the light detonating the book into pieces with a small burst of fire. Ran looked with disbelief then at the witch as Ahakon ran up to them.

"Not even in your dreams Ran." Yukari growled.

"Yukari stop." Ahakon pleaded as he looked at his girlfriend with worry.

"Hey, my sister made that, you can't just blow it up." Rin said looking at the charred remains of the book.

"Why did you do that? Why?" Ran cried out.

"Why? Because you're drawing _my_ boyfriend kissing _you_!" Yukari yelled as she aimed her wand at the siren again, the stick glowing brightly as Ran and Rin backed up a bit in fright. Ahakon jumped a bit and looked at Ran with surprise, the boy not having seen that particular page before.

"What's your deal? You know he's mine and yet you keep hounding him like this, why can't you just leave him alone?" the witch yelled out.

"I wasn't taking him from you…I wasn't even going to show anybody that book." Ran said as she cried a bit. Yukari narrowed her eyes at the siren as the girl trembled.

"It was only meant for me to see…only for me." she said before she looked down with closed eyes. Yukari looked at her carefully and glanced to the smoldering pile of ash on the ground.

"I know I can't have him, so I draw my own little fantasy in my book. I know it won't come true, but…I like to at least imagine it could." Ran said with sorrow. Yukari's wand lowered as the glow died down, the girl looking at the siren carefully. Ahakon looked at the siren with a bit of wonder as Rin kept looking at Yukari with fearful expression.

"Why are you so fixated on him? Just because he looks like some characters from your stories? He's not them, he's not some made up character from your books. He's my boyfriend, he's my true love." Yukari said shaking her head.

"I can't help it, I can't help how I feel." Ran said softly. She glanced to Ahakon then back to Yukari. The witch looked at her carefully then with a bit of wonder.

"It's not just because of your stories…is it?" she asked. Ran glanced away as Moka hopped down from the window. The vampire walked over to them as Yukari looked at Ran curiously.

"Why are you so drawn to him? Tell me." the witch asked. Ran glanced to her then down again.

"Ran? Why is it you're so fond of Ahakon?" Moka asked. Ahakon looked at the girl with wonder, the boy also curious as to why the siren was so fixated on him. The girl looked around then down again.

"I saw him…fight Alucard." She said softly. She slowly stood up and dusted herself off, then looked at Yukari with remorse.

"We all saw you fight when we were with our old master. I saw him…fight against such terrifying and powerful monsters. He wasn't just like the characters from my stories, he was better. He was the real life thing." She said softly. She looked to Ahakon with a gentle smile.

"You fought so bravely, it was like one of my stories come to life right before my eyes." she said softly. Ahakon looked at her curiously then to Yukari.

"That's why you're obsessed with him?" Yukari asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I know he's taken, and if it wasn't for Mizore's suggestion earlier I would have never pushed for…what I did. It's just…he's…he's…" Ran said looking to the boy. Moka looked at her then to the mage with a bit of wonder.

"My hero." Ran said softly. The group looked at her with a bit of surprise as she looked down with closed eyes. Rin smiled softly at her sister then looked to Yukari with worry.

"I'm your…hero?" Ahakon asked curiously. Ran nodded and looked back to him with a timid expression. Yukari glanced to her boyfriend then back to Ran with a bit of wonder.

"That's why you were just drawing him?" she asked softly.

"Just drawing him? She never shuts up about him." Rin said with a laugh.

WHACK!

Rin stumbled around dazed as Ran looked at her with frustration and embarrassment, the siren retracting her fist that clonked her blonde haired sister on the head a moment ago. She then nervously looked to Yukari.

"I…it's just…" she stammered.

"But I'm not a hero, I didn't even kill any of Alucard's offspring that day. Well, I got one along with Yukari, but only with Luna's help. I personally didn't actually do much." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"But you did, you fought so bravely and saved so many lives. You were just like one of my stories come to life. You really are a hero Ahakon." Ran said graciously.

"I see, that's why he means so much to you." Moka said with a curious smile at the mage. Yukari looked at the boy then down to the pile of ash that was once Ran's book.

"I'm sorry, but…I can't help how I feel. I know Yukari is his girlfriend, and I would never try to come between them or anything. I already promised I wouldn't. But he helped keep me from the darkness, he helped stop Alucard. He's better than any of the characters in my books, he's…" Ran said looking down with a timid expression. She trembled a bit then glanced to him.

"Your hero." Yukari said softly looking back to her. She understood why the siren was so fixated on him all this time, how she never seemed to take her eyes off of him. Just as Luna was drawn to Rason for his heroic act it was the same with Ran and Ahakon. She merely wanted to be near the one that meant the world to her, her own real life hero.

"I'm sorry." Ran said looking down with closed eyes. Yukari looked at the siren with a bit of sympathy then down.

"No, I'm sorry Ran." she said softly. The group looked to her as she glanced to the pile of ash on the ground.

"For yelling at you…and…for burning your book. I just thought you were…trying to take him from me again." she said with remorse.

"Hey, that thing earlier was Mizore's fault, really. I only said…I mean I never originally wanted…" Ran pleaded. Yukari nodded and looked at the siren with a gentle smile.

"It's ok, really. Forget about that. I'm sorry about your book." she said softly. Ran blinked then looked down to it.

"It's ok, I can always draw another." she said quietly. She jumped and looked at Yukari with worry.

"I mean…I won't, not again. I promise." she said quickly. Yukari smiled and shook her head.

"No, go ahead if you like Ran. I won't get mad, I promise." she said calmly. Ran looked at her curiously then glanced to the ashes again.

"Really? It's ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to take your hero away from you like that." Yukari said looking to Ahakon. The boy looked around and showed a bit of puzzlement.

"But I'm not a hero." he said simply.

"Yes you are." Yukari and Ran said together, both then looking to each other and laughing bit. The boy looked at them confused then down in thought. Yukari and Ran smiled a bit then looked to the boy again, both happy to have him in their lives in one way or another.

"I'm glad to see you two agreeing instead of fighting." Moka said with a smile.

"Hey, what's going on down there?" Kurumu's voice called out. The group looked up to see Kurumu leaning out of her window with Rason, the two looking down at the group curiously.

"Is everything ok you guys?" Rason called down.

"Yes, everything is fine now." Moka called up.

"What happened to Ran? She looks like she was hit by lightning." Kurumu said looking at the siren's burnt clothing. Ran looked down at her clothes then up again.

"Um…" she said softly.

"She and Yukari were just…talking about something." Moka said with a shrug. Kurumu looked around at the group then smiled slyly.

"Oh, would this have anything to do with Ahakon again?" she asked playfully. The mage jumped a bit and rubbed the back of his head nervously with a weak smile.

"Looks like it." Rason said with a smirk.

"Haha, wow, the pipsqueak pimp strikes again." Kurumu laughed. Ahakon twitched at that while Yukari growled a bit. The girl raised her wand up before a figure shot up towards the succubus. Kurumu looked to see Ran flying up then hovering outside her window.

"What did you just call him?" the siren said with narrowed eyes. Kurumu blinked then smiled amusingly.

"A pipsqueak of course, just like his girlfriend." she said with a shrug. Ran glanced down to Yukari then to Kurumu. She then grabbed the girl by the shirt and pulled her closer, the succubus staggering out of the window slightly with surprise.

"Tell me Kurumu, do you remember what you did to my sister earlier?" Ran said with discontent. Kurumu blinked then glanced down to Rin, the siren looking at her with an uneasy frown.

"Um…no. But Rason did tell me…" Kurumu said with remorse. She was yanked closer to Ran as the siren growled a bit.

"You molested my sister Kurumu, and for that alone I should make you pay. I'm trying to overlook that because you're supposedly my friend and you were out of control at the time. However if you call Ahakon that name one more time I swear to the Almighty that I'll rip your wings off and shove them up your-"

The group's jaws dropped as Ran went into full vivid detail of what she would do to Kurumu if she called the mage that name again, with Kurumu looking with shock and wide eyes at the siren's impressive and dark vocabulary.

"Do you get me?" Ran said with a glare as she finished her little speech involving dismemberment, torture, and a slow and painful death.

Silence.

"Holy…shit…" Rason breathed out.

"Well?" Ran asked sternly as she jerked the succubus closer. Kurumu nodded quickly with a nervous smile.

"Sure, point received. No problem Ran." she said shakily.

Ahakon and Yukari were looking with wide eyes at the girl as Moka tried to think of what to say. Rin however was tapping her headphones with a puzzled look. After a moment she looked up to her sister and tilted her head.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat what you said? I forgot already." she called out.

"No! No need to go into that again, really. We're cool now." Kurumu said fearfully. Ran let the girl go and narrowed her eyes at her.

"Don't you dare speak about my hero with such disrespect. I don't care if you are the Lord of Hell's daughter or not, nobody talks that way about Ahakon." she said firmly. Rason and Kurumu glanced to each other then to the siren that apparently was a bit darker if pushed too far.

"I'm not…sure what to say here." Ahakon said quietly. Yukari blinked then smiled smugly at Kurumu.

"You heard her, don't talk bad about our hero Kurumu." she called out with a giggle. Kurumu looked down to her with wide eyes then to Ahakon, the boy smiling weakly and shrugging. Ran smiled down at the witch then looked to Ahakon, the siren still having her heartbeat pick up a bit at the sight of him. He may not have been the strongest warrior on the field that day, or took down the dark destroyers on his own, but his courage and bravery alone earned the siren's respect, and no other had measured up to him in her eyes since.

"Well…glad to see…we're working out our differences." Moka said with a shrug and a weak smile. Rin just looked around confused and tapped her headphones a bit. She blinked then looked to the vampire.

"What? Who's working out what differences?" she asked puzzled.

* * *

Kokoa was walking through the dark woods alone, the girl looking around carefully as the branches swayed a bit in the wind. The sounds of her footsteps were silent as she slowly made her way through the rotting forest. After a moment she stopped and looked around carefully, the girl knowing she was being watched. A blur shot by between two trees, the girl quickly looking over with a keen eye. She backed up a bit and glanced around slowly. Another blur shot by behind her, the girl spinning around and looking through the woods with a cautious expression. Up above the red moon was full and in view, the light illuminating the area slightly as Kokoa looked around while tensing up.

_I know you're out here…_

Suddenly a blur shot past her, followed by a ripping sound. She blinked then looked behind her, the girl jumping to see her skirt torn off in the back showing her pink panties.

"Haha, look at that delicious work of art." a voice called out from around the woods. Kokoa held a hand back to cover the view the best she could while looking around nervously.

"You're…asking for it." Kokoa said somewhat shakily.

Again a blur shot by her, this time with her shirt being ripped apart in the front. She cried out and held her other arm in front of her to hide her breasts and bra the best she could.

"The most beautiful girl in the school and she's all alone the woods, that's just a shame if you ask me." the voice called out from around her again. She growled a bit and looked around with frustration.

"You're…going to get it. I swear!" she yelled out.

Suddenly her legs were swept out from under her, the girl dropping to the soft ground with a thump. She blinked then looked up to see a tall figure standing over her. It was a large werewolf wearing the academy uniform, the beast's eyes looking at her as it growled a bit. Kokoa glanced up and saw the full moon over him, then looked to the wolf with worry.

"A…werewolf." she breathed out.

"I can't let such a beautiful girl be all alone out here, what kind of _gentleman_ would I be otherwise?" the wolf chuckled. Kokoa trembled a bit then tried to scramble away on all fours, the girl being yanked back by her legs. She looked back with wide eyes to see the wolf holding onto her leg and thigh.

"You can't outrun me, not when there's a full moon out babe. You're all mine." he said with a laugh. Her eyes widened as she was pulled back and forced down, the girl bent over with a paw to her back as the wolf held onto her hip.

"No, stop!" she cried out. She looked back to see the wolf tearing off her panties and eyeing her with a lustful glare.

"Don't worry, I may be the fastest here at the academy, but I'm going to take my time and enjoy every bit of you." he said with a menacing voice. She trembled as she was held down by one of his hands, the girl looking to see his other holding her rear up for him.

"No…" she said with wide eyes as he took slipped down his pants.

"You can't…" she said shaking her head as he moved closer to her.

"Please!" Kokoa cried out into the air.

Her fingers dug into the ground as she let out a loud grunt, the girl closing her eyes as she was pushed from behind. Sounds of growling, screams, and moans echoed out as the large beast started to have his way with the vampire in the dark woods, their voices not being heard by anyone at all. The girl arched back a bit as she was ridden from behind, her eyes wide as she cried out from the sensation of being taken like this. Of course this wasn't rape, far from it as the redhead had wanted this from the start. And as for the wolf, his girlfriend had requested this little role-play of 'the helpless girl and the perverted monster that has his way with her', so who was he to say no to such an innocent request.

* * *

Moka walked back into her room, the vampire deciding to finally try to get some rest for tomorrow. The others had returned to their rooms for the night, with Ran and Yukari bidding Ahakon a goodnight together. Once Yukari knew the real reason why Ran was attracted to the mage she felt a sense of pride knowing that she was the young hero's only girlfriend. Not to mention that Ran clearly scared Kurumu to death with her little threat about leaving Ahakon alone with her little name calling. That alone earned the siren a spot on Yukari's 'friends list'. Rason stayed in Kurumu's room, the angel holding his girl closely and letting the bond that flowed between them relax her. She had learned what she had done when she lost control, and was horrified to learn that she not only tried to rape Rason but also Rin. Still, the boy assured her that she wasn't in control, and that she wouldn't be blamed for her actions, his words once again calming her down a bit.

After the vampire changed into her sleeping shirt and underwear, she walked over to the open window and looked up at the stars above.

"Tsukune…I can't wait until you come back to me." she said softly. She sighed softly and watched a cloud drift by slowly.

_He can do this, he's my mate. Nothing can stop him, nothing._

**_That's what I've been trying to tell you from the start, our mate is the best._**

_I know, I just can't wait until he comes back. I miss him so much. And after seeing everybody with their special somebody tonight, I miss him all the more._

**_They may have their mates with them or their 'heroes' nearby, but none of them compare to our Tsukune._**

_That's true, nobody can measure up to our Tsukune. Not Dark, nor Rason, nor Ahakon, nor-_

A loud wolf's howl was heard in the distance, the vampire glancing over towards the forest where the sound was heard from. After a pause another howl was heard deep in the forest, the vampire just looking out there with a calm expression.

_Looks like she took my suggestion after all._

**_Fantastic, just what I want to think about before going to sleep._**

_Hmm, I guess I was wrong._

**_What? You can't possibly be thinking that Gin is any match for our Tsukune._**

_No, that's not what I meant._

Moka giggled and closed her window, the vampire then walking towards her bed.

"I guess even that far out we can still hear his singing."


	29. The Slayer And The Fallen Hunter

A few clouds were rolling by up in the night sky, with only a few stars seen above. All was quiet in a cemetery surrounded by a dark forest as four figures were seen standing near a few gravestones. Ceal was looking down at the three stones that his deceased family lay in while Falla was looking at him a curious expression. Render and Leon however were looking at the boy with a bit of surprise.

"Fafnir?" Render asked slowly. Ceal merely nodded as Falla looked around confused.

"Fafnir? Who's that?" she asked.

"Not a who, a what." Leon said cautiously. Falla just looked at him puzzled.

"What do you mean, what is Fafnir?" she asked.

"A dragon." Render said worriedly. Falla jumped a bit then looked to Ceal. Dragons were well known in the monster world, the mythical beasts having a great deal of power in their own right. They weren't S-Class, they were far above it as they were in a class all their own. They were rare to find and few in number, however all monsters knew that one alone would be a nightmare to take on.

"What? A…dragon?" she said with a bit of fright.

"You're hunting a freakin' dragon?" Render said shaking his head. Again Ceal merely nodded as he looked at the gravestones before him.

"You have a death wish?" Leon asked flatly. Falla looked at the three graves then to Ceal with worry.

"A dragon…killed your family?" She said softly. Ceal didn't say anything as he just looked at the stones still. Render and Leon looked at each other curiously then to the silent boy. Falla looked at him worriedly then to the graves.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"I'm going to avenge my family, I won't rest until I have Fafnir's head." Ceal said coldly.

"No, you'll be resting when that thing smashes you into the ground without even trying. C'mon man, are you insane? A dragon? And Fafnir no less?" Render said with disbelief.

"You know this dragon?" Falla asked curiously. Render and Leon nodded.

"There are a few dragons we know of, and Fafnir is one of them. It's said that he guards a treasure trove unlike any other, and that he is undefeatable. Many treasure hunters have tried to claim his treasure, and all have been killed." Leon said cautiously.

"We may want to be famous hunters and all, but even we're not that crazy as to try to take him on." Render said shaking his head.

"Your family, they tried to take his treasure didn't they?" Leon asked. Falla looked to Ceal as the boy merely glanced to them.

"I'm sorry for your loss…sort of. But they chose their fates when they dared to steal from that dragon." Leon said simply.

"You think this is about treasure? You think my family would give up their lives for some petty gold and jewels?" Ceal said with a narrowed glance.

"Why else would they try to go after Fafnir?" Render asked.

"To kill him, that's all my family has ever wanted." Ceal said looking back to the gravestones. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the boy.

"You're not after his treasure at all?" Render asked.

"I don't give a damn about his gold hunter, I only desire his blood." Ceal said coldly.

"That's even crazier, you're trying to kill a dragon just for the hell of it?" Render said with bewilderment.

"If they didn't go there for his treasure, why did your ancestors try to kill Fafnir in the first place?" Leon asked carefully. Falla looked at Ceal curiously as the boy just looked up at the sky.

"Because that's what my family does hunter, kill dragons." He said simply. The group looked at him curiously as he stood there with a calm expression. Falla looked at him with wonder then showed a bit of surprise.

"You're…a dragon slayer." She said quietly. Ceal nodded as Render and Leon looked at the boy with wonder.

"The riches and wealth from his trove pale in comparison to spilling his blood. My family has hunted these legendary beasts for generations, with each son in the family line carrying on the tradition." Ceal said as he looked up at the stars. Render and Leon looked at the boy with a curious eye while Falla stared with amazement.

_He's the bravest guy I know, to actually want to fight a dragon for nothing but honor and revenge._

"Ceal…you're so brave." Falla said with a loving eye.

"He's out of his mind to try to kill a dragon, he can't-…wait, that's what you want the wish for isn't it?" Render said with a smirk. Ceal glanced to him and Render nodded with a smile.

"You want the box to wish the dragon to be dead." He said confidently.

"That has to be his reasons for the wish, he would have to fucking insane otherwise." Leon said shaking his head.

"That's not what my wish is for hunter." Ceal said simply.

"He's fucking insane." Leon said shaking his head still.

"What do you mean it's not, why would you want to actually face a dragon on your own if you can get a free kill with the wish?" Render said confused. Falla looked at Ceal curiously then tilted her head.

"You said you made a wish before, if you only wanted the wish to kill the dragon you could have done that already." She said softly.

"But why _not_ wish for the dragon to be dead? I mean you want to kill it so badly why wouldn't you just use the wish to take care of it?" Render asked confused.

"Maybe he can't." Leon said cautiously.

"What do you mean he can't? Pandora's Box grants any wish right? Then why not just wish for the dragon to be dead? Or better yet for all the dragons to be dead?" Render said scratching his head. The group looked at Ceal as he continued to look up at the stars.

"Ceal?" Falla asked softly. The boy looked down to the gravestones and shook his head.

"What aren't you telling us still?" Leon asked cautiously. Ceal glanced to him then looked to Falla.

"Pandora's Box will grant any wish you make. However with each wish there is a cost." He said simply.

"A cost?" she asked.

"What kind of cost?" Leon asked carefully. Ceal looked to the gravestones and shrugged.

"It varies, depending on your wish. The box has a…twisted way of granting what you desire." He said. Falla looked at him worriedly then to the stones.

"Not liking where this is going." Render worriedly.

"Ceal, what do you mean?" Falla asked gently. Ceal glanced to one of the gravestones and pointed to it.

"My great grandfather was the first to try to kill Fafnir and claim his head. However finding the dragon is nearly impossible. His lair is shrouded from view in the monster world, and he relocates after he is found by anyone." He said. The group looked to the gravestone then back to him with wonder.

"How did he find it then?" Falla asked.

"The only way he could see of doing so, he searched out and used Pandora's Box. He took three other hunters with him to claim the relic, however only he survived to make the wish. He used the wish to take him to Fafnir's lair, to take him to where the dragon was hidden from the world. He confronted the mighty dragon like so many before, however he fell to the monster. He was killed and the lair once again vanished." Ceal said with remorse.

"He used the wish to find the dragon's lair. I see." Leon said looking at the graves.

"So your grandfather tried to get revenge." Falla said looking at another gravestone.

"Not at first." Ceal said glancing away. The group looked to him as he looked back up at the stars.

"My grandfather wanted to undo the pain of losing his father, so he too sought out Pandora's Box to make a wish. His however was to bring my ancestor back from the dead." He said solemnly. Leon looked at the boy with a bit of wonder then up at the sky.

"Did…that work?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes…and no." Ceal said looking down again. The group looked at him puzzled from that remark.

"What does that mean?" Render asked.

"My great grandfather came back, but not as he was." Ceal said shaking his head.

"And…what does _that_ mean?" Render asked carefully. Ceal looked to Falla with a blank expression.

"The body came back, but the soul did not." He said simply. She looked at him with surprise then down to the grave.

"You mean…" she said softly. Leon looked at the boy with a bit of shock then down with concern.

"The box has a twisted way of working. It can bring back the dead, but it cannot bring back the soul." Ceal said looking down at the graves. Leon looked at him then down with frustration. Render glanced to him as the boy clenched his fist.

"But…can't you specifically wish for…the soul to be brought back as well?" Leon asked with a pained expression. Ceal merely shook his head.

"As much as one wishes for that hunter, it will not come true. Just because it can grant any wish does not mean it will grant the wish as you want it." He said simply. Leon looked at him with a bit of frustration and remorse then away. Falla looked at him curiously then to Ceal. That explained two uses of the box in his family line, however he stated that it was opened five times up until now. The girl looked at him then to the gravestones of the three dead family members.

"Yes, he got my great grandfather back…as a zombie. And then he had to kill him." Ceal said looking down at the graves. Falla looked at him with remorse and down while Render eyed his friend worriedly. Leon shook his head a bit as he held his locket in his hand gently.

"Ceal…" Falla said softly.

"After that failed my grandfather tried again for revenge. He sought out the keys and opened the treasure once more after five long years of searching. He then wished to be taken to Fafnir so he personally could kill the beast." Ceal said looking at another gravestone.

"Why didn't he wish for the dragon to be killed though? How could that wish backfire?" Render asked cautiously.

"He wasn't the one that made that foolish wish hunter, but I'll get to that soon enough." Ceal said glancing back to him. Render looked at him puzzled then to the gravestones again.

"He died too didn't he?" Falla asked softly.

"Yes, struck down by the mighty dragon. He too fell to the beast." Ceal said with a bit of remorse. He then looked to the last gravestone.

"Then my father tried. He was a great hunter in his own right, he had slain many dragons before without any problem. Yet…Fafnir claimed his life as well. After my father used Pandora's Box to wish himself into the lair…he never came back." Ceal said looking down. Falla looked at the boy with concern then down at the graves. That was four wishes, and that left the last one from Ceal.

"Then…you used the box." She said looking to him. Render and Leon looked at the boy curiously as he nodded.

"Geez, you guys sure are using this thing a lot." Render said with wonder.

"If your ancestors didn't make the 'foolish wish' to kill the dragon outright with the box, then that means…" Leon said looking at the boy carefully. The group looked to Ceal as he nodded.

"I found the keys, I found the box, I opened the box…and I made the worst wish imaginable." He said looking down with closed eyes.

"You wished for Fafnir to be dead? How could that backfire on you?" Falla asked. Ceal showed frustration and looked at the ground with narrowed eyes.

"I wished for Fafnir to be dead. The box asked how, and I said 'by my hand'." He said with frustration. Falla looked at him then slowly looked down to his gloved hand. Render and Leon did the same as Ceal held the hand up.

"Oh god…" Falla said covering her mouth with her hand.

"How…" Render said with disbelief.

"It…it took your hand?" Leon said with surprise. Ceal nodded and looked up.

"Right before my eyes, the magic ripped it right off of my arm and destroyed it." He said.

"But why?" Falla said with a pained expression as she looked at his gloved hand.

"I told you the box is twisted. It cannot bring a soul back to life, and it cannot take a life either. As powerful as the box is, it has its rules and limits." Ceal said with remorse.

"But why did it take your hand?" Render asked.

"Because of my unfortunate choice of words hunter. It couldn't take Fafnir's life, so it only ensured that my wish could come true…at a cost." Ceal said with frustration. He looked to the others as he held his hand up to face them.

"I wished for Fafnir to die by my hand. Not _hands_. So it made it so I could only kill Fafnir with one hand. It twisted my wish around as it saw fit." He said with a growl. He then shook his head and looked to the graves.

"Not only that, but the wish was for him to die from me. And that wish was granted." He said with anger.

"What do you mean?" Falla asked. Ceal closed his eyes for a moment then looked up at the stars.

"Another group of dragon slayers found his lair, by a stroke of luck they stumbled across his hidden domain. They tried to kill the legendary beast and claim his head as their own trophy. All but one died before a sword was thrust through Fafnir's heart." He said with a distant gaze at the sky.

"They killed him." Falla said with wonder. Ceal shook his head, with the others looking at him confused.

"No…he survived. The hunter fled the lair in fright as the dragon would not die." He said with frustration. He growled a bit then looked to Falla.

"Fafnir can only die from me now. By wishing for myself to be his killer, I've made him…immortal to all others." He said with remorse. The others looked at him with surprise as Ceal showed a pained expression.

"For Fafnir to die by my hand. My wish was granted, I was relieved of a hand, and the dragon can only be killed by me. Pandora's Box didn't take the wish to be done through its action, only for my wish to do so by myself." He said before looking down to the graves.

"Oh god…Ceal…" Falla said with disbelief.

"Fafnir can never die…except by you now?" Leon said with shock. Ceal nodded and glanced to him.

"Lucky for everybody that dragon only stays by his treasure, he won't go on an unstoppable killing spree in the world. However if I do not slay him before my time in this world is over, my family will never have its revenge against the monster." He said with a hint of frustration.

"So that's why you're so determined to get the box." Falla said softly with wonder. Ceal nodded and looked at her with a calm expression.

"Now you know Falla. Nobody can grant me what I truly desire now but me. I'm cursed from my previous wish, only I can slay the dragon. All I ask of you is to help me open the box to grant me that opportunity." He said as the girl looked at him with a gentle eye.

"Ceal…of course. I'll do anything you ask." She said with a soft smile. She nodded and smiled at the boy.

"I knew it…I just knew you weren't a bad person. I knew you weren't evil." She said with a tear forming, the girl feeling her heart beating faster for the boy. He wasn't some murdering monster the others made him out to be, he wasn't after something malicious or dark with the wish. He only wanted to finish what his family had started, by slaying the great dragon that remained hidden in the monster world. She blushed a bit then nodded eagerly.

"Yes, I'll be your fourth Ceal, I swear to you I'll help you avenge your family." She said proudly. He nodded then glanced to the other two hunters. Falla looked to seeing Render rubbing the back of his head with a worried expression while Leon was looking down with remorse.

"Oh c'mon, that's not fair. Using the sympathy card to have us help you, that's low." Render said looking down and kicking a stone gently. Leon just kept looking down while holding his locket.

"I never asked you two to tag along, I was merely showing Falla what she wanted to know. Whether you wanted to help me or not was irrelevant." Ceal said without a care. Falla looked at the two hunters then smiled.

"Wait, this works out actually." she said looking to Ceal.

"What? How does this work out for us? If we don't help him we're being the bad guys here. Ceal's not supposed to be the good guy with a noble cause, that's supposed to be us!" he cried out.

"You want the box to wish for more treasure." Falla said flatly.

"That's noble! We're treasure hunters, it's what we would wish for! It's our god-given right!" Render pleaded loudly. Ceal and Falla just looked at him with dull expressions while Leon merely shook his head.

"Besides, if we do help him we don't get to make a wish at all. We won't get anything." Render whined loudly.

"No, think about it. Ceal only wants to kill the dragon, he doesn't care about the treasure its guarding. He said so himself, right?" Falla said looking to Ceal. The boy just nodded with a blank expression. Falla smiled and looked to Render again.

"That means that he gets his wish by killing the dragon, and you get yours by getting Fafnir's treasure." She said happily. Render blinked then looked up thoughtfully at that remark while Leon continued to look down at the ground.

"Everybody wins then. Nobody has to try to kill each other for the wish, you all get something out of it by helping him." Falla said hopefully as she looked around at the group. Render thought about it then looked at Ceal curiously.

"You really don't care about the treasure?" he asked.

"I care nothing for gold or relics in that dragon's lair. If that's all you want then by all means take what you can carry. It makes no difference to me." Ceal said simply.

"Really? You'll just let us have all that treasure? Just like that?" Render asked with surprise.

"I already said all I want is the dragon. I don't give a damn about his treasure." Ceal said with a focused expression. Falla looked at him and smiled gently.

"You're so generous too." Falla said with a loving sigh.

"And just what makes you think you can kill Fafnir?" Leon asked. The group looked to him as he narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"All your ancestors died trying to kill this thing, and now you've made it so only you alone can kill it without any help. If anything you going to face him will only equate to another gravestone in your family's cemetery." He said looking down.

"I can handle myself just fine hunter." Ceal said plainly.

"But he's right, this thing is a freakin' dragon. How are you going to kill it all on your own?" Render asked curiously.

"He said he can handle it." Falla said with a soft smile. The boys looked to her as she was smiling timidly at Ceal.

"Handle it? It's a _freakin'_ dragon! Even the dark lords would be cautious about taking that thing on!" Render said in disbelief.

"He can handle anything." Falla said dreamily. It didn't matter that he was after a legendary dragon that killed all his ancestors, or even that the monster was enchanted so only he could kill it. Her faith in the boy was higher than ever after seeing his noble cause and she would not be swayed in her belief that he could do it.

Render waved his hand in front of Falla, getting no reaction as she stared at the dragon slayer with a loving eye.

"Hello? You in there? Are you listening to me? A _dragon_. A fucking dragon. It's a death wish for him." He said shaking his head. Falla growled then glared at the boy.

"I said he can handle it!" she barked out. Render backed up with his hands held up defensively while Leon merely glanced to him. Falla crossed her arms firmly then looked back to Ceal with a loving eye. Leon glanced at her then looked to Ceal cautiously.

"And just how do you know you can take on that thing where your ancestors had failed? You lost a hand without even getting close to him, just how do you intend to bring down a dragon all on your own?" He asked carefully. Ceal held up his gloved hand as it glowed a soft black hue.

"I'm more powerful now than when I was then, I will not fail in my quest." He said firmly.

"That's still something we haven't gotten an answer for yet, just what are you? Taking body parts from other monsters like you have, explain." Leon said cautiously as he looked at the boy's gloved hand. Falla and Render looked to the boy as he stood there with no expression. He then looked to the chronofly and crossed his arms.

"I've told you what you wanted to know, more than what you needed to know actually. I don't need to explain anything else." He said simply. Falla nodded and smiled at him timidly.

"Yes, thank you for telling me Ceal." She said softly.

"You're not answering my questions though. What the hell are you? And if your quest really was so noble why not tell us from the start rather than threaten to kill us if we didn't cooperate?" Leon said with a bit of anger. Ceal glanced to him and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm under no obligation to tell you anything." He said coldly.

"But her? You'll tell her anything she wants to know? Why have you been so kind to her and so cold to us?" Leon asked sternly.

"Maybe he likes her." Render said with a shrug. Falla blushed at that and quickly looked to Ceal with wonder as he merely stared at Leon with no expression. After a pause Ceal's hand glowed a black hue and dark tentacles appeared through small rifts in the ground. Leon glanced to them then to the boy.

"I will do whatever it takes to open that box and make my wish hunter. Falla merely wanted a display of trust for her to help, so I've complied with her request. I did so in hopes that we would have a fourth for our hunt. You two however already possess keys, so you're going to help open the box anyway, whether you want to help me with my wish or not is irrelevant." Ceal said as Falla looked at the dark appendages with a bit of worry.

"And why is that irrelevant? You need us just as much as you need her." Leon said as he glanced to the tentacles.

_I can't copy them. This…this isn't a necro spell…he's summoning something from the other side._

Leon looked back to the boy with a cautious expression. He couldn't mimic Ceal's magic, which meant that the tentacles coming through the rifts weren't just from an ordinary spell. They were real, part of a summoned being.

"Because you want to open that box just as much as I do. Of course if you don't comply it would simply be a matter of killing you to get your keys." Ceal said coldly. Falla looked at him with worry then to the two boys.

"You can't kill me, my keys are in the magical ether still." Render said with a smirk.

"I'm sure I can persuade you to hand them over, I'm very creative on that front." Ceal said with a cool smirk back. Render and Leon glanced to each other then to the boy as Falla looked around worriedly.

"C'mon now, nobody needs to kill anybody. Ceal can get revenge for his family and you two can have the treasure. It's a fair deal for everybody, please don't fight." Falla pleaded. Ceal glanced to her and snapped his fingers, and in doing so the tentacles and rifts vanished. Render and Leon looked around then back to the boy.

"The wish is mine hunters, I will not let anything stand in my way. However if its treasure and fame you seek, you can have it. Those mean nothing to me." He said simply. Falla nodded eagerly at the two hunters as they looked to each other.

"Yes, that's right. We're all on the same side here, everybody gets something out of this. You guys can have all the treasure you want after Ceal kills his dragon." She said assuredly. Render looked down in thought and scratched his head.

"Are you hearing yourself? After Ceal kills his dragon, you say it like it's not going to be any trouble at all. You know as well as I do the strength and power of a dragon, and we know nothing about him." Leon said with narrowed eyes at the boy.

"Care to find out how deadly I can be?" Ceal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Again, same side here. Its ok boys. And yes, I know dragons are extremely dangerous for any monster, but I believe in Ceal. He can do this." Falla said confidently. Leon showed frustration and anger with the boy as Render looked up thoughtfully.

"Well…I guess that could work out, provided Ceal can indeed kill Fafnir all on his own. Not likely since we're talking about killing a freakin' dragon here, but on the positive side, if he can do it we'll be helping an entire family rest in peace while also getting a hold of Fafnir's treasure. That and also making our claim to Pandora's Box which has been our goal the whole time, so…I suppose we could give working together and not killing each other a try." he said with a shrug. Falla nodded at him with an arrogant smile.

"He can do it, I know he can. Everybody will get what they wanted if we work together." She said assuredly. She then looked to Leon as he was looking down with a bit of frustration.

"Well…almost everybody." Render said glancing to his friend.

"Leon? What's wrong?" Falla asked. The boy glanced to her then to Ceal.

"I don't like how he keeps everything from us like this. He won't tell us what he is, it took you coming all the way out here to find out what he was after, and I still don't think he's telling us everything about Pandora's Box." he said with annoyance.

"Tell you what hunter, I'll tell you what you want to know if you tell me something in exchange." Ceal said with a small smirk. The group looked to him as he pointed to Leon's locket.

"How did she die?" he asked simply.

Silence.

Everybody looked to Leon as he was glaring at Ceal. Render glanced to Ceal then back to his friend with worry while Falla looked at the boy curiously.

"What? How did who die?" she asked.

"How did you…" Leon growled as he clenched his fists.

"What you said before, that you 'push on for her' and 'after all that you've lost'. I've seen you cherishing that thing more so than you do with your key, and how you seemed to be bothered by the fact that you couldn't bring a soul back to the land of the living. Did you really think you were hiding it well? It's written all over your face, you lost somebody close to you, and I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here and assume _she_ was special to you." Ceal asked with an amused tone. Leon growled and shook with anger while Render looked down with a bit of remorse.

"Leon?" Falla asked. She remembered Astreal mentioning that before, how she too was curious about what the boy had meant by those words.

"That's none of your business." Leon said with anger at Ceal.

"No? Because you're asking me to open up, it's only fair that you do the same." Ceal said with a shrug.

"Bad topic dude." Render said shaking his head.

"As if I care. He wants me to talk, then he needs to do the same." Ceal said.

"Why does that even matter to you?" Leon said with a growl.

"It doesn't, but I can tell it matters to you." Ceal said with a smirk.

"Why should I tell you anything? You don't deserve to know anything about me." Leon said with anger.

"And you didn't deserve to know what I told Falla, yet you do anyway. If you want me to say anything more then offer a form of payment, let's hear what's driving you on towards Pandora's Box hunter." Ceal said crossing his arms before him. Leon looked down while holding the cracked locket.

"Come to think of it, you've been holding onto that thing since I first saw you. How come?" Falla asked curiously. Leon glanced to her then to Ceal, the boy merely looking at him with a raised eyebrow. After a moment Leon looked away with a frustrated expression.

"It was a gift from somebody important to me…it's none of your concern." he said firmly.

"You know, for the record here, it might help you to…talk about it." Render said gently. Leon glared at him with a growl as Render backed up nervously.

"Don't you side with him too." Leon said with a bit of anger.

"I'm not siding with…I'm just saying, Selena isn't coming back man." Render said with remorse. Leon seemed to fume with anger for a moment then looked down with a pained expression.

"Selena?" Falla asked. Leon glanced to her then to Ceal.

"I've already explained three generations of loss on my part, don't act like you're the only one baring such hardships." Ceal said shaking his head a bit. Leon looked down then held out the locket a bit so he could look at it.

"Was she…your girlfriend?" Falla asked gently. Leon nodded then looked down with closed eyes.

"She was the third member of our group, she helped with finding all the keys." Render said softly.

"She was?" Falla asked. Leon looked at her with a saddened expression then to the locket again.

"We were together for three years. Me, her…and Render." the boy said glancing to his friend. Render smiled weakly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey c'mon man, we were friends long before you met her, if anything she was the third wheel." he said with a small laugh. Leon smiled a bit and shook his head then looked down to the locket.

"It was originally her that discovered the legends of Pandora's Box. We were all hoping to become famous hunters in the monster world, and once she read up on the box she became obsessed with claiming it. Not even the rumors of it destroying the world would scare her off, nothing could scare her." he said before looking down with remorse.

"What happened?" Falla said worriedly. Leon sighed and took out his key, the boy looking at it with remorse.

"We traveled around the monster world together, just the three of us. We searched and scraped for any leads we could to the four keys and their whereabouts. It was difficult as very few even believed they existed, but we managed to track down three of them. One was in a barren desert where an old beetle demon used to reside. Another was in a cave inside a steep mountain, the key having been brought there by a large winged demon that found and ate the lowly monster that managed to find the key somewhere else. And the third was found underground in a crypt where a few rogue warlocks were trying to find them as well. We managed to secure the three keys together, nothing could stop us from pursuing the claim of Pandora's Box." he said gently. Falla looked at the key then to Leon with worry as Render glanced away.

"I suppose I should at least commend you on finding them faster than I did that time, and here I thought my family had the best speed records in that regard." Ceal said plainly.

"Selena was a great hunter, she was born for the role." Render said with a nod.

"She was our eyes, she was a powerful seer in her own right. We never had to get too involved with the shady underground areas as she could see her goal clearly in her visions. A prodigy in her hometown who would have been a priestess, and she wanted to hang out with us and hunt for treasure instead." Leon said with a soft smile and a chuckle. Falla smiled softly at that and looked at the key in his hand.

"She wanted to hang out with you, that was the biggest reason." Render said with a small smile. Leon nodded and then looked at the key with a bit of sorrow.

"Then…we found the last key…" he said softly.

_The sun was shining down on a lush green forest, with the large trees and green leaves stretching out as far as the eye could see. A few birds and flying snakes were seen soaring around above the trees as a warm breeze blew by. Down in the forest an engine sound was heard as a group of hunters were traveling together. Down in the worn dirt path between the large trees a small green jeep was driving along, the black tires racing along the dirt ground as three figures were sitting in the truck. In the front seat Leon was driving, the boy dressed as usual without the locket while his poofy hair flowed in the wind as the top was down on the vehicle. He was smiling confidently as he looked ahead at the road. Sitting in the backseat was Render, the boy dressed as usual while he looked around the area with a calm smile. He looked up to see a few birds flying overhead and then around to see the trees whizzing past. And sitting in the front of the jeep next to Leon was a girl. She had long black hair and hazel eyes, the girl wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, sandals, and a blue bracelet over her left wrist. She was smiling brightly as she looked around while the jeep drove through the forest._

_"Are we there yet? I mean this is such a nice day and all, but I'd much rather be doing something than enjoying a nice drive with you guys." Render said casually._

_"By all means jump out of the truck if you want, I won't complain." Leon said with a smirk. Selena giggled and glanced to him._

_"Are you offering to go on a romantic drive through the forest with just you and me?" she asked._

_"We certainly can if Render jumps out." Leon said glancing to her. She looked up thoughtfully and then back towards the blue haired boy._

_"Nah, I haven't the heart to leave him all alone out here. He might get lost and scared." she said with a laugh. Render chuckled and looked at her amusingly._

_"Me scared? Ha, I'm the muscle of this group remember?" he said with a proud smile. Selena laughed and looked ahead again._

_"Yes, I suppose that's true. Still, I wouldn't mind some alone time with Leon." she said glancing to the boy with a coy smile._

_"I could pretend I'm asleep back here." Render said with a shrug._

_"Or I could just throw you out of the truck. Seriously, you'll be fine, just don't eat the mushrooms around here." Leon said with a glance to him._

_"So caring about your friend Leon, and you wonder why I love you so." Selena said with a loving smile at the boy._

_"Oh yeah, caring right up to the point of him tossing his best friend out of a moving truck to fend against the savage wildlife of this long forgotten land all alone." Render said with a laugh. Leon shrugged and glanced back to him._

_"Always wanted to throw somebody to the wolves before, sounds kind of fun." he said with a chuckle. Render shook his head with amusement while Selena giggled._

_"I'm sure he'll be fine, besides that will give us some alone time together." she said with a wink at Leon._

_"You'll get all the alone time you guys want after we're rich and have mansions of our own." Render said with a big smile and stars in his eyes._

_"Rich and famous throughout the monster world, now that's the life." Leon said with a nod and a calm smile._

_"Hm, that does sound nice. Though if it's ok with you Leon, I'll stay in your mansion." Selena said with a purr. The boy chuckled and nodded._

_"Please, by all means. I'm terrible at cleaning up after myself." he said._

_"That's ok, we'll hire Render to be the maid." Selena said looking back to the boy. He smirked and looked up thoughtfully._

_"Anything to see me in a dress huh Selena." he said shaking his head. The three laughed as they drove down the road together, the three hunters on their quest for the last key to Pandora's Box._

**_"Selena had a vision of where the key would be a few nights before. She saw a temple surrounded by a forest, and after she drew the temple to the best of her memory we traced it to the exact location in the monster world, inside a deep forest where an old tribe of trolls used to reside."_**

_The jeep rolled to a stop in a small clearing with tall grass. Tall trees stood all around as the hunters stepped out of their vehicle, the three looking ahead at a large stone temple. It was built with large stone blocks, the structure covered in moss and vines as a few birds flew by overhead. It was the size of a small one story house and only had a large open door in the front._

_"It's always in a dungeon or a cave or a temple. I mean just for once can't we find something like this someplace that isn't so cliché?" Render said shaking his head._

_"We're treasure hunters Render, this is the norm for us." Selena said with a giggle as she stretched out her legs after the long drive._

_"This place seems pretty peaceful too, nothing around that looks dangerous or hostile. That's a change of pace for us." Leon said looking around._

_"Just wait until we get inside. Based on what we've seen in the past, I'm counting on spikes shooting out of the walls, floors giving away into bottomless pits, blades slicing out from the walls and corners, acid being dropped from above after we step on the wrong floor tile, and once we actually get the key the whole place is going to explode as we run for our lives." Render said waving his arms around wildly._

_"Like I said, it's the norm for us." Selena said with a laugh._

_"Wouldn't be interesting otherwise." Leon said with a wink to her. She smiled and blushed at the boy as Render rolled his eyes with a smirk._

_"Ok you two, if you start making out in there I'm not saving you from the traps." Render said with a chuckle. He blinked then reached into the back of the jeep._

_"I almost forgot, photo op time." he said proudly as he pulled out a camera._

_"You always take pictures of us before we go anywhere. How come?" Selena asked with a curious smile._

_"Hey, I'm just capturing our journey from when we go from lowly mages and one fantastic seer to incredible treasure hunters!" Render cheered as he held up the camera proudly._

_"It's my fault, I bought him that thing." Leon said shaking his head._

_"Well he did compliment me, so I'm up for it." Selena said with a shrug and a laugh. She took Leon's hand and smiled at him._

_"Besides, I love being in pictures with you." she said softly._

_"I guess I can't argue with that reasoning." Leon said with a calm smile at her._

_"Oh Leon…" she said softly._

_"Oh Selena…" he said gently._

_"Leon…"_

_"Selena…"_

_"Leon…"_

_"Selena…"_

_Render just looked between the two and raised an eyebrow._

_"You know, the more often you guys do that the more I worry about you. Seriously, who does that anyway? C'mon, let's get a good shot before we head out." he said walking over to the back of the jeep. He placed the camera down on the back of the vehicle and set the timer as Leon and Selena walked over. They stood together holding hands with the forest behind them while Render looked at the camera with a keen eye then raced over to them. He stood with a big grin on his face and holding a thumbs up while Leon smiled confidently at the camera. Selena had a big smile on her face as the camera flashed and took the picture._

_"Perfect. Well, off to the last key you guys, and I don't know about you, but I'm so excited I could just shit my pants." Render said running toward the jeep with an eager smile._

_"Fantastic, he can walk behind us then." Leon said with a dull smile. Selena giggled then looked to the Leon._

_"Say, before we go in I have something for you." she said softly. He looked to her as she pulled out something from her pocket and presented it to him. It was a locket on a silver chain. He looked at it curiously then to her._

_"What's this for?" he asked as he took it._

_"Just something to show you how much I love you." she said softly. He smiled and looked at the locket, the boy opening it and looking at something inside._

_"Selena…thank you." he said as he closed it and smiled at the girl with a loving expression._

_"I love you Leon." she said softly._

_"I love you Selena." he said gently._

_"Oh Leon…" she said with a dreamy expression._

_"Oh Selena…" he said with a cool smile._

_"Oh Leon…"_

_"Oh Selena…"_

_"Oh god, what is wrong with you two?" Render groaned as he stood behind the jeep, the boy banging his head on the back of the vehicle repeatedly._

_The three hunters then proceeded towards the temple nearby, all of them having eager smiles as they prepared to claim the last key to their legendary treasure. They glanced to each other and nodded, then proceeded into the dark entrance, all ready to face what may lay in wait for them._

**_"We entered the temple to find the last key together. It still pains me to think that…it was the last time Selena was with us." Leon said with a pained voice._**

**_"Oh god…she died in the temple?" Falla said with worry._**

**_"What? No no, we got through that just fine. A piece of cake really." Leon said simply._**

_"Well that was a piece of cake." Leon said simply as he and Selena walked out of the temple. In Leon's hand was the last golden key to the legendary box, the key having a strange oblong eye with a cross for a slit in it on the end. Selena giggled and glanced back to the temple._

_"So let's see here, spikes from the walls, trap floors, hidden blades, acid from the ceilings…Render was close in his assumptions for all the temple's defenses." she said casually._

_"Yeah, but that bit at the end about it blowing up was wrong. It's still standing, temple and all." Leon said looking back to it. A few crashes and loud roars echoed out from inside the building._

_"Hahahaha! Come and get me ugly, show me what you got!" Render's voice shouted out with energy._

_"And he didn't predict that there would be an undead troll guardian by the key either." Leon said glancing to the girl. She shrugged and smiled at him._

_"I don't think he's complaining. You know Render, always one to love a good fight." she said simply._

_"Hahaha, is that all you got? C'mon, make this exciting for me!" Render's voice yelled out with enthusiasm from the temple. Leon chuckled and put the key in his pocket of his shirt._

_"Well glad he's enjoying himself at least." he said with a smirk. Selena nodded and looked to Leon with a bright smile._

_"We did it Leon, we have all four keys. Now Pandora's Box will be all ours." she said with excitement._

_"I know, it's unreal. All those legends and myths about it not being real and just made up, yet here we are, with all the keys to the treasure. And we couldn't have done it without you Selena." he said with a loving smile at the girl._

_"Oh Leon, I just helped find them. You and Render were the ones that protected me and helped claim them, I couldn't have done this without you." she said softly._

_"We just helped guide your way Selena, you really are the amazing one out here." Leon said with a gentle smile._

_"Oh Leon…" she said softly as she leaned closer._

_"Oh Selena…" he said as he leaned closer while holding her gently._

_"Leon…"_

_"Selena…"_

_"Really guys? Just shut up and kiss, you're ruining the mood for me in here!" Render's voice called out from inside the temple as more crashes and roars echoed out. Leon and Selena kissed each other lovingly while holding each other, the two closing their eyes as they stood outside the temple entrance together._

**_"And that…was the last time I felt her kiss…"_**

_The kiss broke and the girl looked at Leon with loving eyes._

_"Shall we go claim our treasure now?" she asked gently. Leon nodded as he brushed the hair away from her eyes._

_"Yes, finally our long journey will be over, and we'll have claimed what many thought to be impossible to find." he said softly. The two started walking back towards the jeep with the girl walking in front of the boy. Leon glanced back to the temple and chuckled as he heard his friend enjoying himself inside with the fight._

_"Hey Render! Hurry up, we're moving out." he called out._

_"Sure thing buddy, just let me get a few more good hits in here, can't just say goodbye like that and be rude after all." Render called back. Leon chuckled and looked forward again. Selena giggled and glanced back to him._

_"Hey Leon, maybe we can go for that ride, just the two of-"_

_BANG!_

_Selena flew back a bit as blood shot out from her chest and back in a small spurt. The bullet raced through her body and stuck at Leon, the boy's necklace catching the shot with a loud strike. Leon and Selena stumbled back and dropped to the ground in the tall grass as the gunshot echoed out through the clearing. Gunshots started sounding off as the jeep was pelted from the forest along with the ground around the two hunters. Selena shakily looked back as Leon was sitting back up slowly, the boy holding his chest where a bit of blood was seen. His locket had a crack on it where the bullet deflected from, the shot then going through his body at an odd angle and missing his throat._

_"Le…on…" Selena said as her eyes started to lose focus._

_"What…what was that…Selena!" Leon coughed out as he tried to move towards her. The two ducked down as the ground around them tore up with gunshots. The girl screamed and coughed blood as Leon tried to look around, the boy only seeing the forest around them._

_"What the hell is going on out there? Hey, you guys? Was that a gunshot?" Render shouted out from the temple._

_"Render! Help!" Leon cried out as a bullet shot through his shoulder. Another shot into Selena's back, the girl jerking forward and screaming._

_"Selena!" Leon's voice echoed out into the air._

**_"We were ambushed, as soon as we left the temple we were attacked from all sides. Other hunters had followed us and were trying to take all the keys from us at once. They used human firearms and struck at us when we were unprepared." Leon said with remorse._**

**_"Oh no…" Falla said softly._**

_"Selena!" Leon cried out as he looked at his love. The girl shakily held out a hand towards his, the boy grabbing it as she looked at him with sorrowful eyes._

_"Leon…" she said softly._

_"Selena…" he said as he saw her eyes lose focus._

_"I…love…you…" she said before she started to slowly drop._

_"No…Selena!" he cried out._

_A few explosions detonated nearby, grenade blasts that kicked up dust and debris into the air as bullets continued to whiz past. Leon's ears deafened slightly from the bangs and only a faint ringing was heard for a moment. The boy watched as his girlfriend's grip on his hand slowly let go and she lay motionless on the ground._

_"No…no…NO!" He yelled out as a few tears started to form. Selena lay there, perfectly still as her hair flowed a bit in the breeze._

_"Selena!" he yelled out pounding his fist into the ground._

_"No!" Render's voice echoed out from nearby. Sounds of gunfire and screams echoed out around the field as Leon's eyes were locked onto his dead girlfriend in front of him, the boy in a state of shock. He shakily looked down to see his locket that was hanging from his neck, the gift now having a crack on the side from it saving his life. He shook his head as he looked back to his girlfriend, the boy struggling not to scream out in agony._

_Something he failed to do._

_"SELENA!" he yelled out into the air as the other hunters around him were being attacked by his friend in the forest._

Falla and Render were looking at Leon with remorseful expressions while Ceal merely watched the boy. Leon then held up his locket and opened it, the boy looking inside with a pained expression. Inside was a picture of him and Selena, both smiling gently as he held her close. A small blood stain was on the part with Selena's shoulder, the blood that came from him when the bullet that killed his girlfriend struck him as well.

"Her last gift in life saved mine. But…I couldn't save her. I had to watch her die right before me…" Leon said with a sorrow.

"Leon…I'm so sorry." Falla said softly.

"We all promised each other that we would claim Pandora's Box no matter what, that the legendary treasure would belong to us. She wanted to be like us, even though we were just some mages she knew from another town, she wanted…she wanted to be like us and hunt for treasure in the world." he said gently.

"C'mon man, we both know she wanted to go wherever you did. Treasure hunter or not she just wanted to be with you. That girl was nuts about you." Render said gently. Leon looked down with closed eyes as he closed the locket.

"After she died…I swore to push on and finish what we started. No matter what I would open Pandora's Box, whether it contained gold or power or even monsters, I would open the box in her name. It's what she would have wanted." he said firmly. He then looked to Ceal with a determined expression.

"I thought…when you said that we could be granted any wish…I could bring her back. Is there really…no way to do that?" he asked with a pained voice. Ceal shook his head.

"You would bring the body back hunter, but not the girl you lost." he said simply. Leon clenched his fists and looked down with closed eyes.

"Leon…I'm so sorry." Falla said gently. She looked down with remorse then back at the boy with a gentle eye.

"But you can still fulfill her wish and yours, to open the box." she said. The boys looked to her as she nodded with a smile.

"We all can get what we wanted. Render can get all the treasure he wants, you can open the box for Selena, and Ceal can avenge his fallen family." she said softly.

"What about you?" Render asked. Falla looked at Ceal and smiled softly.

"I only wish to help Ceal in his quest, nothing more." she said gently. The boy glanced to her then to the two hunters.

"We all want the box to be opened, there is no doubt about that. The only question that remains is what you two will do now." he said eyeing the two boys carefully. Render and Leon looked to each other then down.

"If I can't bring her back…then at least…I can open the box for her." Leon said with a pained expression.

"Helping with that cause is enough for me. The claim to the treasure is just a nice bonus." Render said with a gentle smile at his friend. Leon looked to him as Render nodded.

"We'll open it. For her." he said. Leon smiled softly and nodded, then looked to Ceal.

"There, I've told you what you wanted to hear. Now…answer my questions." he said sternly. Ceal looked at him for a moment then glanced to the gravestones nearby.

"Very well hunter, there has been one little detail I haven't told any of you yet. I've refrained from telling you as I feel it's irrelevant, but since you want to know the facts, here you go." he said with a shrug. He looked back to the group before he continued.

"Razico's assumptions about the box being opened and destroying the world…aren't exactly wrong." he said. The group looked at him puzzled.

"What do you mean?" Falla asked.

"The box will destroy the world? But…your family keeps opening the thing and nothing bad has happened." Render said shaking his head.

"Yes, nothing bad happened because we are not weak hunter. We killed what came out to receive our wishes." Ceal said simply. The group looked to each other then to him again.

"So how is Razico right then?" Leon asked. Falla looked at the boy curiously as he glanced to her.

"Because should we die the world will fall as well." he said. She looked at him worriedly as Leon and Render exchanged glances.

"What…do you mean?" Falla asked softly.

"When Pandora's Box is opened, we must kill what comes out. However, only _we_ will be able to kill what comes from the box, nobody else." Ceal said. The group looked at him curiously at that.

"Only we can kill what we set free?" Leon asked.

"Correct. No other man or monster will be able to harm them. It's a law set in place so we cannot get help in obtaining our wish, only the hunters that desire a wish can obtain it." Ceal said. Falla looked at him for a moment then slowly her eye widened.

"Wait…that means…that if we die…" she said softly. Ceal nodded and glanced to the boys.

"It means the monsters will never stop coming out, and nothing will ever be able to kill them." he said. The group looked at him with surprise at that while he still had a calm expression.

"Wait…you're saying that all those times your family opened the box…if any of them were completely wiped out…" Render said nervously.

"The world would have been destroyed by the great evils that were sealed in the box." Leon said cautiously.

"Yes." Ceal said calmly. Render and Leon looked at him with surprise and wide eyes while Falla looked down with shock.

"Oh my god…Razico…was right." she said softly.

"He may have been correct about the world being destroyed, but it would only be destroyed if those that open the box are too weak to fight." Ceal said simply. Falla looked at him worriedly while the two other boys looked to each other.

"Ceal…why didn't you tell us this before? How could you think that this is irrelevant? My god, if we open that box we really could be damning the world." Falla said looking down with fright.

"Because I've opened it before and the world's still spinning." Ceal said casually. Falla blinked then looked at the boy with fear.

"Wait, you said the three others you had with you died when you opened the box. That means the world was nearly destroyed then!" she said with a tremble.

"They were weak, I am not." Ceal said firmly.

"Um…that kinda puts a bit of pressure on us man, you know, what with the possibility of us failing which would lead to the world being annihilated." Render said nervously. Leon looked down with worry while he held his locket gently. Falla looked down with fear then to Ceal.

"Ceal…I don't know about this. I thought that if we really did fail then our friends could at least kill what remained, not that if we failed the world dies with us." she said worriedly.

"Are you saying you don't have faith in us? In me?" Ceal asked. The girl jumped a bit and looked at him nervously.

"Well…I do…but…" she said shakily.

"I'm not sure I want to risk the world being destroyed like that. I thought that was just a silly rumor, not…the truth." Render said worriedly.

"I already have blood on my hands from my past, but this would surely damn me to hell if we failed." Falla said worriedly.

"I thought you were so confident that I could do this Falla. Are you saying that you don't believe so anymore?" Ceal asked. The girl looked at him with a worried expression then glanced away.

"Well…I…" she said softly. She paused for a moment then looked back to the boy.

"You're…sure you can kill what's inside?" she asked slowly.

"Wait, you mean you're considering it still?" Render said with surprise.

Ceal nodded and looked at her carefully.

"I am, I thought you too were so sure you could kill what lies within." he said simply. She looked down in thought then nodded slowly. Render and Leon looked to each other then back to Ceal. The boy glanced to them and raised an eyebrow.

"Opening it and killing what lies within is no challenge for me hunters, and I'm quite sure Falla here can handle herself as well." he said simply. Falla looked at him with wonder as he still looked at the two hunters.

"Surely you're not going to let your girlfriend's efforts go to waste simply on a fear are you?" he asked. Leon looked down worriedly as he held his locket still. Ceal then glanced to Render.

"And you, I thought the allure of treasure and a good fight would be satisfactory for you. Is it not?" he asked. Render looked at him cautiously then glanced to Leon. Falla looked at the boys then to Ceal.

"Your family opened the box five times…and the world's still spinning." she said softly. He nodded and glanced to her. She looked at him with a bit of wonder then down.

"If we fail…" she said softly.

"We won't." Ceal said firmly. The girl looked to him as he smirked a bit.

"I have faith in us, and in you Falla." he said. The girl blushed a bit and looked at him with wonder. She looked at him as silence filled the area around them. After a while a voice spoke up.

"I swore to Selena…that I would open the box no matter what. It was our dream, our goal in life." Leon said looking down still. The group looked to him as he glanced at Ceal.

"If you and your family can open the box that many times in a row without hell breaking loose in the world, then surely we can too." he said with a nod. Render looked at him then down with a gentle expression.

"Well…she would be happy knowing we fulfilled our quest finally…and if Ceal could do it then I know we can too." he said. The two boys looked at Falla as she had a curious expression while looking at Ceal.

"Falla? What's your choice?" Ceal asked. Falla looked at him then glanced to the other two boys. She was being asked to join in on a quest to unlock the forbidden treasure and set free the evils of the world that were long ago sealed by the Almighty. Should they fail in their attempt to have their wish granted the world would be destroyed by unstoppable monsters from ancient times. All their friends and family would be killed and the world would be thrown into ruin. She would have the blood of not only her race and former kingdom on her hands, but also that of the entire world. All life would be annihilated by a force just like Alucard if the four hunters were to die.

On the other hand, the boy she admired said they could do it.

"Ok." she said softly with a smile. Ceal smiled a bit and nodded as the girl looked to the others.

"We can do it, I know we can. The world won't be ending anytime soon." she said confidently. Render and Leon glanced to each other nodded.

"Hey, I guess great treasure has its great obstacles to tackle to obtain." Render said with a shrug.

"That's the norm for us." Leon said with a smirk.

"Then it's agreed?" Ceal said looking at the group. The three hunters looked to each other and nodded.

"Yes. We're in Ceal. I'll help you avenge your family just like your ancestors have tried in the past. If they and you could survive Pandora's Box being opened all those times, then I know we can too." Falla said assuredly.

"Selena's wish will be fulfilled. And we'll overcome whatever the box throws our way, the claim will belong to us just like we always wanted." Leon said confidently.

"What the hell right? You only live once, I'm in. Treasure, possible damnation of the world, epic battles, letting old spirits rest easy, seems like good times all around." Render said with a bold smile. Leon nodded and looked at Ceal.

"Alright Ceal, we'll help you. Although I'm still skeptical that you can kill Fafnir, I would imagine all of us handling Pandora's Box would at least be possible. However I do have one last question for you." he said simply. Ceal looked at him with a raised eyebrow as all eyes turned to Leon. The boy glanced around then back to Ceal.

"Just what exactly are you?" he asked looking at the boy's gloved hand. Everybody looked to him as the boy just stared at Leon with no reaction. After a pause he smirked.

"I believe I've told you all more than enough for one day." he said simply. Leon looked at him with a dull expression while Falla smiled softly at him.

"You have Ceal. Thank you for being open with us." she said with a timid expression.

"Always with the secrets." Render said shaking his head at Ceal. Leon rolled his eyes then looked back towards the house nearby.

"Alright, fair enough. I suppose it's not critically important to know right now anyway." he said simply.

"I still trust him no matter what he is. As much as I would love to know as well, he doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to." Falla said softly, the girl looking at Ceal with a timid expression. Render glanced to her with a raised eyebrow then back to Ceal.

"Yeah, I suppose. Though we should probably be heading back now, it's late and we need to get to class tomorrow morning." Render said with a shrug. Leon just nodded then glanced to Ceal.

"Tomorrow we'll head out for the box after school, and fulfill all our wishes together. I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I wish you luck with your revenge." he said. Ceal chuckled a bit with a cool smirk.

"I'll be fine hunter, Fafnir's head will be mine." he said assuredly. Falla nodded with a soft smile.

"He can handle it. Ceal's a dragon slayer after all. And I know that together we can handle Pandora's Box." Falla said confidently. The two hunters smiled a bit at her as Ceal smirked slightly.

"And I think it would be best for us not to tell Razico that last little detail, it would only freak him out even more. The guy's been hounding us nonstop since we got back last night. If he hears about a tiny possibility of the world actually being completely destroyed we'll never hear the end of it." Render said with a shrug and a smirk.

"Yeah, that does seem to be one of his hot buttons." Leon said glancing to his friend with a chuckle.

"He doesn't have to know anything about the box. And after tomorrow it will all be over anyway, then he can calm down." Falla said with a nod.

"Alright, let's get going then. And do you think we could make a quick stop on the way home, I'm getting kinda thirsty." Render said with a weak smile. Leon just looked at him with a dull expression then the two started walking back towards their car.

"Yeah, they're putting something in your drink, I just know it." Leon said simply. They walked off towards their car while Falla looked back to Ceal. The girl looked at him timidly as the boy just watched the other two hunters drive off.

"So…I guess I should probably get going as well. I need to have a little talk with Apoch and Astreal about what they did tonight." Falla said looking down with a small look of discontent.

"You're staying with me tonight." Ceal said as he started to walk back towards the house nearby. Falla looked at him with a wide eye as he walked past, then ran up beside him.

"Wh…what? I am?" she said with a blush forming. Ceal nodded and glanced to her.

"You and I have things to talk about." he said. The girl looked at him as her face turned as red as her eye.

"We…do?" she said under her breath. She then smiled brightly as they walked back towards the house.

"Ok…um, what…do you want to talk about?" she asked. The boy stopped and looked at her as the girl anxiously awaited his answer.

"Jump for me." he said simply. The girl blinked and looked at him curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, jump." the boy said.

Falla looked at him curiously then jumped a bit in the air.

"Um…like that?" she asked. The boy rolled his eyes then pointed towards the house.

"No, I mean through time. I want to see you do it again. Jump over to the house." he said. Falla looked to the nearby house then over to him. She smiled and nodded, then vanished instantly. Ceal looked to see Falla standing next to the house smiling at him.

"Like that?" she called out. The boy nodded and walked over to her.

"Interesting. I have been rather curious since you started using your magic how that works." he said. Falla blushed a bit and looked down timidly.

"Well…it's just something we chronoflies can do." she said softly. The boy looked at her carefully and nodded a bit.

"I see. How does it fare for combat? You were one of the fighters against Alucard, so what did you do to fight?" Ceal asked. Falla looked at him then over to a tree. She vanished and appeared near it as the tree was instantly torn into large pieces. The wood and bark dropped down behind her with a few crashes as the girl looked to the boy with a smile. He showed no surprise or reaction, the boy merely watching the tree fall to the ground in pieces. Falla vanished and appeared instantly in front of him again.

"How's that?" she asked. Ceal nodded then walked towards the door into the house.

"Not bad. It's good to know you can fight, that will come in handy for Pandora's Box." he said simply. Falla looked at him curiously then followed him into the building. Inside was a small living room with a couch, table and some chairs, bookshelf with dozens of worn books, a T.V., a fireplace, and doors leading into a bedroom and bathroom. There was a small kitchen off to the side as well with a refrigerator, oven, microwave, and a small window. Falla looked around with a curious eye.

"So…this is your home?" she asked.

"No, it's just the guesthouse for when we use the cemetery." Ceal said walking over to the fridge and pulling out a frozen drink. He glanced to Falla and tossed it off to the side in the living room.

"Catch it." he said quickly. The girl blinked then instantly appeared next to where the bottle was going to hit the ground, the girl having caught it at the last second. She slowly stood up and looked at Ceal as he nodded.

"Not bad." he said as he pulled out a drink for himself. She smiled softly and looked at the drink in her hands, the girl then walking over and sitting down on the couch.

"So where do you live then?" she asked.

"In the city near the school. I have an apartment I use when I'm not here." Ceal said simply. He walked over and looked at the girl curiously.

"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked with a soft smile. Ceal sat down next to her and leaned back in the couch, the boy looking at her with a casual eye.

"You mentioned you have blood on your hands." he said. The girl looked at him with a bit of remorse then down.

"Yes…" she said quietly.

"Is that how you lost that eye?" Ceal asked. Falla held a hand to her eye patch gently and nodded.

"Yes, it's…a bit complicated though." she said softly.

"Tell me." he said. She looked at him as he was looking at her with a calm expression.

"It's nothing Ceal…nothing but a bad memory." Falla said looking down again.

"I can tell it pains you still by the way you act now, seems like that memory hasn't vanished just yet." Ceal said watching the girl carefully. Falla glanced away with a worried expression.

_Not exactly what I wanted to talk to him about…_

"I…don't really want to talk about it Ceal." she said softly. There was a long moment of silence as the girl tried to block out the horrible memory of what her other self did.

"A catalyst mage." Ceal said simply. Falla looked at him puzzled as Ceal still showed no reaction.

"What?" she asked.

"You wanted to know what I am right?" Ceal asked simply. Falla looked at him with wonder as he sat next to her.

"What's…a catalyst mage?" she asked. Ceal removed his gloved hand and showed the girl his reptilian limb. His left hand and wrist were covered in black scales as the hand had originally come from a necro demon of sorts. She looked at the dark hand then to the boy with wonder.

"The hand and eyes you see on me are not mine Falla." he said. The girl looked at him with awe as he stared at her with his blue eyes.

"What…what do you mean your eyes…aren't yours?" she asked. Ceal smirked and held up his hand as he looked at it.

"A catalyst mage has the ability to mend flesh and bone Falla. Or to swap out existing organic matter with…suitable replacements." he said. The boy looked at Falla as she stared at him with a wide eye.

"You mean…you…" she said softly. Ceal nodded with a slight smirk.

"My hand was taken, so I found and stole a proper replacement from a rogue necro demon. My eyesight was lacking when trying to find an elusive dragon, so I ripped out the eyes of the demon as well, to hopefully allow me to see more than a normal half-ling could. Although my new eyes didn't prove to be able to find Fafnir or his lair, it did help me with my perceptual awareness…and to better allow me to use my new necro magic." he said with a keen eye at his hand. Falla looked at the boy with wonder. The blue eyes and reptilian hand he had came from another monster, the boy having literally taken the parts for his own. That explained why he could see Apoch's demonic mark, his eyes were of those from a demon from hell.

"Ceal…" she said with amazement. She had no idea such magic or self-modification could be done by any monster. Ceal nodded then looked at her as he rested his hand down. He just looked at her for a moment before she smiled softly.

"I suppose since you told me that, it would be only fair to answer your question." she said glancing down.

"Only if you choose to Falla, I'm not forcing you to do anything." Ceal said simply. Falla nodded and looked at the boy with a gentle smile.

"Ok, I'll tell you what happened." she said before looking down. She started telling her history, about what her race was and what they could do, how her original self was corrupted and led to the downfall of their kingdom. About how she lost her eye in her fateful fight with her sister, how she herself came to be thanks to her sister defying time, and how she used to be with Tsukune in her previous timeline. As she told the boy about her dark past and magic Ceal watched with a careful eye. He didn't show surprise or any real reaction, and never stopped her to ask a question. He just listened in silence. After the tale was told he merely nodded and looked up in thought.

"So…that's really all there is to it. That's…my story." she said softly. She looked at the boy as he just stared up at the ceiling with a thoughtful gaze.

"Ceal?" she asked.

_He's not surprised or intrigued by that at all? That story had everything in it, from magical fights, sisters in a duel to the death, an entire race being annihilated, time travel, and me even killing my darker self. And…he's still so calm?_

"What are you thinking Ceal?" she asked. After a pause he glanced back to the bedroom then to Falla.

"You can sleep in the bedroom tonight. I'll take the couch." he said looking back to her. She blinked and looked at him curiously.

"Um…ok. But…what about what I just told you?" she asked.

"It was very informative. I don't have any other questions for you." Ceal said simply. Falla just looked at him with wonder at that remark. After a moment she smiled softly and nodded, the girl then standing up and walking towards the bedroom. She stopped and glanced back to see Ceal lying down in the couch facing away from her with his arms crossed before him.

"Ceal…if I may ask just one more question." she said softly. The boy didn't reply or even look back to her, he just lay on the couch in silence. She paused then looked to him curiously.

"Do you think…that you and I…" she said, the girl then hesitating and looking down a bit. Ceal glanced back to her as the girl timidly looked back up to him.

"I think we've had enough Q and A for tonight Falla. Get some rest, tomorrow is a big day." he said before looking ahead again. Falla started to say something then nodded. She turned to walk back to the room before Ceal spoke up again.

"Sleep well Falla." he said. She glanced back to him and smiled softly.

"You too Ceal." she said before walking into the room. She closed the door as Ceal just kept looking ahead at the wall of the building. He held up his reptilian hand slightly and examined it with a casual eye. After a pause he rested it back down and looked ahead again.

_Don't lose focus Ceal, not when you're so close to finishing your family's legacy. With this power I will slay Fafnir, and nothing shall get in my way._

The boy closed his eyes as he tried to get some much needed rest for the big day tomorrow. As he did he cleared his mind and tried to relax his body, the boy determined to remain focused and sharp for what he had approaching him. He needed to be ready for the box to unleash the evils from within once again. And this time he needed to be ready to face Fafnir alone in a fight to the death. His honor and pride in his family was on the line, the boy the only thing that could kill the dragon once and for all now. As he tried to keep his mind focused he had to concentrate slightly to keep his thoughts in order, the boy trying to push something out of his mind still.

_Falla…_


	30. Evil Returns

Astreal was sitting on a chair in front of her mirror, the girl slowly brushing her hair after she had taken a shower. She was wearing a white pair of shorts and a t-shirt as she had a troubled expression. She along with her sister had failed to steal away one of the keys to Pandora's Box, and were now no longer trusted by Falla after the chronofly left with the boys. The two sisters feared the mythical box would be opened soon and that their friend would have a hand in dooming the world. The blonde haired witch set the brush down on her table and glanced to the window. It had been hours since the chronofly left with the boys, and the witch was growing more worried about her friend with each passing minute.

"Ms. Falla…" she said softly.

_"Is that boy…really worth more to you than us?"_

Her words echoed in her mind, along with the silent reply she got from her friend.

"Why do you trust him so? He's using you…" she said softly. She stood up and walked to the window, the girl looking out at the human town around her.

"Please, come to your senses soon." she said quietly.

In another room in the building Apoch was sitting at her desk looking at the bracelet she used to wear all the time. She eyed the pendant with her former boyfriend's insignia with a worried expression as she was dressed in similar clothing as her sister. The thought that Dark and the others could be in danger now after they failed to get the key from the boys was keeping her awake, along with something else.

_"I take back what I said before." Render said firmly._

_"What…you said before?" Apoch said softly._

_"That you were the beautiful one of you two." he said with regret._

For some reason his words seemed to pierce her heart and caused a bit of pain. She shook her head and set the bracelet down on the desk again.

"What the hell…is he doing to me?" she asked softly. She remembered back to when the boy seemed to give off some form of aura, either intentionally or by accident. Each time he did so she felt herself being drawn to him, the girl seeming to trust his words completely. It was as if he was a completely different person then. She closed her eyes and tried to gather her mind, yet the image of the strange treasure hunter kept working its way back into her thoughts.

"Dammit…just get out of my head." she said holding her head and shaking it a bit. She stood up with a bit of frustration then walked over to her bed, the girl promptly dropping down on it and burying her face in the pillow.

_Why the hell should I care what he said? He's going to help the world be destroyed…not to mention he's a complete idiot._

Before she could groan in frustration a knock came from her door. The witch slowly sat up then looked to it.

"Come on in." she said simply. Astreal opened the door and peeked in.

"Are you still awake?" she asked.

"Yes, I can't sleep. You either?" Apoch asked sitting on the edge of her bed. Astreal shook her head and walked in.

"No, how can I? Tomorrow they're going to open Pandora's Box, if they haven't already." Astreal said looking to the window with worry.

"World's still spinning, I'm going to hopefully assume they are waiting until tomorrow." Apoch said looking down. Astreal walked over and sat next to her, the two sisters looking down at the ground with worry.

"Maybe we should call the others for help." Astreal said softly.

"Maybe…but we can't let this go public though. It might cause a scene for our friends to show up like this, not to mention if Render and Mr. Leon fight back. We already know Mr. Ceal will, and maybe even Ms. Fal-" Apoch started before she glanced to her sister, the blonde haired witch looking at her curiously.

"What?" Apoch asked.

"Um…say that again." Astreal said slowly. Apoch blinked and tilted her head a bit.

"What? I was just saying that if our friends come here looking for them Render and Mr. Leon will likely fight back, and we know Mr. Ceal will certainly use force. And maybe Ms. Falla now too." she said. Astreal looked at her curiously as the black haired witch showed a bit of puzzlement

"What is it?" Apoch asked.

"Sister…say their names again." Astreal said cautiously. Apoch looked at her confused.

"Their names?" she asked.

"Just…do it." Astreal said watching her sister closely.

"Render, Mr. Leon, Mr. Ceal, and Ms. Fal-" Apoch started before she went wide eyed. She froze in midsentence then looked down a bit. Astreal looked at her with a bit of wonder as Apoch slowly held a hand to her mouth. She didn't even realize it, but saying Render's name like that just flowed naturally.

"What…what is this?" she said glancing around.

"Sister, why is his name easier to say than the others?" Astreal asked.

"What the hell…what the hell is he doing to me?" Apoch said with frustration.

"Is this about that aura of his?" Astreal asked.

"I have no idea, dammit I can't get him out of my head. He's doing something to me, I just know he is." Apoch said looking down with concern. She growled a bit and shook her head.

"I don't know what he is, but he's doing something to play with mind. Dammit what the hell is he anyway?" she said with frustration. Astreal looked at her worriedly as Apoch stood up and clenched her fists.

"I won't let him get inside my head like this…I won't let him control me like Mr. Ceal is controlling Ms. Falla." she said with determination.

"So what do we do now? Ms. Falla's on their side completely, and Mr. Render and Leon won't trust us at all anymore after what we did." Astreal said looking down. She gasped and held a hand over her mouth as Apoch looked to her with surprise.

"Sister." Apoch said softly. Astreal blinked then looked at her with worry.

"Oh no, now it's happening to me too." she said with a bit of fear. Saying Leon's name seemed natural to her for some reason, the witch not even realizing she said it correctly.

"This is crazy, just what are they doing to us?" Apoch said shaking her head.

"I don't like this, we can't get too close to them again, I don't want to." Astreal said with worry.

"I didn't know Mr. Leon had that strange aura as well." Apoch said with concern.

"I didn't know either, I didn't feel anything different when I was sitting next to him." Astreal said shaking her head.

"Maybe that's how Mr. Ceal got Ms. Falla…they're using magic to control her. That has to be it, when he cured her mind he did take control of her. I knew it, no wonder she's so blinded by him in this crusade. They were even going to try to control us!" Apoch said with fright.

"We need to call the others, we can't do this alone." Astreal said with fear. The two girls ran out of the room and down the stairs towards the phone near the front entrance. As they got close to it they stopped and turned to see somebody standing in the living room, the girls jumping a bit in surprise.

"Ms. Falla?" they asked. The chronofly walked over to them in the foyer looking around with a dull expression. However her outfit appeared to be different than when she left earlier as she was now wearing a black miniskirt, t-shirt, and shoes. She crossed her arms and looked at the sisters with a slight smirk.

"You came back, but…what's with those clothes?" Apoch asked as they walked up to the chronofly. Falla glanced to her and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with this look? I think it suits me." she said simply. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other worriedly then to the chronofly.

"Please Ms. Falla, let us explain about what happened tonight." Apoch said urgently.

"Yes, we only tried to take that key away from the boys to keep them from destroying the world. We never wanted to lose your trust with us, really." Astreal pleaded. Falla looked at them curiously.

"Key?" she asked. Apoch and Astreal looked at her puzzled and nodded.

"Yes, the key to Pandora's Box. Please don't be mad at us, but we had to try to stop them from opening that thing." Apoch said worriedly.

"Mr. Ceal is using you Ms. Falla, he's just trying to get you to help him so he can make his damned wish." Astreal said shaking her head. Falla glanced between the two with a curious smirk.

"Wish?" she asked with a laugh. Apoch and Astreal looked at her curiously as the chronofly chuckled.

"Ms. Falla?" they asked. Falla laughed a bit then started to wildly, the girl laughing out of control as the two sisters watched her with concern.

"Oh no…is your dementia returning?" Apoch said with worry.

"That bastard only cured her temporarily to use her, I knew it." Astreal said with anger. Falla laughed manically for a moment then slowly calmed down, the girl wiping a tear from her eye.

"Oh no no no, my dementia has never left me. I honestly have no idea what you two are rambling about, but it's just so damned hilarious for me to be talking to you two like this. So twisted and fucked up…it's just funny to me." she said before smiling wickedly at them. Apoch and Astreal looked at her cautiously as the chronofly had a dark look in her eye.

"Ms. Falla? What's…wrong with you?" Apoch asked. Falla smirked at them then looked around casually.

"So tell me girls, did you see where I happened to go before I got here?" she asked. Apoch and Astreal just blinked and looked at her puzzled. Falla glanced to them and laughed a bit.

"Of course, how silly of me, you two aren't following me at all. Let me rephrase that, where is your friend?" she asked. Apoch and Astreal looked at her carefully then cautiously.

"What…are you talking about?" Apoch asked.

"Ms. Falla what's wrong with you?" Astreal asked carefully. Falla looked at them with discontent.

"Listen you lowly witches, where is the chronofly that was staying here with you? I know she was here before, but she's not here now, so…where IS SHE?" she yelled out with anger. Apoch and Astreal looked at her puzzled.

"We don't understand." they said together. Falla growled a bit then smiled slyly.

"Ok, I don't have time for this. Let's try this another way." she said before glancing behind them. Apoch and Astreal blinked then looked behind them. Suddenly Apoch was pulled back from behind, with a hand holding her face back to look at somebody. Somebody who had multicolored eyes that were green, red, blue, and white. At the same time Astreal was pulled back the same way, with her face being turned to look somebody in the eye. Eyes that were comprised of yellow, pink, purple, and black.

"Hello there." Jovian said with a cold smile, the witch staring at her double who was looking with shock and fright. She was dressed in her usual outfit of a dark miniskirt and t-shirt along with black shoes.

"We missed you." Jacqueline said with a creepy smile, the witch holding her double who was staring with wide eyes of disbelief. She was dressed the same as her dark sister as Apoch and Astreal stared with shock at the two. Before either sister could scream Jovian and Jacqueline pulled them into a fierce kiss from behind, and in doing so their hands glowed a bright light that matched their eyes. Apoch and Astreal screamed into the kisses as Falla watched with an amused smile. The two sisters thrashed about as they were held in place as their minds started screeching loudly, each being held tightly from around the waist and side of their neck by their dark counterparts. After a moment each girl slowly stopped fighting and relaxed as the evil doubles held them in their kiss. Slowly they let go and Apoch and Astreal just stared at them with open mouths and wide eyes, both seeming to be frozen in shock. Jovian and Jacqueline slowly walked around them towards Falla, the two dark sisters smiling slyly at their doubles. Apoch and Astreal blinked then slowly looked to them as a yellowish tint appeared in their eyes.

"Well, that wasn't what I was expecting, but whatever." Falla said with a shrug. Jovian and Jacqueline giggled and glanced to her with dark smiles.

"It's just a little talent we have, it makes them more…cooperative." Jovian said before looking back to Apoch and Astreal. Jacqueline laughed and looked at them with an amused smile.

"Sister, correct me if I'm mistaken, but aren't they summoned beings like us?" she asked curiously.

"Why yes sister, which means they're still awake in there." Jovian said with narrowed eyes. Apoch and Astreal stood there then slowly smiled at the two sisters.

"Mistress." they said in unison.

"Mistress eh?" Falla said glancing to Jovian with a smirk.

"We merely taught them their place." Jovian said walking up to Apoch and gently brushing her hand through the girl's hair.

"I know you're still in there. How does it feel to see me again? Have you thought about me? Because I've sure thought about you." she said softly. She then grabbed Apoch's hair and glared at the girl, the hexed witch just looking at her with loving eyes still.

"You killed me…you killed my sister! You killed us and sent us straight to hell!" Jovian yelled before she threw Apoch down to the ground. The hexed witch slowly looked up at Jovian with an adoring smile as Jacqueline walked up to Astreal and aimed her hand right at the girl's smiling face. Her wrist started to glow a multicolored hue that matched her eyes as the dark witch glared at her double.

"That wasn't very nice what you did back there. Do you have any idea how much we suffered from our dolly's abuse down in hell? It was _hell_!" she yelled out. She growled then kicked Astreal, the girl falling back to the ground while still looking at her double with a loving smile.

"You two can do what you wish with them, but get some answers first. I need to find my own damned double in this world still." Falla said with discontent. Jovian pulled Apoch to her feet by her hair and glared at her.

"I'm going to make you ever regret killing us. I know you can hear me! I'm going to make your last moments in this world a living nightmare!" she yelled out with anger, her multicolored eyes glowing brightly. Jacqueline held her charged up blast towards Astreal for a moment then dissolved it.

"Where is your friend the chronofly? Tell us!" she yelled out. Astreal slowly got to her feet while smiling at the girl.

"She left earlier with a few other treasure hunters." she said softly.

"Treasure hunters?" Jovian said glancing to her. She growled then punched Apoch in the gut, the witch coughing and keeling over while still smiling weakly.

"Dammit where are they?" the dark sister yelled out. Apoch slowly stood back up and smiled at her.

"We do not know." she said softly. Jovian growled and grabbed Apoch by the throat, the dark witch glaring at her.

"Tell us who she is with then. Now!" she yelled out.

"Three treasure hunters by the names of Mr. Ceal, Mr. Render, and Mr. Leon." Apoch coughed out with a smile still.

"What the hell is with you two saying Mr. and Ms. all the time?" Falla asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They are obsolete models Falla, nothing but garbage! No, they're below that of garbage even, they're nothing but a mistake!" Jovian yelled as she threw Apoch to the ground. Falla nodded slowly then rolled her eye.

"Well perfect, now where do we go?" she muttered.

"When will she be back?" Jacqueline asked with narrowed eyes.

"I do not know." Astreal said with a shrug. Falla scowled a bit then looked around with anger.

"Dammit, this was supposed to be over with already." she growled. Jovian and Jacqueline glanced to her.

"You mean by returning her to our master _alive_, correct?" Jovian asked carefully. Falla glanced to her then away. She already knew Jovian and Jacqueline were watching her to make sure she obeyed her new master's orders. The chronofly had attempted to cut down the dark sisters as soon as they were brought into the human world, and watched with shock as her attack had no effect on them. The two girls merely laughed at her and warned her that either she did as she was told, or else either they or their master would kill her on the spot, and she would cease to exist at all.

"Yes…of course." Falla growled reluctantly.

"We're watching you Falla, you can't escape your fate as his property." Jacqueline said with a dull look in her eye. Falla growled a bit and nodded slowly.

"Fine…then I guess we wait for her to come back." Jovian said looking to Apoch with a glare. Jacqueline nodded and grabbed Astreal by the hair. She pulled her closer and gently brushed her hair with her other hand.

"I think we should spend some quality time with our old _friends_ here, I've missed them so much after all." she said with a hiss. Jovian nodded and grabbed Apoch by the collar of her shirt. She looked closely into the hexed witch's eyes with a glare.

"I know you're awake in there bitch, I hope you enjoy the show inside that little shell of yours. And I hope you can feel everything, because I'm going to take my time with you until your friend comes back." she said with anger. Falla looked around then walked over to the living room.

"Such bullshit, you two can kill those that killed you, but no, I have to bring mine back alive and in one piece." she growled as she walked over to the couch and sat down on it.

"Kill them? Oh no no no. We're not going to kill them yet." Jovian said with a cold smile.

"No, but they're going to wish that we had." Jacqueline said with a twisted smile. Falla glanced to them then laid back on the couch.

"Whatever. Just keep it down would you? I want to get some rest before I have to have a little talk with myself. It's bad enough I can't rip her heart out, but I'm still a bit beat after my time in hell." she said before closing her eye and having her arms crossed in front of her. The dark sisters giggled and looked at their doubles.

"Come on, let's take them upstairs and have some fun. I'm sure they're eager to apologize for killing us before." Jovian said with a dark smile. Jacqueline nodded and looked into Astreal's eyes closely.

"You're going to pay for what you did to me, I'm going to make you beg for forgiveness…oh, that's right. You can't, you're nothing but a puppet now. Oh well, I'm still going to enjoy it." she said with a shrug and giggle. The two dark sisters took the hexed girls' hands and led them up the stairs. Apoch and Astreal followed with blissful smiles on their faces, the girls fully awake inside as their bodies were out of their control. They couldn't move, they couldn't talk, they could only watch as their dark counterparts had come back from the dead and were controlling them with their magic.

That and scream in horror inside of their minds.

* * *

The sun started to slowly rise over the rotting forest at Yokai Academy. A few clouds were gently rolling by in the sky as another day of school was beginning again. Students were going about their usual morning routines as they prepared for another day at an academy for monsters. The festival the previous day was supposed to be a time for celebration and fun, yet seemed to run into a few stumbling blocks. For one a group of siren sisters had tried to charm all the boys into becoming their slaves, something that didn't go over well with the student body. This of course was resolved when the heroes of Yokai Academy stepped forth and freed the sisters from their enslavement. Although initially shunned for what they had done, the sirens were accepted by the student body seeing as how the heroes trusted them still. This of course was followed by a 'rogue vampire' going loose in the festival grounds. Many students were killed as their blood was drained dry by the rampaging monster, and the festival was all but canceled after the attack. This too was reported to have been dealt with by the heroes of the school as the vampire was now rumored to have been killed. Still, even with all the attacks and deaths occurring, this was a place for monsters after all. Death and fights were the norm for their kind, so of course classes were still scheduled to start again the following day.

Inside the girls dorm building Moka was finishing getting ready for the day. She was dressed in the usual outfit for the school as her rosary dangled from her neck. She checked herself over again in the mirror then glanced to the window. She wouldn't be walking with her boyfriend this morning as he was still confined to Paradise to deal with his bloodlust. Still, she hoped she could at least see him during the day with permission from the headmaster. She sighed a bit at the thought that she would have to go through the day without her Tsukune, but was holding strong to the belief that her mate could overcome the ancient vampires' condition.

"I'll wait for you Tsukune, no matter how long it takes, I'll be waiting for you." she said softly. She then walked towards her door to meet up with her friends. She opened it and saw Kurumu waiting for her, the succubus having a calm smile on her face.

"Morning Moka, all set?" she asked.

"Good morning Kurumu. Where's Rason, I thought you would have been with him by now." Moka said as she walked out.

"He went back to the dorm to get cleaned up. He stayed with me all during the night to help me relax." Kurumu said looking down with a bit of embarrassment. Moka smiled and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault Kurumu, you were out of control with your power. We don't blame you for what happened." she said softly.

"Maybe you don't, but I don't think Rin and Ran are so forgiving of me." Kurumu said worriedly.

"I'm sure they'll be ok with it too. C'mon, let's meet with the others." Moka said as they walked down the halls. They walked down the stairs and headed towards the lobby of the dorm building. There Rin was sitting on the couch listening to her music, the girl dressed in the proper school attire. She looked over to see Moka and Kurumu and waved.

"Good morning." Rin said happily.

"Good morning, all set for school?" Moka asked as the siren stood up. She nodded then looked at Kurumu, the blue haired girl smiling nervously.

"Um…hey." she said weakly at Rin. The blonde haired siren smiled nervously and backed away a bit, then looked at Moka worriedly.

"She's not going to try to kiss me again is she?" she asked nervously. Kurumu looked at her with a bit of sadness while Moka shook her head.

"No, I promise Rin. She just lost control of her power during that fight, that's all. You're safe." she said assuredly. Rin nodded then looked to Kurumu with a cautious expression.

"I'm really sorry Rin. It won't happen again, I promise." Kurumu said with a nod. Rin looked at her for a moment then glanced away.

"Ok." she said softly.

"She's your friend Rin, we all are. Say, where's your sister?" Moka said looking around.

"Ren's still in that other place with your boyfriend. I haven't seen her since." Rin said with a shrug.

"No, she means Ran." Kurumu said with a smile. Rin blinked then tapped her headphones a bit.

"Oh, right. I have two sisters. Sorry, she's…um…somewhere." she said looking around confused.

"Those things are still giving you problems aren't they?" Moka said with a worried smile. Rin nodded and the three girls walked out of the dorm building together.

"Yeah. I keep forgetting bits and pieces every now and then. It's a bit annoying. I woke up twice last night and didn't even remember who Ran was, I think I may have freaked her out when I started screaming next to her." Rin said worriedly.

"I'm so sorry Rin, I wish there was something that could be done about that spell over your mind." Moka said gently. Rin nodded and looked at the ground as they walked outside into the courtyard between the two buildings. Kurumu looked at the girl with worry then up when she felt a familiar feeling. From above Rason landed down on the ground, his wings arching back slightly as he held his shirts in his hands.

"Morning everybody." he said with a smile.

"Holy crap, an angel!" Rin cried out with wide eyes. The group looked to her as Rason slipped on his shirts, the blonde haired siren blinking then shaking her head.

"Oh, right. Never mind." she said softly. The group looked at her with remorseful smiles as the siren tapped her headphones again. Rason looked to Kurumu as the girl took hold of his arm.

"Thank you for staying with me last night, I needed the support." she said softly. Rason nodded and smiled at his girlfriend.

"No problem Kurumu, I would never want you to hide your smile. I love you, and I'll always be there for you no matter what." he said gently. Kurumu looked at him with a loving smile as she felt her heart racing from his words. Moka looked back and forth between the two and smiled a bit.

"Wow, that's probably the first morning ever where Kurumu didn't-"

"Oh Rason you know just what to say to cheer me up! You're the best angel ever, the absolute best! I'm so lucky to have a guardian angel for my Destined One, there's no way it could ever be better than this! Thank you so much Rason, I don't know what I would do without you, I think I would just die! I love you so much my angel, so very very much!" Kurumu cheered out as she was hugging Rason closely once again, the boy's face lodged deep in his girlfriend's bosom as his arms flailed about. Moka blinked then shrugged.

"Never mind." she said simply.

"She's killing him!" Rin cried out. She blinked then tapped on her headphones, the girl then remembering this was the norm for the angel. After a pause she pointed to him with fright.

"She's killing him!" she cried out. Kurumu blinked then looked down to seeing her boyfriend falling limp in her arms, the girl then screaming and shaking him wildly.

"Ah! Rason! I'm so sorry! Please wake up, please!" she cried out. Rin watched the succubus shake the unconscious boy franticly then nervously looked to Moka.

"She's…my friend?" she asked weakly. Moka just nodded as Kurumu shook her sleeping angel.

"Yep, good thing too. Imagine what she would do to you if you weren't." she said with a shrug. Rin jumped a bit and looked at Kurumu nervously. After a moment the boy shot up with a gasp while Kurumu looked at him with worry.

"Oh my gosh, are you ok?" she asked urgently. Rason blinked a few times then smiled at his girlfriend.

"Haha, yeah. I'm getting used to that…I think." he said with a weak smile. The girl smiled softly and held onto his arm again, the girl loving the feeling of the bond flowing between them.

"Some things never change." Moka said with a weak laugh. Rason chuckled then glanced to the dorms.

"You can say that again." he said with a smirk. The group looked over to see Mizore walking out of the building. She was dressed as usual, had a blissful smile on her face, and was walking a bit off balance. She walked up to the group while still looking ahead into space, the girl seeming to be in her own little world.

"Mizore? Are you ok?" Moka asked curiously. The snow girl giggled then dropped down onto the ground. The group looked down to see her passed out on the ground then glanced to each other.

"Well…she had a good night." Rason said with a laugh.

"Is she still alive?" Rin asked worriedly. The group watched as Mizore seemed to be lifted into the air, the girl being held bridal style in midair. Slowly a black wisp flowed around and Dark appeared, the boy holding her as his music was playing for him. He was dressed as usual and again showed no real expression.

"You never do catch her do you?" Rason asked with a raised eyebrow. Dark merely glanced to him then looked down to the girl in his arms. Mizore stirred a bit then slowly looked up to him.

"Dark…" she said softly.

"Wow frosty, rough night? Did you at least stay conscious this time?" Kurumu said with a laugh. Mizore murmured something then an ice kunai flew past Kurumu's head, the succubus looking with surprise then towards the snow girl that threw the object in a daze.

"She missed." Moka said with wonder.

"Wow, you really did a number on her." Kurumu said as Mizore's arm dropped to her side and the girl giggled awkwardly. Rin looked at the snow girl curiously then over to see Yukari and Ran walking out of the dorm building. They were dressed as usual and were talking with smiles on their faces.

"Sister." Rin called out with a wave. Ran and Yukari smiled at them then looked at Mizore curiously.

"Good morning. Um, what happened to her?" Ran asked as she looked at the dazed snow maiden.

"She just had a lovely night with her future husband is all." Rason said with a laugh.

"Wow, what did he do to you?" Yukari asked enthusiastically as she hopped around the snow girl.

"Yukari, I don't think that's any of your business." Moka said with a weak smile.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ran asked.

"She'll be fine, this happens to her a lot." Kurumu said with a smirk at Dark. Again the boy didn't show a reaction or say a word as he held his snow girl.

"It does?" Rin and Ran asked together.

"Yeah, don't worry about her if you see her like this, it's just a sign she and Dark got busy." Rason said with a playful tone and a quick wiggle. Dark glanced to him with a raised eyebrow, the angel then smiling nervously. Ran nodded then glanced to the girls dorm building.

"So…does that mean she did too?" she asked looking at something. The group looked over to see Kokoa walking out of the building. She was dressed in the usual clothing style, her hair was up in her trademark pigtails, she had a blissful smile on her face, and she was walking erratically towards the group. Everybody stared at the girl as she shakily made her way over to them.

"Kokoa?" Yukari asked as the redhead walked up to them. She stopped and stared ahead with a dazed smile, the girl giggling softly before dropping to the ground. Even Mizore looked down to see the vampire passed out on the ground.

"Um…it was…_just_ you and Dark in there last night, right?" Rason said glancing to the snow girl. Mizore nodded as Dark merely raised an eyebrow at the sleeping vampire.

"Kokoa?" Kurumu asked with curious expression.

"What happened to her?" Rin asked. Moka looked at her sister then glanced to the boys dorm building. Ahakon and Gin were walking out talking, both dressed as usual. The pink haired vampire smiled slyly and crossed her arms before her.

"I'd say she had a rough night as well." she said simply. The group looked over to see the two boys walking over to them. They smiled at the group then looked down to Kokoa, with Gin showing a worried expression.

"Hey, what's up with her?" Ahakon asked.

"Good question. Any ideas Gin?" Moka said with a smirk. The group looked to him as the wolf jumped a bit. He smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. Rason and Kurumu looked down to Kokoa then back to the boy curiously. After a moment they jumped a bit.

"Wait…did you…and her…" Rason said looking back down to the girl.

"Oh my god…you did, didn't you?" Kurumu said with surprise. The group looked at the wolf as he stammered something nervously. After he said some gibberish for a moment he smiled worriedly.

"Well…what I mean is…" he said with a tremble.

"You slept with her?" Mizore said curiously. The wolf jumped a bit and shook his head slowly.

"No…not exactly." he said shakily. The group glanced to Kokoa as she slowly started to rise, the girl giggling softly as she looked to Gin with an adoring smile.

"Gin…last night…was…perfect." she said before she dropped down onto her knees. The group looked at her with wonder then to Gin. The wolf gulped and smiled nervously.

"We just…before she went to bed…um…" he said shakily. Moka smirked and walked towards him with an arrogant smile, the wolf looking at her with worry now.

"Dude…you're so dead." Rason said glancing to the vampire.

"Holy shit, he really did do that with her. Moka…he…and she…" Kurumu stuttered.

"He and his mate did what mates do Kurumu, nothing to get worked up over." Moka said with a shrug. The group looked to her as she smiled at Gin.

"I trust you took good care of her at least." she said simply. Gin blinked and looked at her with surprise. Moka giggled then glanced to her sister who was slowly starting to stand up again.

"Well, it seems like you did. Although she probably could use a bit of a boost of energy now, looks like you really drained her." she said glancing back to the wolf. He blinked then looked to Kokoa, the boy then walking over to her while looking around at the others worriedly. Everybody just stepped aside for him in silence as he walked up to his girlfriend, the vampire looking up at him with a dazed smile.

"Gin…" she said softly before falling forward, the girl being caught by the wolf.

"Easy Kokoa, I'm here." the boy said with a soft smile.

"Moka…you're ok with this? He…had sex with your sister. I mean _Gin_ and _Kokoa_ actually…had…" Kurumu said in disbelief. Moka shrugged and glanced to her.

"It's none of my business Kurumu, it's their relationship after all." she said. Kurumu and Rason looked at her with wonder then to each other. Mizore looked at the vampire curiously then to Dark as he set her down gently. The demon glanced to Kokoa then shrugged.

"As long as she's happy I won't rip his fangs out." he said simply. Gin jumped a bit and smiled nervously at him while Mizore just nodded once.

"Well…I guess that's true." Rason said scratching his head. Kurumu just nodded while looking at Kokoa with a bit of wonder. She knew the vampire and wolf were in love and all, it just seemed so bizarre to know that a girl willingly had sex with him still.

"Kokoa…here, take some of my blood." Gin said lifting the girl up gently towards his neck. She looked at him with a bit of wonder as he smiled at her.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded and winked at his girl.

"Anything for my lover." he said gently. The girl smiled softly and blushed, then gently bit down on his neck, the girl purring softly as she drank his blood while he held her securely. The group just looked at them with a bit of wonder as they stood there together.

"Man…Tsukune's going to have so much catching up to do when he gets back." Rason said with a laugh. Kurumu giggled and held onto his arm, the girl nodding as she looked to her angel with a smile. Moka nodded with a soft smile then looked up at the sky, the girl wondering how her mate was doing with his training.

Yukari giggled then looked over to Ahakon, the boy smiling at her as he walked over.

"All set for class?" he asked. The witch nodded and held onto his arm.

"You bet boyfriend." she said softly. Ahakon nodded then looked to see Ran smiling at him softly, the girl then looking away timidly. She blinked then walked over to the boy with a smile.

"Oh, by the way, this is from Yukari." she said as she held out a small box. The boy looked at it curiously then to Yukari, the witch also showing a curious expression.

"What?" they both asked.

"Yes, um, Yukari was showing me what she made you for a quick breakfast, and I forgot to give it back. Sorry." Ran said rubbing the back of her head with a weak smile. Ahakon took the box and opened it to show a small amount of rice, fish with dipping sauces, and some chocolate.

"Really?" Ahakon said in wonder.

"I…did?" Yukari said looking at the siren. Ran nodded with a wink.

"Yes, and I agree with you, I think he'll love _your_ cooking." she said with a smile. Yukari blinked then looked to the box as Ahakon smiled a bit.

"Wow, that's really nice of you Yukari, thank you." he said looking to the witch.

"Um…" she said softly as she glanced from the box to the mage. After a pause she smiled weakly.

"Sure…I…hope you like it Ahakon." she said softly. The boy nodded and gave her a kiss on the lips, the girl going wide eyed and freezing in place.

"Thank you, I'm sure this will get me through the morning for sure." the boy said as he started to eat the meal. He was very surprised to see that his girlfriend made a meal for him in the morning, let alone one that was actually edible.

"You're…welcome." Yukari said with a stunned smile. She shook her head and looked to Ran with a bit of wonder. The siren winked and giggled a bit. The witch smiled softly and nodded then looked at her boyfriend.

"That was really thoughtful of you Yukari." Moka said with a smile.

"Yeah, and that actually looks edible too. I'm surprised." Kurumu said with a bit of wonder. Yukari twitched a bit at that then laughed with a weak smile.

"Well…you know…just…wanted to make sure my boyfriend has energy for the day." she said. She glanced to Ran who was watching Ahakon eat the meal she obviously prepared for him with a soft smile.

"And thank you Ran. You know, for…reminding me." she said softly. Ran nodded and smiled at her in agreement.

"This is delicious, thank you Yukari." Ahakon said looking at his girlfriend. The witch smiled lovingly at him then looked down bashfully.

"I'm glad…you like it Ahakon." she said softly.

Kokoa hopped down from Gin's hold and smiled at him, the girl feeling her strength returning again.

"Thank you Gin, that was delicious." she said softly. The boy wavered a bit and then smiled a bit as his girl.

"Sure thing Kokoa, anything for you." he said. Kokoa nodded then glanced over to see the group looking at her.

"So…you and him huh?" Kurumu said with a sly smirk. Kokoa glanced to her sister who had a calm smile still then back to the succubus. She then showed a bit of discontent and crossed her arms before her.

"Yeah, so what? You got a problem with that?" she said firmly as her aura flared around her. Kurumu backed up with a nervous smile and shrugged.

"Hey, if your sister is ok with you and him doing that, who am I to say otherwise, right?" Kurumu said weakly. Kokoa nodded then glanced to Moka. The pink haired girl merely nodded with a calm smile.

"It's their choice after all." she said simply. Kokoa smiled a bit then looked to Gin, the boy relieved his friends wouldn't be killing him for being intimate with the vampire.

"Well let's get going then, class will be starting soon." Rason said with a calm smile. Kurumu nodded as she held onto his arm with a dreamy smile. Mizore held onto Dark's arm, the girl smiling at her fiancé as he smiled a bit at her for a moment. Kokoa grabbed hold of Gin's arm firmly with a proud smile and the two started walking with the others. Rin and Moka followed them as Ahakon finished the meal in his hands.

"Thank you Yukari, that was great." he said. The witch nodded then glanced to Ran, the siren smiling softly at the mage still.

"I'm glad you liked it boyfriend. Um…could you give me and Ran a moment alone Ahakon? I need to ask her something." she said curiously. Ahakon looked between the two then nodded.

"Ok, but hurry up, we need to get going." he said before he took off after the others. Yukari waved to him as he ran toward the group then looked to Ran puzzled.

"Why did you do that? That meal wasn't from me." she said confused.

"I know, but I wanted my hero to have a good breakfast, and I knew that if I gave it to him myself you would be mad. This way he can enjoy my cooking and you can have all the credit." Ran said with a smile. Yukari looked at her curiously as the two started walking after the others.

"You don't mind that he thinks I made that for him?" she asked. Ran shook her head and looked ahead with a smile.

"No, it's ok. I'm just glad he likes my cooking, I worked all morning on it for him." she said softly. Yukari nodded then looked ahead again.

"Well…thank you Ran." she said softly. She thought for a moment then looked at the siren curiously.

_She really is dedicated to him, she really admires him. I guess I can't be mad, she didn't do anything to steal Ahakon away from me, if anything she helped me look even better to him. He really did seem to like her meal…more so than mine. I wish he liked my cooking as much as hers. Hey…wait a minute…_

She looked at the siren with a bit of wonder then ahead to where her boyfriend was walking with the others. After a moment she looked again to Ran.

"Um, say Ran, I have a proposition for you." she said with a small smile. The siren glanced to her curiously as Yukari looked ahead at her boyfriend with a soft smile.

Up ahead the group was walking together down the worn path towards the academy.

"My first day of school being engaged, I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate on anything today." Mizore said looking down to her ring on her finger. It gave off a slightly cold feeling, the snow girl loving the sensation and seeing the ring over her wedding finger.

"I know, that ring is sure to turn a few heads in class." Moka said with a laugh.

"I can't wait until I get mine." Kurumu said looking to Rason with a coy smile. The boy smiled nervously and nodded to that.

"Me too." Kokoa said looking to Gin with a slick smile. The wolf smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his head while Moka shook her head amusingly at her sister.

_Slow down Kokoa, one thing at a time._

**_You started this with her, there's no stopping her anymore._**

_Oh c'mon, there was no stopping her before and you know it._

"What about you Moka? Do you think your boyfriend will propose to you?" Rin asked the vampire. Moka smiled and looked down with a gentle gaze.

"I'm sure he will Rin, when the moment is right. We're perfect for each other, I just know we'll get married someday." she said softly. Rin nodded and looked at her curiously.

"Are you crying?" she asked. The group stopped and looked to the vampire as she wiped a few tears away with a saddened smile.

"No, I'm fine Rin. It's just…I miss him is all." she said looking down.

"I'm sorry this is happening to him Moka, but he'll be fine. You know Tsukune, nothing can keep him down." Rason said assuredly.

"That's right, and I'm sure he's going to propose to you as well, I doubt there's anything that can stop him from doing that." Kurumu said with a gentle smile. Moka nodded and smiled at the group.

"I know, I just can't wait until he's back here with me. It's just not the same without him." she said softly. The group nodded and looked down a bit, everybody knowing what the vampire meant. Tsukune was always there from the beginning and it just felt strange with him being gone like this.

"He'll be fine Moka." Dark said. The group looked to him as he glanced to the vampire.

"After all he's been through, I don't think there's a force in this world that could stop him from marrying you." he said calmly. Moka smiled a bit and nodded at that.

"I know. Thank you Dark." she said softly.

"He's right Moka. Tsukune will beat this thing then everything will go back to normal again." Ahakon said with a smile. He then looked back to see Yukari and Ran walking up to the group.

"There you two are. Everything ok?" he asked. Yukari walked up to his side and held onto his arm.

"Yep, never better." she said softly. The boy smiled at his girl then looked to seeing Ran taking his other hand into hers, the girl smiling softly at him while holding onto him.

"Yes, everything is fine." she said with a nod.

"Um, Ran?" he asked as the group looked at the siren curiously. Ran smiled and giggled softly.

"What is it? I'm just helping you walk to school." she said softly. Ahakon blinked then looked to Yukari, the witch smiling with a shrug.

"What? What is she talking about?" he asked.

"Just what she said, c'mon, we don't want to be late." Yukari said as the two girls started pulling the confused mage forward.

"What?" he said looking between the two girls. They stopped and looked at him with curious smiles.

"What's wrong?" Yukari asked.

"She's going to walk with him too?" Kurumu asked pointing to Ran. The siren glanced to her with a dull expression.

"I'm merely walking with my hero to school, is there a problem with that?" she said firmly. Kurumu blinked then slowly glanced to Yukari.

"But…" the succubus said pointing to the witch.

"Hero?" Mizore asked.

"That's right, Ahakon is Ran's hero. What's wrong about my boyfriend being somebody important like that?" Yukari said with a stern tone. The group glanced to each other then to the mage. The boy looked between the two girls then to Rason.

"Don't say it." he pleaded.

"Pimp." Rason said with a smirk.

"Yukari, are you sharing him now?" Moka asked curiously. Ran blushed a bit then glanced away as Yukari giggled.

"No, but me and Ran worked out a little agreement." she said with a wink at the mage. He looked at her nervously then shakily over to Ran.

"What? What agreement? What are you two talking about?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing Ahakon, don't worry about it." Ran said glancing back to him with an innocent smile.

"That's right, now let's get going before class starts." Yukari said before the two started pulling the confused mage forward. The group just watched as the two girls dragged the puzzled boy along with curious expressions. Yukari was fine with Ran walking with her boyfriend like this, the witch seeing it as a reasonable price to pay for Ran showing her how to cook a proper meal for Ahakon seeing as how the mage obviously liked her cooking. And of course Ran was willing to make that agreement for any chance to walk with the boy that she saw as a real life hero.

"Ok…what did we miss here?" Gin asked scratching his head.

"I have no idea." Kokoa said shaking her head.

"Hero?" Mizore said raising an eyebrow.

"She's really got a thing for the young mage that faced Alucard." Kurumu said with a shrug. Mizore just glanced to her then back ahead without saying a word.

"You have no idea." Rin said flatly.

"Well…I guess we should get going as well then." Moka said with a shrug. The group nodded then followed after the three down the path towards the academy. As they walked Moka looked up at the sky through the rotting branches overhead, the vampire wondering when Tsukune would indeed ask that important question to her. It was something she was pretty confident would be happening, but she couldn't help but wonder when and how he was going to do it.

Not only that, but she was curious as to which side of herself he would ask first.

* * *

Riding down the streets in the human world Ceal was driving the motorcycle with a calm expression. He was still dressed in black jeans and a dark gray t-shirt along with a black leather glove over his left hand, the boy driving the vehicle with Falla riding behind him. She was still dressed in her outfit from the other night, the girl looking at the boy with a gentle smile as they drove down the road. When she woke this morning she found the boy already awake and waiting for her in the living room of the small house they stayed in, the catalyst mage merely eating a small breakfast he prepared at the table along with having a second meal set aside for her. She ate the meal happily as the boy remained quiet and rather distant the entire time. After they ate they mounted the bike and drove off towards the girl's home.

"Thank you again for the breakfast this morning Ceal." she said softly as she held onto him from behind. He didn't reply as they drove down the streets. She looked at him curiously and giggled a bit.

_I know you have a softer side in you now Ceal, you won't fool me._

They drove down the road for a while then came to a stop in front of her home in the human world, the boy parking the bike while looking forward with a calm expression.

"I'll wait here while you get ready for school." Ceal said looking ahead still.

"Did you want to come in at all and wait inside?" Falla asked as she got off the bike. Ceal glanced to her then ahead again.

"Hurry up, I have to drop by my place and get changed as well." he said simply. The girl looked at him curiously for a moment then nodded with a smile.

"Sure thing, be back in a sec." she said before she ran towards the building. Ceal glanced over and saw the girl running, her skirt fluttering a bit showing her underwear before she vanished into time. After a pause he looked ahead again.

_Stay focused Ceal. Stay focused._

Inside the building Falla ran through the door and across the foyer as time was halted, the girl racing up the stairs and into her room. She shifted out of the moment then quickly started getting changed into her school clothing, the girl having a soft smile on her face the whole time.

"I just knew you were a good person Ceal, I just knew it." she said quietly to herself. She finished getting ready then ran out of her room into the upstairs hall. She raced over to the stairs then stopped, the girl then glancing over to Astreal's room. She showed a bit of discontent then walked over to it. She knocked on the door which opened slightly. Peeking inside she saw the blonde haired witch wasn't in there. She then looked over to Apoch's room and marched towards it.

"Hey, you two in there?" she yelled out as she walked up to the door.

Silence.

"Hey, you in there you traitors?" she barked out as she crossed her arms before her. She reached for the doorknob before a soft voice spoke up.

"What do you want?"

"Apoch? Is Astreal in there too? I need to talk to you two." Falla said with a bit of anger. There was another long pause before the soft voice spoke up again.

"Yes, she's in here. What do you want?"

"I want you two to know that what you did last night was pretty low. Trying to take Leon's key from him like that all while pretending to be friendly with them, I can't believe you two pulled that crap." Falla said shaking her head.

Inside the witch's room Jovian and Jacqueline were sitting on the edge of the bed with amused smiles as they watched the door.

"Oh, is that so?" Jovian said in a soft voice while her sister held in her giggle.

"You're damn right that's so, you two acted horrible with them all because Razico got you sacred about nothing. Pandora's Box isn't some doomsday tomb like he said." Falla said with discontent from behind the door. Jovian and Jacqueline glanced to each other with smirks then looked down. Kneeling before them were Apoch and Astreal, the two sisters having flushed faces as they looked up at the dark sisters with glazed eyes. Both girls were naked as they were kept up all night as the dark sisters' playthings, their bodies having burn marks and bruises on their backs and legs from their abuse.

"You don't say." Jovian said softly without a care as she brushed her hand through Apoch's hair, the hexed witch licking her lips a bit as she watched Jovian with loving eyes.

"What they said about the box granting a wish is true, and Ceal told me everything about what he's going to wish for and why he's after the box. He's not some evil guy like you said." Falla said with discontent. Jovian stroked Apoch's hair playfully and glanced to the door again.

"Oh no? Then please do tell." she said softly.

"He showed me his family's graves Apoch. He's a dragon slayer, he's after the dragon that killed all his family members who were also dragon slayers. He told me everything about how his ancestors died trying to kill the monster and how he's the only one who can avenge his family now. The hand he lost was from a failed wish with Pandora's Box, he's cursed now because of it yet he still pushes on to complete his family's legacy." Falla said proudly.

"Oh my, a dragon slayer? You don't say." Jovian said pulling Apoch's head down onto her womanhood, the darker sisters not wearing anything below their skirts. Jovian smiled as she glanced to the door with her multicolored eyes.

"He even told me what he is, he's a catalyst mage. He's able to mend flesh and bone, as well as take limbs from other monsters. That's how he got that monster's hand, he took it from a demon, the same as his eyes. That's why he could see your demonic mark Apoch." Falls said firmly.

"I never would have imagined." Jovian said as her legs started to wrap around Apoch, the dark sister licking her lips as she enjoyed the pleasure she was getting.

"Of course not, not after you were so quick to judge him. Ceal's been through hell trying to get ahold of that wish from Pandora's Box. And not just him, but Render and Leon as well." Falla said with remorse. Jacqueline glanced to her sister with caution then towards the door.

"Why isn't Falla grabbing her yet?" she asked quietly as she pulled Astreal down onto her as well. Jovian glanced to her then to the doorway as she started to tremble a bit.

"Please…go on." she said before she bit her lip.

"Render and Leon lost their friend during the hunt for the fourth key. She was Leon's girlfriend, the same one that gave him that locket he's always holding. She died in front of him after they got the key by other treasure hunters, something that's torn at his heart ever since. That's what he meant by he pushes on for her, he's going to open Pandora's Box for his deceased girlfriend Astreal." Falla said firmly. Jacqueline glanced to Astreal with a dull expression while holding her down on herself, then to the door again.

"Really? I had no idea." she said softly in Astreal's voice.

"You two have no idea about the pain and suffering they've gone through trying to get that wish. They've all lost so much yet they push on for family and loved ones. Their intentions are noble and true…well, I mean Render does just want treasure, but he's a great guy still." Falla said sternly. Jovian quivered a bit then laid back on the bed as she mouthed out something, the girl keeping her legs wrapped around Apoch. Jacqueline looked at the blonde haired witch before her and gently stroked her hair while she was being serviced then looked to the door again.

"Gosh, I don't know what to say." she said in a soft voice again.

"There's nothing you can say for him. Leon lost his girlfriend, and he can't even bring her back with the wish either. Pandora's Box can't bring back a soul from the other side, it can only create a body that would be mindless creature. He can never be with her again, so he pushes on to complete her legacy of claiming Pandora's Box. And Ceal pushes on to avenge his fallen family, even knowing that facing a dragon alone is suicide for nearly anyone." Falla said with remorse. Jacqueline tapped her finger a bit on the bed and shook her head.

"What the hell, what is Falla waiting for?" she hissed quietly. Jovian covered her mouth to stifle her moan while Jacqueline pushed Astreal down to the ground. She then walked towards the door and stood before it with crossed arms while Astreal crawled towards her legs with a loving smile.

"I'm going to school with Ceal, then we're going to unlock Pandora's Box tonight. We're all going together and we're going to work for the same wish. Nobody is killing each other anymore, we're all on the same side with this. I just hope you two can come to your senses about what you did." Falla said with discontent. Jovian slowly sat up while she looked down to Apoch with a blush.

"Good girl, I see you and I are similar in some ways after all." she said softly as she held her down with her legs still. Jacqueline tapped a finger on her arm expectedly while looking at the door as Astreal started to kiss her legs and up to her thighs.

"You can tell the humans I'm gone or whatever tonight, I'm not going to abandon Ceal or the others tonight in their quest." Falla said with a bit of discontent.

"She's standing right there…why isn't Falla grabbing her?" Jacqueline said quietly looking back to Jovian. The black haired sister slowly stood up and pushed Apoch to the ground then walked over to Jacqueline. Apoch started to crawl towards her with a loving smile while Astreal's affection reached Jacqueline's womanhood again.

"Wait, don't go just yet." Jacqueline said softly looking to the door again.

"Yes, please don't go. Can't we talk about this?" Jovian said softly glancing to her sister with a cautious expression.

"Save your breath, Ceal's waiting for me. If you two decide to apologize then I'll be willing to listen at school." Falla said before footsteps were heard going away from the door. Jovian and Jacqueline looked to each other then ran over to the window, the two pushing the hexed sisters down without a care. They watched as Falla appeared in her human school uniform next to a boy on a bike then got on. They drove off as the sisters watched with confusion.

"What the hell…why didn't she grab her?" Jacqueline said with anger. Jovian narrowed her eyes then grabbed her underwear. The other dark sister did the same and they quickly got dressed, then raced out the door to see the other Falla standing at the top of the stairs with a sly smile, the girl looking down towards the front door still.

"What the fuck, you were supposed to grab her remember?" Jovian said with anger.

"I know, I just wanted to hear her little story." Falla said tapping a finger to her chin with a sly expression.

"Her little story? You were supposed to grab the living chronofly, that's why we're here." Jacqueline said with anger.

"Yes, however all this talk about wishes got me curious." Falla said glancing to them.

"What are you talking about?" Jovian said with discontent.

"Didn't you hear her? This Pandora's Box thing, it can grant any wish one desires it seems." Falla said looking back to the front door.

"Who cares? Our master ordered us to bring back the chronofly, that was your only goal here Falla." Jacqueline said shaking her head. Falla smirked and glanced to them.

"You two really are dedicated to that bastard aren't you? How very sad." she said simply. Jovian glared at her as her wrist started to glow.

"You disobeyed a direct order Falla. You had your chance to grab the girl and you didn't do anything. Give me one good reason why we shouldn't kill you right now." she growled.

"Tell me something honestly, do you two want to remain his servants like this?" Falla asked with a narrowed eye. Jovian aimed her hand at the chronofly while Jacqueline held up her hand, the girl creating a multicolored dome around Falla. The girl glanced around at the barrier that encased her then looked to the sisters.

"Answer me, do you?" she asked.

"That is not for us to decide." Jovian said with a glare.

"Don't you want to be free?" Falla asked with a glare as well. Jovian held her attack on the chronofly as Apoch and Astreal walked out of the room behind the sisters, the two girls looking at the group with curious eyes.

"Didn't we do good mistress?" Apoch asked softly.

"I can try harder if you would like." Astreal said gently.

"Don't you want to be free, or do you want to be mindless slaves like those two?" Falla asked glancing to the hexed sisters. Jovian and Jacqueline glanced to each other then back to Falla.

"Didn't you hear what she said? This thing can grant anybody a wish, anything they want." Falla said with a sly smile.

"So what?" Jovian asked harshly.

"So? It means we could wish for freedom. We could wish to be brought back to life." Falla said with a smirk. Jovian held her attack on the girl as she looked at her cautiously.

"What do you mean? We're dead Falla, she said this box thing couldn't bring back a soul from the other side." she said shaking her head.

"It doesn't have to, we're already here." Falla said with a shrug. The dark sisters glanced to each other then back to the chronofly with raised eyebrows.

"Don't you see? Our souls are right _here_. We're already back from hell. This box could provide us with bodies again, real bodies in the real world. We could be free from that bastard's control over us." Falla said eagerly.

"You have no guarantee it will work like that Falla." Jacqueline said shaking her head.

"It's enough for me to want to try. I don't know about you two, but I'm not overly thrilled of having to bow to anyone, let alone being used as someone's attack dog." Falla said with discontent. Jovian and Jacqueline glanced to each other then back to the hexed sisters. They were looking at the dark sisters with loving eyes as they wavered a bit, both girls' bodies exhausted and hurting despite the fact that the girls were smiling softly still.

"You're just like them, being used for some sick monster's pleasure. This is our chance to be free from his control, to be free from anyone's control." Falla said with a sly smile. Jovian glanced back to Falla, then back to Apoch.

"Tell us, is what that other Falla said true? Does this Pandora's Box really grant any wish?" Jovian asked.

"Yes, although one must first kill what evil monsters come forth from the box, a single wish can then be made." Apoch said softly.

"However our friend Mr. Razico said that by opening the box the monsters would destroy all life on earth, that the wish is nothing but a rumor to lead those towards the world's end." Astreal said softly. Jovian and Jacqueline looked to each other then to Falla.

"I still say it's worth the risk. If what my other self said is true, than this box has been opened before and the world's still in one piece. And if it's just a matter of killing a few guardians, I'm more than up to the task." the dark chronofly said with a smirk. The dark sisters glanced to each other then looked down in thought.

"And if the world does indeed end and we all die, I'd much rather choose that fate than continue taking orders from anybody." Falla said crossing her arms before her.

"We could be free." Jovian said softly.

"To be alive once more." Jacqueline said as the sisters looked to each other.

"This is our chance, our golden opportunity." Falla said with a cool smile. The dark sisters thought about it then looked to her. Slowly Jovian lowered her hand as the glow in her wrist faded. Jacqueline lowered her barrier as well while Falla chuckled a bit.

"I knew you two would see reason. If we get a hold of those keys that bitch was talking about then we can wish for our own freedom from this accursed servitude. We won't be going back to hell, we won't cease to exist. We'll be alive and free from his command forever." she said confidently. The dark sisters looked to each other then to the hexed sisters.

"If we do decide to do this, how do we get the keys?" Jovian asked. Falla smirked then looked to Apoch and Astreal.

"You two know who has these keys?" she asked. The hexed sisters nodded.

"Yes, the three treasure hunters she is with have all four keys needed to open the box. They also know where it is." Apoch said softly. Falla chuckled and nodded.

"I assume they all go to school with that weaker version of myself?" she asked. The hexed sisters nodded.

"Yes, we are in some of the same classes as them." Astreal said softly.

"If we are going to do this we must be quick, our master will be checking in on us soon." Jacqueline said with caution. Jovian nodded then looked to the hexed sisters.

"If this does not work, you will be dead before you can plead for mercy." she hissed as she glared back at Falla.

"Relax Jovian, once we get those keys we'll be free girls once again. Then I'll go my own way, and you two can go yours. Everybody wins." Falla said with a calm smile. Jovian nodded then looked back to the hexed girls again.

"So what's our plan here?" Jacqueline asked. Jovian smiled coldly as her eyes glowed a soft multicolored hue for a moment. She then walked up to Apoch and held her close, the dark sister brushing the witch's hair around her ear with a gentle touch.

"You two need to get ready for school now. Get going or else you'll be late." She said softly. She then gripped Apoch's hair and growled at her.

"Find those so called treasure hunters and get their keys from them. Do whatever it takes, do you understand me?" she hissed. Apoch nodded with a blissful smile.

"Yes mistress." She said softly, the witch screaming in agony inside of her own mind.

"We don't care if you have to kill every single human there, or level that place to the ground. Get those keys and bring them to us. You hear me?" Jacqueline said with discontent at Astreal. The hexed witch nodded then smiled wickedly, the girl crying out in horror inside of her mind.

"As you command my mistress." She said with a cold tone. The dark sisters giggled a bit as Falla glanced to the front door again, the dark chronofly laughing inside as she smiled wickedly.

_And of course that means I don't have to bring you back alive anymore you miserable excuse for me. When I see you next, I'm going to tear you apart._


	31. Running Late

In the human world students were preparing for their day of learning and education like always. Some were riding the bus towards their school while others were walking down the sidewalks. Others were eating breakfast and leaving their homes while others were given rides by friends and family. Some were just arriving at the building and meeting up with friends while others were sitting in class ahead of time.

And some were just waking up.

"Shit we're going to be late again!" Render cried out as he was running around in the apartment building between his room and the bathroom. Leon just watched with a raised eyebrow as he ate a bowl of cereal in the kitchen while Razico just turned his head back and forth to follow the freaked out boy as he darted between rooms. Each time he did he either had another article of clothing incorrectly put on or had an article of clothing missing entirely.

"Is he…always like this?" Razico asked as Render ran back into the bathroom to brush his teeth…the boy doing so at the same time he attempted to style his hair.

"If I said yes would you honestly be surprised?" Leon said simply. He was already dressed in the school clothing and was ready while he waited for his energetic friend to pull himself together. The boy glanced to the warlock who was simply lying on the couch with a blank expression.

"I have a question for you." he said simply. Razico glanced to him and waited for him to continue.

"Apoch and Astreal tried to steal the key from me last night, how come you haven't tried yet?" he asked. The warlock just looked at him for a moment then glanced out the window. He had wanted to, since the night he was forced to come here. However one reason was he knew it wouldn't be so easy, and he was also aware now that Leon would be able to use his own magic against him. Another was he was cautious as he wasn't exactly sure what Render could do yet, the boy seeming to be very calm about everything that happened around him so far. Although those weren't the main reasons why he didn't steal from them while they were sleeping.

"The thought had crossed my mind." he said simply.

"Any reason why you haven't tried then?" Leon asked cautiously. The warlock looked to him then back to where Render was franticly running around, the boy now completely naked for some reason.

"Well for one I have no intention on cuddling up next to you to do so. Also I'm quite certain that when I do grab them, which I will, you'll give chase, and I have no intention on killing idiotic kids." he said flatly.

"I appreciate the first point you raised, that's about all." Leon said as he put his bowl in the sink.

Render ran into the room while he was buttoning up his shirt as he was partly dressed for school.

"Ok, all ready?" he asked. Leon glanced to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Forgetting something?" he asked. Render blinked then looked to Razico with a mean expression.

"Oh yeah, the thief. Ok bud, we let you stay the night since it was late, but now you're out of here. We're not letting you or those conniving witches get our keys." he said sternly. Razico merely looked at the boy with a disturbed expression while Leon rolled his eyes.

"No, that's not what I meant." Leon said tiredly. Razico merely pointed to Render and shook his head.

"What? What is it then?" Render asked.

"If you're going to go to school then you might want to put pants on." Leon said flatly. Render blinked and looked down. After a pause he slowly nodded.

"I _thought_ there was a draft in here." he said simply. He promptly ran back into his room while Razico glanced to Leon.

"Like I said, I have no intention on killing-"

"I get it, just shut up." Leon said shaking his head and walking towards the door. He paused then looked back to Razico.

"Seriously though, why haven't you tried to use force with us if you're so determined to get the keys? We're sleeping in the next room, what stopped you from sneaking in or just barging in when we're asleep?" he asked. Razico looked at him for a moment then to the picture on the table again. Leon glanced to it then back to the warlock.

"I'm not a lowly thief kid. I don't steal from those less fortunate than myself in their own home." Razico said simply looking back to the boy.

"Really? Yet you're ok trying to take the keys when we're at school? Or having your friends try to seduce them from us?" Leon asked flatly.

"What Apoch and Astreal did was on their own accord, not my doing. And yes, I am still determined to get those keys to prevent you from destroying the world. However I do have my own standards that I live by. I don't harm kids, I don't back out of a job once hired, and I don't kick somebody with a good heart when they're down." he said simply.

"And just what do you mean by that?" Leon asked with narrowed eyes.

"Render's keys are in the magical ether, so that leaves just yours that I could take right now. And as much as I would love to sneak into your room and steal it while you're asleep, it seems you've lost enough already. I'm not about to bring more trouble into your home." Razico said glancing to the girl in the picture. Leon growled quietly as Razico glanced back to him. The two just looked at each other in silence for a moment before Render ran back in, now fully clothed.

"Ok, let's go. As for the thief, you're out of here." he said firmly walking up to his friend and glaring at the warlock. Razico looked at him for a moment then to Leon. The boy just stared at him for a moment then turned to walk out. He stopped and stood there looking ahead.

"Our hospitality with you is over, find someplace else to stay." he said simply. He glanced back to the warlock and raised an eyebrow.

"Your choice, either you get out of our home peacefully, or we'll use force." he said. Render watched the warlock stand up and cross his arms before him.

"You sound like you want to fight." he said simply.

"I'm always ready to fight buddy, he's just being nice and offering you the chance to leave unharmed. Now, either get or I'll make you." Render said with narrowed eyes. Razico glanced to the boy cautiously. Render had half the physical muscle that Tsukune had, the boy not seeming to be much of a threat at first glance. However the blue haired boy seemed more than ready to jump into a fight without fear. The warlock looked at him carefully then to Leon.

"Like I said, I don't steal from those less fortunate than myself in their own home." he said before he walked past them. He stopped and glanced back to them.

"Once you leave however you're fair game." he said with a narrowed glance.

"I'll be ready." Render said firmly.

"As will I." Leon said.

Razico looked at the boys carefully then walked off down the hall towards the stairs. He knew the boys would likely make good on that threat, and that Leon alone would be tricky to deal with without using excessive force. And there was still the mystery as to what Render could do and as to why he was so ready to fight. Render and Leon watched him go then glanced to each other.

"He's going to be a problem. You just had to give him a ride back here didn't you?" Render said flatly.

"You were the one that agreed to him coming here. C'mon, let's get going before we're late." Leon said as they walked down the hall. The two walked out of the building and got into their car, then drove off towards the school. From the side of the building Razico watched them drive off with narrowed eyes.

"I may feel a bit of sympathy for you two, but my standards only go so far." he said before he ran off after them.

* * *

Students were walking into Yokai Academy as the school day was about to begin. Even though death, rampaging vampires, boyfriend stealing sirens, and general chaos happened the previous day, things were back to normal at the school for monsters. Why? Because monsters will be monsters of course.

Inside Ms. Nekonome's homeroom students were walking in and taking their seats. The teacher was busy looking through some papers on her desk while the group was seated in their normal spots. They all knew trouble was looming ahead with this mystery monster that tried to capture all the boys in the school for his army, yet for now they had no real plan on what to do to deal with this problem other than wait until the monster showed himself again. They were also dealing with the absence of Tsukune, the boy still in Paradise dealing with his bloodlust training. Ruby and Ren were in charge of watching over him while he tried to learn to tame the vampires urge to drink blood, with both girls having been absent that morning as well. Although those two issues were the most prominent everybody also had other things going through their minds that morning.

Sitting next to the window in her usual seat Mizore was admiring her engagement ring with a loving smile. The crystal band around her finger shimmered a bit in the sunlight, the ring having a dark glow circulating within it from the shadow demon's essence. At the top was his insignia, the same one she had on her choker as well as her heart. The snow girl couldn't take her eyes off of it, the girl having been wishing and dreaming of having such a gift all her life. She sighed happily and glanced next to her at her boyfriend…sorry, _fiancé_ as he was looking ahead while listening to his music as usual. When he had first appeared in class she never would have guessed that he would have been the one to formally propose to her, yet now she couldn't even image any other boy capturing her heart like this. Hell, her heart was marked as his as well, the snow girl now bearing a demonic insignia to all eyes that looked at her in one way or another.

Next to her Dark was looking ahead with a bored expression as always, the demon never really showing much emotion to begin with. His music played for him just as always as he sat there in silence. However everybody already knew about this boy and how he was anything but a blank book. He was thinking about what was coming their way, what with this mystery monster from an unknown land to Tsukune's unique condition. And he was also thinking about how his future wife was sitting right next to him, the boy feeling her presence clear as day without even looking over to her. That wasn't too hard of course, as the girl was giving off a chilled aura due to her excitement at being officially engaged. He glanced to her and smiled softly for a brief moment, the boy only showing a glimmer of emotion as he was rumored to do every now and then. However that was more than enough to make the snow girl's heart race as she knew how he truly felt about her.

Next to him Rin was bobbing a bit to her music, the blonde haired siren somewhat in her own world as she got engrossed by her music. Every now and then she would tap the damaged headphones as they seemed to cut out for her, the girl having a quick memory lapse before returning to normal. Her enchanted device was damaged but thankfully still functional, the magical headphones the only thing keeping her mind working properly now. She was worried about her sister in Paradise with the obvious dangers that would be surrounding her as well as her former master coming back for her. Still, she found some comfort knowing that she and her sisters made friends with a group of capable fighters, and was hoping they could indeed keep them from being taken back into the darkness once again.

Behind her Ahakon was looking through a book with a casual eye, the mage ready for another day of education alongside his genius girlfriend. He was still impressed that Yukari gave him a wonderful breakfast, and was amazed even more that it was actually edible. Usually the young witch's cooking caused extreme problems for anybody that ate it, the meals sometimes chewing right through the plate and fork before it was even tasted like acid. He smiled in content and glanced to the girl, the mage happy that she was his, whether she could cook or not. Although to be honest he did prefer the side of her that knew what she was doing in a kitchen rather than the other one that could potentially kill him by accident.

Next to him Yukari was going through a book as well, only this one was a cookbook. Even though cooking class wasn't until next period she wanted to get a jump on what to learn to make for her boyfriend. He was under the impression she could cook now, and she wanted to live up to that and make him something that he would love, not something that would have him vomiting uncontrollably like a few of her previous attempts did. She knew she was lucky to have him, as even after the vomiting, hallucinations, and being rendered unconscious after her meals, he still stood by her side and loved her as always. She read through the book with determination, the girl wanting to learn to make something herself that her boyfriend would just love.

Behind her Rason was looking up at the ceiling with a calm expression like always. He always daydreamed while in class, something that unfortunately reflected his grades, but he had a lot on his mind today. The mysterious former master of the sirens for one thing, and with his friend isolated in Paradise to overcome his bloodlust was another. And then there was with Luna, the angel wondering how she was doing with her assignment. He had no idea how long she would be gone for, but was curious what the Almighty could have summoned her for use with her chrono magic. He smiled a bit as he knew that when he did see Luna again, he was sure he was in for one grand story from the girl. He glanced to the side at his girlfriend, the angel feeling his Destined One's pull clear as day at close range. It was as if he could feel her heartbeat, and judging by the way it was beating it was more than obvious she was looking at him.

And sure enough she was, as sitting next to the angel Kurumu was in her seat while staring at him with loving eyes. Her grades were always low to begin with, and it didn't help much that her boyfriend was an attractive angel from heaven sitting right next to her. She could feel their bond flowing between them just as she always had and she simply couldn't take her eyes off of him. Even with the threat of this powerful monster and with Tsukune being stuck in Paradise, the girl felt relaxed when close to her angel. The bond always relaxed her and calmed her mind, the girl simply relishing the feeling of the connection they shared. She was also imagining what it would be like when he proposed officially to her as well, the succubus eager to become his future wife. She sighed happily and just looked at the boy with loving eyes as always, the girl tuning out the classroom around her.

Sitting on the other side of the angel Ran was looking ahead at Ahakon with a calm smile. She was happy that she was allowed to be near the boy earlier by Yukari, and was more than willing to help the witch learn to cook if that meant she could be just that much closer to her hero. The siren remembered watching the young mage fighting that day against Alucard, and although he only personally killed one mini destroyer, thanks to Luna's chrono magic, his bravery and courage won the siren's affection without question. And it didn't hurt that he looked like the heroes from her stories that, if the boy ever did read, would likely cause him to feel very uneasy. She giggled a bit then glanced to her side, the girl seeing the empty seat where Ren used to sit. She was still worried about her sister, the siren wondering how long it would be before she could see her again. They were all just freed from the darkness they were kept in, and now it seemed like they were split apart not that long afterward. Seriously, it was in the same day even.

While she looked back to Ahakon to help lift her spirits another girl was sitting in class while looking out the window with a longing gaze. Moka closed her eyes for a moment then glanced ahead of her. She could only see Mizore now as Tsukune wasn't in front of her this time, her mate still being in Paradise working to overcome his bloodlust. The pink haired vampire missed her mate dearly, as even one night and morning was more than enough to bring her spirits down without him. Even her inner self was more quiet than usual, the inner vampire also missing her mate dearly. They both hoped that the headmaster would allow them into Paradise later in the day so they could at least see the boy again, even if for just a moment. And it wasn't helping matters for them as wedding fever was in the air, what with Kurumu and Kokoa now having that on their minds along with Mizore being already engaged. The vampire was wondering how long before she too would know what that felt like, to have that special ring on her finger and the right to call Tsukune her husband.

"Wow!" a girl said with a bright smile as she and two of her friends were looking at the snow maiden's ring, the girl tilting it in the sunlight with a loving smile.

"That's so pretty, is that…oh my gosh, is that an engagement ring?" another girl said with awe. Mizore nodded as she kept admiring the ring on her finger.

"Wow, you're engaged? That's incredible, congratulations." the third girl said with amazement. Ms. Nekonome glanced over then jumped as she too saw the ring.

"Wow…" she said softly. She glanced to Dark then down with a worried expression.

_I think I know who gave it to her as well…meow…_

"Who's the lucky guy?" one of the girls asked again. Mizore looked to Dark and smiled gently.

"He is." She said softly. The girls looked to Dark with wonder, the boy still looking ahead and paying them no mind.

"Wow, you gave her that ring? That's amazing." one of them said with a bright smile.

"That must have cost a fortune, is he rich or something?" another asked with an intrigued smile.

"Nope, he made it just for me." Mizore said looking back to the ring. The three girls jumped a bit and looked at the boy with wide eyes.

"He _made_ you a crystal ring?" one of them said with surprise. Ms. Nekonome jumped a bit and looked at Dark with wonder.

"Uh huh." Mizore said as she kept admiring the ring, the snow girl unable to stop looking at the special band Dark made for her. The three girls went back to staring at the ring with amazement while congratulating the girl as Moka watched her with a blank gaze. Seeing Mizore's ring made her wonder about what Tsukune would give her for one when he came back.

"Moka?" Yukari asked. The vampire looked over to see the witch looking at her with a bit of worry.

"Are you ok?" she asked. Moka smiled softly and nodded.

"Yeah, just thinking about Tsukune. I'm alright, I promise." She said gently. Yukari nodded and looked to Tsukune's empty desk.

"I'm sure he's doing ok, he won't let this keep him from being with you. Not after all he's gone through to finally have you." She said with a reassuring smile. Moka nodded and looked at the empty seat with a saddened smile.

"I know Yukari, my mate can handle this, I'm confident about that. It's just I can't help but miss him dearly. I wonder what he's going through right now, and if he's doing any better with his training." She said softly.

"You can ask him when you see him again, I'm sure the headmaster will let you visit him after all." Kurumu said looking over to her friend.

"I wouldn't mind visiting that place again to check up on the guy, as long as we stay out of the forest this time." Rason said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, all those strange colors and the weird sky, that place is so different." Yukari said with a nod.

"I hope Ren is doing ok there too." Ran said worriedly. Ahakon glanced back to her with a calm smile.

"I'm sure she's ok too Ran, after all she's got Tsukune as a bodyguard there. She's about as safe as can be." He said. The siren nodded and looked down with a small smile.

"I guess, it's just we were just freed from the darkness, and now she's split up from us. I wonder how long until I'll be able to see her again." She said softly.

"You can come with us when we visit Tsukune later, I'm sure the headmaster would allow that." Rason said with a shrug.

"What about me though? I can't go into that place with my headphones." Rin said sadly. The group looked to her as the siren was looking down with a saddened expression. Her enchanted headphones would be destroyed going through the rift, the girl being isolated from Paradise and her sister.

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry Rin." Yukari said softly.

"I want to see my sister too, I miss her. It's not fair you all can see her and I can't, why can't she just come back already?" Rin said worriedly. She blinked then looked up, the girl then smiling brightly.

"Sister!" she cheered out. The group looked to seeing Ren walking into the classroom. She was wearing her school shoes and skirt still along with a white t-shirt that was a bit dirty. Her pink hair flowed behind her as she wore her usual hat, the girl looking around casually. Ms. Nekonome looked over to her and smiled a bit.

"Oh, Ms. Otonashi, welcome back. I wasn't aware you were coming back so soon." she said with a cheery tone.

"Hello again, I was only-" Ren started before Rin bolted out of her chair and tackled the girl into a hug.

"You're back! You're finally back! I missed you sister!" Rin cheered out as she took them down to the ground with a thud. Ren blinked and looked to her with an amused smile while she tried to pull her overzealous sister off of her.

"Rin, calm down. I wasn't even gone a full day yet. Hey, let me up." she said with a laugh. Rin jumped back up and looked at her sister with a bright smile while Ren slowly got up.

"When did you get back? Wow your clothes are dirty, are you ok? What was it like in that place? Are you staying here now?" Rin asked hopefully. Ren smiled a bit at her sister as she dusted herself off.

"I just got back a few minutes ago, I came by to-" she started before Ran bolted over and tackled the girl into a hug as well, the two crashing down as the group watched with wonder.

"You came back, we missed you!" Ran cheered out. Ren blinked and smiled weakly at her sister.

"I missed you too…um, could you get off me now?" she asked simply. Ran jumped back up and helped her sister stand again.

"I was wondering when I would see you again, are you done in Paradise already with Tsukune? That was fast." she asked curiously. Ren smiled a bit and shook her head.

"No, I just came by to-" she started before Moka raced up to her with hopeful eyes.

"Is Tsukune back? Did he cure himself already? I can't believe it, he overcame his bloodlust in under one day?" she said with amazement.

"Holy crap, he beat that thing in one day?" Rason said with surprise.

"Wow, how did he do it?" Yukari said with excitement. Ren looked around at the group and shook her head.

"No, he's still in Paradise with Ruby, I just came by to get a new change of clothes and say hello to my sisters. I'm not staying." She said simply. Moka showed a disappointed expression then looked down.

"Oh, I see." She said softly, the girl slowly walking back to her seat. Rin and Ran showed a bit of worry with that and walked back to their seats as well along with Ren following them.

"So he's still fighting that thing huh? How's he doing at least, is he ok?" Kurumu asked.

"He's doing fine still, though I'm not sure how long until he has his bloodlust taken care of. Anyway I just wanted to drop by before your classes started to say hello." Ren said looking to her sisters.

"Aw, you have to go back so soon?" Rin asked sadly as she sat down again. Ren nodded with a smile.

"Yep, Tsukune needs me after all." She said proudly. Moka glanced to her curiously as the siren giggled a bit.

"Is he doing any better? Have you been having to put him to sleep with your music still?" Yukari asked. Ren looked down and nodded.

"Well, I had to once, but after that we've been managing to keep him stable. As long as he gets some blood before he goes off the deep end he'll remain in control." she said with a smile. The girl blushed a bit and giggled softly.

"What's so funny?" Ran asked. Ren glanced to her then away.

"Nothing, just happy to be of help is all." she said softly.

"So he's been feeding from you two all this time to keep in control?" Rason asked curiously.

"No, just me." Ren said with a timid smile. The group looked at her puzzled.

"Just you? Why isn't Ruby offering her blood?" Mizore asked.

"She has offered, but Tsukune likes mine better so I'm being the one to give him blood." Ren said with a smirk.

"He does?" Kurumu asked.

"Yep, he said that between me and Ruby my blood tastes better. I'm not sure why, but I'm glad to help out regardless and give him what he wants." Ren said with a shrug. Moka looked at the girl curiously then at her neck.

"You mean he's been feeding solely on you this whole time? Oh no, doesn't that hurt?" Rin asked worriedly. Ren looked at her with an amused smile and shook her head.

"No, not at all. I mean it's just like a little prick at first, but I don't feel any pain at all. If anything I just feel a bit tired each time he does it, but that's all. Besides he needs it to stay in control, so I'd gladly give him what he needs." She said. The girl blushed again and looked down timidly while the group looked at her curiously.

"Are you ok?" Rin asked. Ren glanced to her and nodded.

"Yep, never better. Well I gotta go, I need to get some new clothes then get back to Paradise. Tsukune might need more blood soon after all." She said with a smile.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, he has Ruby there if he needs to feed before you get back." Yukari said. Ren glanced to her and shook her head.

"I'd rather him have the taste of something he likes than have to resort to that." she said with a smile.

"Do you have to go so soon though? You just got here." Rin pouted. Ren giggled and smiled at her.

"Sorry, but I'm needed in Paradise, can't let Tsukune down." she said happily.

"You don't have to be the one to do this alone, I can switch with you if you want. I don't mind helping out so you can take a break." Ran offered.

"No, you can stay here Ran, I'm not giving up on this. Besides I'm not worried about going back, Tsukune can handle anything that comes our way, I've seen it for myself." Ren said with a nod. The girl started running out before Moka stood up.

"Ren." She called out. The siren looked to her curiously as the vampire smiled a bit.

"Thank you…for helping my mate with this. It means a lot to me." She said softly. Ren looked at the vampire for a moment then smiled a little bit.

"Sure, no problem Moka." She said softly. The girl then ran out of the classroom while the group just watched her go. Other students were starting to take their seats as the teacher began to write on the board.

"Wow, is it just me, or is she actually excited to go back to Paradise?" Kurumu asked with a puzzled expression.

"She did seem rather cheerful." Mizore commented.

"Yes, she's not normally that…happy." Ran said curiously. Normally her sister is dull or negative about almost everything, the girl having always had a bleak outlook on life. But here she was acting like a happy schoolgirl for some reason.

"I guess she really wants to help Tsukune overcome this problem of his." Rason said with a shrug.

"Why did she have to go so soon though?" Rin said looking down with a saddened expression.

Moka watched the doorway for a moment then looked down in thought.

_He likes her blood?_

_**It's possible, blood does taste differently from one to another. Some blood was bound to taste better than others to him. I suppose we should be glad that Tsukune will at least have a good meal when needed while he's there.**_

_Yeah…his was delicious to us when he was still human. I do miss that even now._

_**As do I. I find it slightly amusing that the tables have turned, and it's Tsukune who is now tasting blood he likes.**_

_Haha, yeah, I suppose that is quite a reversal. At least he'll have a treat every now and then while he's training, I was worried Paradise would be too hard on him as it is._

_**I suppose we owe Ren our thanks for making this easier on our mate.**_

Outside in the hallway Ren was running down the corridors with a dull expression. She rounded a corner then glanced back with a bit of discontent. She clenched her fists slightly as she looked down, the girl's hair covering her eyes.

"Moka…you did this to him…" she said softly. The girl growled quietly then ran down the halls as school was about to begin.

* * *

A motorcycle was driving through the streets of a human city, the bike shooting down the back roads at a fast pace. Falla was looking around curiously as Ceal drove the vehicle, the boy looking ahead with a blank expression still. They drove down the roads then pulled into a small parking lot across from an apartment building, the tall structure standing among other large buildings nearby. Ceal got off the bike and started walking towards the building, the boy glancing back to Falla who was in her school uniform.

"I'll be right back." he said simply.

"Wait, can I come with?" Falla asked as she hopped off the bike.

"Wait here." Ceal said as he looked ahead and continued walking towards the building. Falla looked at him with a worried expression then up at the building.

The boy walked into the building and up the stairs towards the fifth floor. He walked down the hall of the floor and stopped at a door. After a pause he glanced back to see Falla having appeared right behind him, the girl having a timid expression.

"I told you to wait by the bike." Ceal said firmly.

"I know…but…I wanted to see where you live. I mean you saw my home." Falla said with a weak smile. Ceal just looked at her with a narrowed glance then opened the door to his place. The boy walked in followed by Falla, the girl looking around in awe. Ceal stopped in the entryway and looked back to her with a stern expression.

"Wait here this time, am I clear?" he said. The girl nodded quickly as she waited by the door. The boy walked around the corner as Falla looked around curiously. From the entryway she saw his living room that had a large glass window overlooking the street and nearby city. He had a flat screen T.V., a modern couch and table, a table with two chairs by it seated near the window, and books scattered around on the floor and tables. There was a laptop on the small table between the couch as well as a plate that was recently eaten off of. She glanced around then shifted into time, the girl stepping forward and looking around curiously. Further in she saw a kitchen to her right complete with all the modern conveniences, a closet door, and a few strange paintings on the walls. They looked to be worn drawings in glass frames, with the pictures showing strange casting circles and letterings. To her left she saw a door that opened into a bathroom and a closed door, presumably his room.

"Nice place he's got here." she said softly as she looked around. She walked into the living room and looked at the small table between the couch and T.V., the girl seeing worn books with strange letterings on them. She picked one up and flipped through it, the girl not making sense of the words.

"These must be some sort of magic books or something, I've never seen such a language before." she said looking at it curiously. She set it back down and looked around. She then glanced to the closed door and blushed a bit.

"That must be his room. Which means…that he's…" she said bashfully. The image of him undressing flashed before her eye, the girl wondering what he looked like under his shirts…and pants. She looked around quickly then tiptoed over towards the door. She gulped then slowly grabbed the handle. After a pause she closed her eye then slowly let go.

_No, be strong. So what if he's changing in there, you can't do this. He's a great guy, I should show some class here._

She blinked then looked up thoughtfully.

_Then again, I wouldn't mind seeing what his room looks like. A quick peek couldn't hurt._

She giggled then grabbed the handle, the girl slowly turning it and peeking inside. Inside was the boy's room, with a bed, a large bookshelf with dozens of worn books in it, a dresser with clothing somewhat tossed onto it casually, and table that had more books laying around on it.

"He really likes to read. I wonder if-" she started before she looked over and saw him. She went wide eyed as she stared at Ceal while he was frozen in time. The boy had removed his shirt and had tossed it over to the side, the boy's arm still frozen outstretched as he stood there half naked. She blinked then shakily walked over to look at him. He still had his shoes, pants, and glove on, the boy looking down at his table off to the side with a quick glance as he was still frozen in place. The girl walked around and looked at him from the front, the girl getting an eyeful of his body and noticing that he did have some muscle to him after all.

"Wow…" she said as she blushed. She licked her lips and looked the boy over with a curious eye as he was standing before her.

"Ceal…wow…" she said as she examined his body, the girl then looking over to his gloved hand. She showed a bit of worry as she knew what was under it. He had a demon's hand, the boy having taken it right from the monster after his own hand was taken by the corrupted wish from Pandora's Box. She looked down with a closed eye then started to walk around him, the girl feeling that she had seen more than she was allowed to. Before she got to the door she tripped and tumbled the ground, the girl crashing onto the ground and closing the door. She groaned a bit then blinked, the girl slowly looking behind her as time was unfrozen. Ceal was glancing back to her with narrowed eyes as he stood there, the boy having his arms down at his sides.

"Um…" she said shakily as she slowly got up and backed up against the door.

"What are you doing?" he said as he turned to look at her, the girl looking with a wide eye as black rifts appeared around the floor. The girl glanced around to seeing dark tentacles slithering out and whipping around in the air as the boy glared at her.

"I was…just coming to see if you were ready yet." she said with a nervous smile.

"I told you to wait, why can't you understand the simplest of commands?" he demanded. The girl looked down as the black rifts opened around her feet, the dark limbs then appearing from them and circling around her feet.

"I'm sorry…I just…" she said worriedly.

"You just what Falla?" he demanded. The girl blinked and looked to him timidly.

"I wanted to see your home…and you." she said softly. The boy growled as the limbs ensnared around her ankles, the girl yelping a bit and looking down with a wide eye. She then looked at the boy nervously as he glared at her with his blue eyes, eyes that were taken from a demon as well.

"I told you to wait outside, and you didn't listen. I told you to wait by the door, and you didn't listen." he said with a cold voice. The girl looked at her with worry then down and away.

"I know, I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"Get out." he said in a cold voice, the limbs on her feet gripping tightly then vanishing. The girl looked around worriedly then down with remorse.

"I'm sorry, really." she said softly.

"I said get out!" he yelled, the girl jumping then quickly leaving his room. As the door shut the boy growled a bit and looked down, his gloved hand clenching tightly.

Outside Falla was looking down with worry as she had her hands to her cheeks.

"Oh god, what have I done? He said to wait and I ended up spying on him undressing, what the hell is wrong with me?" she said quietly. She shook her head with regret and walked towards the entryway again, the girl leaning against the wall and looking down with her hands covering her face.

After a moment Ceal came out of his room dressed in the school uniform, the boy walking over to the entryway and looking at Falla with a narrowed stare. She glanced to him worriedly then bowed at him.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me." she said quickly. She glanced up to him to see he showed no reaction to that. She stood upright again and looked down worriedly.

"Really, it's just…I…" she said shakily.

"Why are you being so persistent?" he asked looking at the girl carefully. She looked to him curiously as he raised an eyebrow.

"You've been following me around everywhere at school, you kept trying to talk to me on the bus, you kept trying to get close to me during the movie, and now you've followed me all the way into my home and room despite what I've told you. Why?" he demanded. The girl looked down for a moment then back to him with a worried eye.

"Because…Ceal, I…" she said before she bit her lip.

"You what?" he asked looking at the girl carefully. She paused then looked down with a closed eye.

"Because I like you." she said softly.

"I've noticed, my question still stands however. Why? Is this merely because I healed your mind?" he asked. She looked at him and shook her head.

"No. Well, I mean it was mostly that at first, but…after I got to know you, and see what you were really after, I started to like you for who you are." she said gently. The boy merely stared back into her eye with no response or reaction.

"You healing my mind was something that…I could never thank you enough for. And then I found out about your reasons for wanting the box, and that your intentions are pure. You may try to come off as a cold person…but I know you have a softer side to you. And, I want to stay by your side." she said softly. The boy looked at her carefully then glanced away.

"Please, I promise I'll respect your wishes from now on, I won't disobey you like that again. I get it, you have your boundaries, I won't cross them again." she said worriedly. She looked down and closed her eye.

"Ceal, the truth is there's been something I've been meaning to ask you, but…I've been too scared." she said softly. The boy looked back to her as she looked to him with a pleading eye, the girl holding her hands together.

"Is there anyway, anyway at all that…" she said, the girl pausing while he just watched her with no change in expression.

"Anyway that…we can go to school as…boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked.

Ceal just looked at her, not moving or making a sound, while the chronofly watched with a hopeful eye. She trembled a bit and looked down with a closed eye.

"Please…give me a chance…" she said softly. Ceal looked at her for a moment then glanced away.

"No." he said simply. The girl cringed then looked to him with a watery eye.

"No? Please, I'm sorry I came up here like this, I'll do as you say from now on, I promise." she said shakily. She wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head.

"Please, give me a chance to show you that we're compatible for each other. I really like you Ceal, I know you're a good person, I can see it in you." she pleaded. The boy looked to her with a blank expression as she tried to keep herself together.

"I know you've wanted that since yesterday Falla, you weren't exactly being subtle about it." he said simply.

"But why, why can't we be together then?" Falla asked looking down with sorrow. She choked back a sob and shook her head.

"Why, why not Ceal? I'm sorry, I really am. What Apoch and Astreal did wasn't my doing, I had no idea what they were up to either. And I'm sorry I ever doubted you in the first place, I won't make that mistake again, I swear it. I trust you, I trust you with my life. Just please, give me a chance." she said before she looked back to the boy. He merely shook his head.

"No." he said. The girl looked down and away as she trembled, the girl sniffling and closing her eye.

"Why not?" she said quietly.

"Because I can't be distracted now." he said. The girl looked back to him curiously as she wiped the tears from her eye.

"What? Distracted?" she asked. The boy nodded then glanced to the clock on the wall.

"We need to get going, we're going to be late." he said simply. Falla shook her head and looked at the boy with a pleading eye.

"No, not until you tell me what you mean. What do you mean distracted?" she asked urgently. The boy looked to her and walked closer, the girl backing up against the door with a timid expression.

"I have my duty to my family, I must slay Fafnir at all costs. Nothing, and I mean nothing will stand in my way. Not some bothersome treasure hunters, not some meddling witches, and not a girl who won't leave me be. I need to open that box Falla, and I need to spill Fafnir's blood or my family will never have its revenge. Nothing can distract me from that goal, I won't allow it." he said firmly as the girl looked at him with a gentle eye.

"Ceal…" she said softly. She held her hands to his chest and looked into his eyes.

"Please, don't turn me away. I promised I would help you open the box, I promised I would help you avenge your family. The wish in the box is yours Ceal, it was always going to be yours. Just please, grant me my wish and be with me." she pleaded. The boy looked at her for a moment then shook his head.

"I can't do that Falla, I need to stay focused on my quest." he said calmly. The girl looked at him with worry then glanced away.

"But…after you kill Fafnir…what about then?" she asked. She looked back to seeing the boy just looking at her with no reaction.

"What then Ceal?" she asked softly. Her hands slightly gripped his shirt as she leaned a bit closer.

"Please, I'll help you with your quest, I already said I would. You will kill Fafnir, I believe in you. And I'll do everything in my power to help you achieve that goal, I swear to you. So please, grant my wish Ceal." she said gently. She closed her eye and smiled softly.

"You said last night, that if I wanted to be your girl I needed to listen right? I'll do whatever you say Ceal, I won't hesitate. I promise." she said quietly. She paused as the boy still remained silent.

"I'm listening Ceal, I'm waiting for your command." she said softly as she looked to him again. The boy just looked at her with a calm gaze as she stood there against the door. She glanced to his lips then to him timidly.

"Tell me…" she said softly.

After a while as the two stood there in silence Falla looked down with remorse. She slowly slid her hands off the boy's chest and looked away a bit. She felt her heart ache a bit from the boy's silence as she closed her eye. She turned to grab the handle to the door before she felt Ceal grab her other hand. She looked to see the boy staring at her with a calm expression still, his hand holding hers securely.

"Ceal?" she asked quietly.

"I didn't say you could go yet." he said simply. The girl looked at him with a bit of surprise before he pulled her over to him, the girl then looking with complete surprise as he held her close.

"C…C…Ceal." she stuttered out nervously. The girl didn't expect this of all things, for the boy to suddenly hold her close out of the blue. He held his gloved hand to her chin and kept her gaze looking at him.

"You wanted a chance, did you not?" he asked. The girl looked at him while blushing and nodded slowly, her voice failing her as she tried to say yes to him.

"Let me make this perfectly clear to you Falla, I will have my revenge against Fafnir, no matter what the cost. I will kill anybody that stands in my way, nothing will stop me from completing this task." he said firmly. The girl slowly nodded as she couldn't take her eye off him, even if he wasn't holding her chin up to face him.

"Are you saying then that you will stand by my side, and do whatever it takes to assure that I can complete my goal?" he asked carefully. Again the girl nodded while slightly in a daze.

"Yes, I will." she said under her breath.

"Do you swear that to me Falla? Do you swear on your life?" he asked as he held her close. The girl nodded slowly with a loving eye.

"I swear Ceal, nothing will stop you from having your revenge. I'll make sure of it." she said softly. She felt her legs wobble a bit as he held her around the waist with one arm securely. The boy looked at her carefully then leaned a bit closer to her, the girl's heartbeat increasing as she stared with wonder at him.

"I'll hold you to that Falla, I expect you to make good on that." he said carefully. She nodded timidly as he held her close to him, the girl looking at him with wonder a deep blush. He looked at her for a moment then glanced to the clock again.

"Now you've done it." he said with a cold voice. Falla glanced to the clock then back to the boy as he turned to face her again.

"You made us late." he said simply. The girl trembled a bit as he held her close still.

"First you come up here uninvited, then you spy on me while I'm getting dressed, and then you cause me to be late for class." he said as he held her sternly. She showed a worried expression and glanced away.

"I'm sorry Ceal." she said quietly.

"Sorry won't cut it." he said as he pulled her face to look at him again. Her eye widened a bit as he shook his head.

"I won't accept such behavior from my girl." he said firmly. The girl blinked then looked at him with a wide eye and a slightly open mouth.

"Your…girl?" she breathed out. He pushed her against the door, the boy holding his gloved hand at the back of her head. She looked at the boy with wonder, the scene where he had her pinned against the chain link fence at school flashing before her eye. He looked into her red eye, the boy keeping the chronofly pinned against the door as one thought crossed his mind, something that was different than what he said to the girl.

_Way to stay in control Ceal, you fucking idiot._

"Mine." he said, before he kissed the girl, the chronofly looking with shock and freezing in place. After a moment she closed her eye and held him around the waist, the girl wishing for the moment to never stop as he kissed her. The world around her vanished as she was held there, the chronofly letting the boy hold her just as he did before. After the kiss broke she looked at him with wonder and a blush.

"Ceal…" she breathed out. She smiled timidly as a tear of joy started to form in her eye.

"Thank you. Thank you Ceal." she said softly. He looked at the girl for a moment then glanced to the clock.

"So much for being on time this morning." he said. The girl looked to the clock then back to the boy with a timid smile.

"Sorry." she said softly. He shook his head as he held her in place still.

"First you come up to my place uninvited, then you spy on me while I'm changing, then you cause me to be distracted already." he said simply. The girl licked her lips and shrugged a bit.

"I wouldn't mind…being late this morning. You can scold me all you want." she said softly. He guided her around and backed her into the living room, the girl looking at him with a hungry eye. She tripped and fell back onto the small table by the couch, the girl knocking books and the laptop off of it as she kept her eye on the boy who was looking at her with cold blue eyes.

"I intend to." he said as the girl felt a cold chill run down her spine. It was the same as she felt the other day when he had her detained with his necro magic. Only this time the girl didn't fear the feeling, if anything she relished it. She smiled softly and leaned back a bit, the girl propping her chest up a bit.

"Yes sir."

* * *

Kyouko was sitting in class looking ahead at the three empty desks before her, the girl wondering where her friends were this morning. She wanted to know how things went last night and whether the sisters were successful in stealing away one of the keys from the boys. She had been trying to call Tsukune's cell phone all night, but only got his voicemail each time. She looked around to seeing other students taking their seats while the teacher was still not present.

"Where are they? I hope everything worked out ok last night." she said softly looking back to the empty desks.

From the doorway two boys entered in…with one being quickly grabbed from behind and pulled back out, his hands grabbing the doorframe as his friend looked up tiredly.

"Render!" a girl's voice called out playfully.

"Don't go yet." another said with a purr.

"HELP ME!" cried out a poor boy with blue spiked hair.

Kyouko looked over to them as Leon glanced back to where his friend was struggling to pull himself into the classroom. Render managed to pull his head into the room then looked at Leon with frustration and a hint of fright as he was being relentlessly pulled from the other side by two girls with stars in their eyes.

"Why do you never help me? Do something!" he cried out.

"Why do I always have to help you with this?" Leon asked simply.

"Oh c'mon, I never ask you to do anything for me!" Render barked out.

"We stopped for yet another caramel frappe this morning on your rather persistent insistence when we were already running late as it was." Leon said flatly. Render struggled to pull himself in a bit and then shook his head.

"That's different! That's my life's blood! Now do something already!" he yelled out. Leon rolled his eyes and then grabbed his friend, the boy yanking the blue haired boy into the room then promptly shutting the door. Scratches and catcalls were heard from the other side as Render shakily stood up, the boy looking at the door with wide eyes.

"Who were they anyway, I've never seen them before in my life." he asked as he slowly regained himself.

"How should I know? You're the ladies' man here." Leon said tiredly as he walked past him.

"Not by choice, believe me." Render said as he followed after. They walked over to the side of the class and walked up the steps towards their seats, the boys then looking over to see Kyouko watching them. She smiled a bit and waved to them.

"Having a good morning? So how did last night go for you guys?" she asked playfully. Leon looked at her with a dull expression while Render smiled brightly and walked over in front of her desk.

"It was pretty interesting actually. We started to watch a scary movie, but Apoch and Astreal got rather scared. Astreal even threw up on Leon's shirts." he said glancing to his friend.

"Oh no, that's horrible. I'm sorry to hear that." Kyouko said with a look of concern.

"Oh that wasn't so bad. What really ticked us off though was how they tried to steal the keys from us." Render said looking back to the girl with narrowed eyes. Kyouko blinked and looked at him with a nervous smile.

"What…what do you mean? They did what?" she asked.

"Don't give us that crap, that whole date night was your idea wasn't it? You knew they would try to use their womanly ways to get the key from us. Well it didn't work, so mission failed." Render said with discontent. Kyouko stammered while Render shook his head and crossed his arms before him.

"Don't bother trying to explain. After dealing with that bullshit we all left with Ceal. Turns out he's not such a bad guy after all…well, not a _complete_ and total bastard anyway. He explained to all of us about Pandora's Box and what he's after." he said firmly. Kyouko glanced to Leon, the boy still looking at her with a dull gaze, then back to Render.

"Oh? Is that right?" she asked shakily.

"Yeah, turns out he's more trustworthy than those two you set us up with last night. Never would have imagined that, but seeing is believing. Nothing personal Kyouko, but stay the hell away from us from now on. You and your two witch friends." he said before he walked over towards Leon, the two taking their seats and looking ahead with focused expressions. Kyouko looked at them with concern then to the empty seats.

_Oh shit, that didn't work at all. Now what do we do?_

Kyouko looked at the empty desks where her friends sat then over to the boys.

"Um, have you guys by chance seen them this morning?" she asked. The two glanced over to her with dull expressions.

"Glad to say we haven't." Leon said flatly.

"But…they didn't arrive on the bus this morning." Kyouko said worriedly as she looked at the three empty seats. She looked ahead and saw Ceal was also missing from his spot. She blinked then glanced to Render who shrugged.

"As I recall Falla stayed with Ceal out on his family's property when we left. Not sure where the thieving twins are though." he said simply before looking ahead. Kyouko looked at him with surprise then down to Falla's seat.

_Wow, she…stayed with him? At his place? Overnight?_

Before she could question whether those two got intimate at his place the door opened and two girls walked in. Kyouko looked over to seeing Apoch and Astreal walking into the classroom, both dressed in their usual school uniforms. They each had blank expressions as they walked over and up the steps.

"Hey, where were you this morning? I was getting worried." Kyouko said to them. The sisters stopped next to Render and Leon's desks and looked at them for a moment. The two boys merely glanced to them with annoyed expressions.

"If you're going to try to apologize, save it. We've heard enough lies from you two." Render said crossing his arms. Leon nodded as the two girls looked at them with blank expressions. After a pause they glanced to Kyouko, both sisters glaring at her.

"Thanks a lot Ms. Kyouko." Apoch said with a bite. Kyouko jumped a bit and looked at her nervously as the two boys glanced to her.

"What? What do you mean Apoch?" she asked shakily.

"You told us taking those keys from them would be the right thing to do." Astreal said with a hiss.

"What? But…you thought…I mean it was Apoch's idea…" Kyouko stammered while shaking her head.

"Ms. Falla told us about what they wanted to wish for." Apoch said looking down with a pained expression.

"About what they really lost, and what they're fighting for. You and Mr. Razico wouldn't let us see the truth that they weren't evil, you had us believing that stupid doomsday rumor." Astreal said with discontent. Kyouko looked at them with surprise as Render and Leon looked at the girls with dull expressions. Apoch choked back a sob then looked to Render.

"I'm sorry, what I did was unforgivable. Both for taking your first kiss, and breaking your trust. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, just know that I am truly sorry, and I wish you luck on your hunt with Ms. Falla." she said softly. Astreal nodded and looked at Leon with worry.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your girlfriend Mr. Leon, I had no idea you bared such pain in your trials for this box. I know I acted horribly last night, so I can only hope you can forgive me and at least think less harshly of me in the future." she said looking down with remorse. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the girls.

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Kyouko said in disbelief.

"Save your breath Ms. Kyouko. Thanks to you they'll never trust us again. We really liked them too." Apoch said with a pained expression.

"Now we have nobody, all because of you and your damned idea to be sneaky like that." Astreal said with anger.

"What? My idea?" Kyouko said with shock.

"Yes, yours." a voice came from their side. They looked to see Falla walking up next to Apoch and Astreal, the girl looking at Kyouko with a dull glance. She was dressed in the school uniform as she crossed her arms in discontent at the human girl.

"They told me everything Kyouko, how you and Razico came up with the idea of the movie night, and how you wouldn't let them trust these boys." she said firmly. She then looked to Render and Leon with a worried eye.

"I talked to them last night, they really did start to believe you guys before she got into their heads. They spent the entire night apologizing for what they did in the past, believe me." she said with a glance to the sisters. They nodded and looked down in shame. Render and Leon looked to each other then to Falla.

"After what they did you're going to trust them again?" Render asked with a raised eyebrow. Falla nodded and looked to the sisters.

"Yes, they were devastated that they broke your trust, it's been tearing them up ever since. I had to help them pull themselves together this morning, they were a total wreck. That's why we were running late." she said gently. Apoch looked at Render with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry, I really am. Please, don't hate me. Please." she begged. Render looked at her with a bit of wonder while Astreal looked at Leon with worried eyes.

"I'm sorry Mr. Leon, for being so heartless. I agree with your desire, to fulfill your girlfriend's wish to open the box. You shouldn't let anything get in your way." she said softly. Leon looked at her carefully then glanced to Falla.

"As much as I'd like to accept their apology Falla, I'm not so ready to fall for another one of their tricks." he said cautiously.

"This is no trick, but I understand your trust with them is in pieces." Falla said looking at the sisters.

"Wait, what's going on here? Apoch? Astreal?" Kyouko said in disbelief. The sisters shot her a glare then looked down with remorse again. Falla looked at them then glanced to Kyouko with a dull expression. After a moment she looked to the two boys again.

"I know you have issues trusting them, but isn't there any way you can give them a chance again? They really wanted to be with you two, don't hate them for what Kyouko made them do." she said worriedly.

"What? Hey!" Kyouko said in shock. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the sisters again.

"I'm not so sure about that." Render said cautiously. Falla looked at him with a dull expression for a quick moment then looked to the sisters with a calm smile.

"Go sit down, give them some space." she said softly. The sisters nodded then walked over to their seats and sat down, both girls looking down at their desks with worried expressions. Falla looked at them then to the boys with concern.

"I understand if you don't want to trust them again, just know that they made a mistake, and that they've admitted it. Please, just try to give them another chance to be near you two." she said gently. Render and Leon glanced to each other then back to the girl.

"We'll consider it, if you're ok with that idea." Leon said. Falla nodded with a smile then walked towards her desk.

"So where's Ceal?" Render asked. Falla stopped and glanced back to him, the girl simply shrugging.

"I'm not sure, haven't seen him since he dropped me off at my home." she said. Render smiled slyly at the girl.

"Oh, so you spent the night with him did you?" he asked playfully. Kyouko looked at Falla with surprise as the sisters glanced to her with no expression. Falla smirked and nodded.

"You bet." she said before walking over and sitting down at her seat. Render chuckled and shook his head while Leon was looking at the girls with a curious glance. After a moment the teacher walked in and set some papers down on the desk. He glanced to where Ceal's desk was empty and rolled his eyes, then started talking to the class. As he did Render and Leon were vaguely paying attention, both boys wondering if what Falla said was true and that the sisters did indeed trust them before being pushed by Kyouko and Razico. Kyouko was looking ahead at the three girls with disbelief and puzzlement as to why they all framed her for the whole date night idea and were acting so cold to her all of a sudden. Apoch and Astreal were looking ahead at the teacher with calm expressions, the two girls not writing anything down as their eyes seemed not to focus.

And Falla was looking down at her desk with a bored look in her red eye, the chronofly counting the seconds until she could find her other self in this world, and tear her apart.


	32. Lies

The students of Yokai Academy were starting their day in classes as the sun was starting to somewhat shine through the clouds above. Everybody was going about the day as they usually did while outside around the academy nobody was around. Students were in their seats either paying attention or just counting the seconds until they could leave while the staff was going about their jobs teaching the students each of their lessons or cleaning up the dorm buildings while all the young monsters were out. Being monsters the occasional fight might break out and a room or two could get damaged, or a student may have failed to stay in monster form for one reason or another and repairs might have to be made to their room. The staff at Yokai Academy that was hired for this purpose was quick and precise with keeping the school and dorm buildings in great condition, and was hardly seen by anybody as they came and did their job rather quickly. Although it wasn't as if they had to rush as everybody was at the academy for the day.

Well, not everybody.

In one of the rooms in the girls building Ren was looking in her full sized mirror as she examined herself. She had just changed out of her dirty clothing she had while she was in Paradise into something else for her next day in the strange land. She was wearing white tennis shoes, a new clean academy skirt, a clean white t-shirt, and her trademark hat as well. Of course she still had on her choice of black lingerie underneath, and was examining her body with a curious eye. She had to report back into Paradise soon to help Tsukune overcome his bloodlust, the siren needed in case his thirst couldn't be slated soon enough. The girl tilted her head a bit and looked at her neck, the place where the boy had bitten into before to drink her blood to regain himself. She smiled softly and as she looked herself over while holding a hand over the spot on her neck, the girl's mind still locked onto the powerful and charming vampire that she was in charge of watching over.

"Don't worry Tsukune, I'm coming back for you, I hope you're not getting too hungry without me." she said softly with a timid smile. She glanced over to her trash basket, the girl looking at what appeared to be a unique flower inside the bin. It was the size of a sunflower, yet had green and blue petals along with a red blossom on the inside with smaller red and pinkish petals. It looked to be crumpled up as it laid in her trash bin, the girl looking at it with a dull expression before walking out of her room. She then proceeded to run out of the building and down the worn path towards the academy, the girl's pink hair flowing behind her as she had a focused expression.

_I can't keep him waiting, he needs my blood…he needs me._

She ran into the academy and raced through the empty halls, the girl being the only one in the corridors during class time. She ran down the hall then stopped at the headmaster's door, the girl knocking on it then waiting for a reply.

"Come in Ms. Otonashi." the headmaster called out. The girl walked into the office and looked to see the man sitting behind his desk looking at some papers. His office was always a bit of a mess with papers and books lying around the desk and table along with a cluttered bookshelf. The man glanced up at the girl with his glowing eyes as he smiled calmly as usual.

"That was rather quick my dear, I thought you would have taken a bit more time to see your friends." he said.

"I did say hello to them briefly, but I'm more eager to return to where I'm needed." Ren said with a smile as she walked up to his desk. The man nodded and stood up.

"Very dedicated to your work I see, how admirable." he said calmly. He walked around the desk and glanced to the girl.

"I trust you'll be able to find them ok once in Paradise?" he asked.

"Yes, they said they would wait for me in the clearing near the cliffs." Ren said with a nod. The man chuckled then formed his hands into a steeple, the hands then glowing bluish with green flashes around them.

"And you're still ok with doing this? As I have stated before you are not obligated to risk your life like this." he said as he tossed the flame down onto the ground, the fire flaring around then forming into a large flame that swirled around wildly. Ren nodded and watched the portal take form again.

"I'm more than ok with this, this is something I want to do." she said assuredly. The man chuckled as the rift into Paradise formed before them.

"Very well then, good luck, and take care my dear." he said with a smile. The girl nodded then walked into the portal, the siren vanishing as the portal flashed and disappeared completely. The man looked at where the rift had vanished then walked back to his desk with a calm expression. He looked at the papers on his desk then glanced to the window.

"I do wonder how our treasure hunter is doing with his job." he said simply before returning to his work.

* * *

Standing by the cliffside in Paradise two figures were seen. Tsukune and Ruby were looking around with calm expressions as they waited for the return of their friend. Ruby was wearing her same outfit still, although it was slightly dirty and damp from the night and rain. Tsukune was dressed in his shoes and pants from school along with a black t-shirt, his clothing also having a worn look to them from the night, along with his rosary seal which was over his wrist. There was green grass below them as a gentle breeze rolled by, the two looking around at the unique backdrop seen ahead. The cliffs overlooked a large blue sea that had white clouds around the water below and up in the sky, which showed a large moon that was very close along with green streaks flying around the blue sky. The weather had changed randomly from their trip from the rocky hillside they slept in to the cliffside, from going through a night sky, a rainstorm, to a sunny day in a few hours. Along the way Tsukune had to fend off several large and powerful demons that seemed to appear from the dark forest, the boy having to as the girls stood by and made no effort to help him. This was of course to help him push his vampire blood and try to fight the bloodlust, the boy having to try again and again to withstand the overwhelming urge to drink blood by using sheer willpower. He had managed to defend the two girls so far without needing to quench his thirst, however he knew that wouldn't last long as he felt the hunger slowly building from within.

Ruby glanced to the boy as he was watching a few clouds drift by below along the blue sea.

"Are you ok still Tsukune?" she asked. The boy nodded and glanced to her with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm still me for now. Though I can feel the hunger getting stronger still." he said with a weak smile. The boy saw her blood illuminate briefly before his vision returned to normal, his vampire senses starting to heighten in order to find his prey. Ruby nodded and smiled gently at the boy.

"If you need any blood Tsukune, I would be more than happy to offer." she said.

"No thank you Ruby, I want to try to hold off on that as long as I can. I need to fight the urge for blood until absolutely necessary." he said shaking his head. His stomach growled a bit and he smiled weakly.

"However, I wouldn't mind finding some breakfast soon." he said with a weak laugh. Ruby giggled a bit and looked around with a calm gaze.

"As soon as Ren gets back I'll jump out for a quick second and fetch some supplies from the school. I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that until after she left. I'll bring us some food from the cafeteria while you two wait here." she said. Tsukune nodded and looked at the witch with a smile. He had been going on with their blood since last night, but was craving some actual food at this point as blood alone just wasn't cutting it.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." he said looking back to the unique backdrop before them.

"You know, this place really is special, even if all the wildlife wants to kill you." he said with a chuckle. Ruby nodded and looked to the forest.

"The headmaster created this place as his own private getaway, someplace he could research magic and monsters away from the eyes of the rest of the world. As dangerous as it may be, it does have a special charm to it, especially in peaceful moments like this." she said looking back to the horizon with a calm smile. Tsukune nodded and glanced to the woman, then noticed the black rose in her hair.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you, where is Razico? He wasn't at the festival with us and he didn't come here with the others yesterday." he asked. Ruby smiled a bit and looked down with a blush.

"He's taken a special job for the headmaster, he'll be back just as soon as he finds something for him." she said softly. The woman had been thinking about her warlock all morning, the witch wondering how he was doing with his unique hunt.

_Razico…I can't wait until you return. Please hurry back soon._

"I see, so the headmaster hired a thief to get something for him?" Tsukune asked scratching his head. Ruby twitched a bit at that comment.

"He's a treasure hunter!" she barked out, her voice echoing out over the cliffside. Tsukune smiled nervously and raised his hands defensively.

"Ok, sorry Ruby." he said with a weak laugh.

"My boyfriend isn't some lowly thief Tsukune, he's a real hunter, and just the daring man I knew he was when I first met him. He only pretended to steal from the academy just so I would be forced to be near him. He wanted us to be closer and hoped that I would be charged with staying with him while he was here. He acted that way only to be near me." she said looking down with a blush. Tsukune nodded slowly then looked up thoughtfully.

"So…that giant three headed lizard we had to fight that damaged the school that day…was his way of getting closer to you?" he asked. The witch paused as her eyebrow twitched, then growled a bit.

"He didn't know what that damned artifact did! It's not his fault!" she yelled out. Tsukune looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Um…but it was. He stole it and summoned that thing, remember?" he asked. The witch growled as she held her wand tightly, the boy looking at her worriedly.

"Tsukune…get this straight…" she said with a glare. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathed out to calm down, then looked at Tsukune again.

"My Razico is NOT A THIEF!" she yelled out loudly, the boy jumping a bit and nodding quickly.

"Ok, he's not a thief, I get it." he said nervously. Ruby looked off to the side with crossed arms and grunted a bit, the witch showing a bit of discontent. She knew her boyfriend wasn't a thief like the others, and she, had claimed before, and hated it when the warlock was still labeled with that name. The boy looked at her with a weak smile then to her black rose in her hair.

"Still, I'm happy for you Ruby." he said. Ruby looked to him with a curious expression as he smiled at her.

"That you found somebody for your own." he said. She smiled and nodded as she looked down, the witch happy that she finally had a boyfriend like the other girls.

"Me too." she said softly.

From nearby a flash erupted and a rift appeared, the two looking over to see Ren hopping out onto the ground from the portal. It flashed and vanished behind her as the girl smiled at the two.

"Hey, I'm back." she said as she ran over to them.

"Ren, that was quick. We thought you would have gone to say hi to your sisters and friends before coming back." Ruby said with a smile.

"I did, but I didn't want to take too long getting back here. Are you ok still Tsukune, do you need any blood yet?" Ren asked looking to the boy. He smiled and nodded at the girl.

"I'm fine Ren, still in control here. But thanks for asking." he said with a chuckle. She smiled softly at the boy then looked down.

"Well you two wait here while I head back for a moment. I forgot to have you bring some food for us Ren, I'll just run to the school's cafeteria quickly and bring us back something to eat." Ruby said walking away from them. She held out her wand, the stick glowing and casting out a swirling flame just like the headmaster had done. As the rift took shape the witch looked back to the two near the cliffs.

"I won't be long, just wait here. I'll bring you something good to eat Tsukune, you need your strength for today after all." she said with a smile. The boy chuckled and nodded while Ren glanced to him curiously. Ruby waved then walked through the rift, the portal then flashing and vanishing completely with a bright light. After the witch had vanished back into the monster world Ren looked to Tsukune with a curious smile.

"You're hungry Tsukune? If so you can have some of my blood you know. I know how much…you like it." she said with a giggle.

"Thank you Ren, but I want to try to only drink blood if I really have to. Besides, some normal food would be good too. My stomach could go for something other than blood right now." he said rubbing the back of his head. Ren nodded slowly and glanced away.

"Well if you ever do need blood, I'm here for you." Ren said with a gentle smile. Tsukune smiled a bit and nodded, then looked at the girl curiously.

"So how are the others doing back at the school? Did you say hello to them?" he asked. The girl nodded as she looked out at the blue ocean nearby.

"Yeah, they're doing ok. I dropped by to say hello before their class started. They were happy to see me to say the least." she said with a laugh as she remembered her sisters tackling her down with hugs.

"I'm glad, it's nice to know they're still doing alright. I really hope I can go back soon to be with my friends again…and Moka." he said softly. Ren showed a bit of concern with that then glanced away.

"You can beat this Tsukune, I know you can. I'm sure…you'll see them all again real soon." she said softly. Tsukune nodded and looked at the girl with a gentle smile.

"Thank you Ren. And how's Moka doing? Did you see her as well?" he asked. The girl glanced to him quickly then away.

"She's doing alright." she said simply. Tsukune nodded and looked at her with a curious smile.

"Did you give her that flower I sent with you?" he asked. The girl kept looking ahead at the blue ocean as she remembered him giving her the flower for Moka. After she had traveled back the girl crushed it into her hand with a dull expression and kept it hidden in her pocket, the siren hating the idea of giving that vampire any gift from Tsukune.

"Yeah, I gave it to her." she said while slowly looking away.

"Did she like it? What did she say?" the boy asked anxiously. Ren paused then looked at him with a weak smile.

"She…didn't really care for it." she said softly.

"What? She…didn't?" he asked worriedly. Ren shook her head as the boy looked at her with concern.

"No…not really." she said glancing away. Tsukune looked at her with a bit of disappointment then down.

"Oh, I see." he said quietly. Ren looked at him worriedly and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I thought it was beautiful, really." she said softly with a small smile. Tsukune nodded and smiled a bit.

"I thought so too, I guess flowers aren't really her thing. Did she at least say anything to you about me?" he asked as he looked at her again with a small smile. Ren paused for a moment as her smile slowly vanished then slowly shook her head.

"No…she didn't." she said softly. Tsukune looked at her with worry then down.

"No?" he asked. Ren looked at him with a gentle gaze then down as well.

"Why didn't she say anything? I don't understand." he asked himself quietly. Ren glanced to him worriedly then away.

"I…don't know Tsukune." she said quietly. She paused then turned her head away.

"Tsukune?" she asked softly. The boy looked up to her as she kept staring at the ground with worried eyes.

"How come you like that vampire after what she did to you?" she asked.

"What? What do you mean Ren?" Tsukune asked. The girl looked at him as she turned to face him.

"She cursed you with this horrible bloodlust, she turned you into a real monster. It's because of her that you're stuck here in this place. Aren't you at all mad at her?" she asked. Tsukune looked at her with wonder then shook his head.

"No, not at all. She did what she could to save my life Ren, and it was because of her giving me her blood that I'm even alive. I could never thank her enough for what she did." he said gently. Ren looked at him with worry then slowly looked back down.

"It's just…you deserve better than this Tsukune. You deserve…the best." she said softly.

"I have the best, Moka's my perfect mate. And I have such wonderful friends, like you." he said with a warm smile. The girl kept staring down at the ground in silence while the boy looked at her with a bit of worry.

"Ren? Are you ok?" he asked. The girl nodded then looked up at him with a soft smile.

"Yeah, just…thinking about everything. I'm fine Tsukune, don't worry about me." she said with a nod. Tsukune smiled at her then looked down, the boy wondering why Moka didn't send any message back to him or like the flower he sent to her. Ren looked at the boy with a gentle gaze then out toward the blue ocean.

_Moka…you don't deserve him, not after what you did to him._

* * *

In the heavenly city created for monsters Complica was sitting down inside her family's home, a small multicolored palace that resembled their original home in the monster world. She was on a soft luxurious couch, the girl looking at a sketchpad she was drawing on. The inside of the palace was rather large, yet not the same size as their original one in the monster world. Inside the spacious living room were a few large couches and chairs centered around a low round table, the furniture seeming to be multicolored as well along with the marble floors below. A chandelier was above that had blue and green candles lit and daylight from the open windows was illuminating the large room. Complica sighed and looked at the picture she drew, the image of Luna and Falla and herself and her mother and her father flying around in the sky while dozens of rainbows were seen in the bright blue and green sky above a rolling grassy field below that had a few oddly colored flowers that were blooming along with…well to be honest it was an absolute mess of a picture, but she didn't really notice as she was just looking at the image of her sister with worried eyes. Like her sisters she inherited her mother's talent of drawing and was able to draw the image perfectly, the young chronofly looking at her sister's picture as she sniffled a bit.

"Sister…please be ok." she said quietly. She set the sketchpad down on the table and looked up at the ceiling.

"Please, Mr. Almighty sir, bring her back safely." she said softly.

From nearby in the entryway into the living room Ultima and Lega were looking at their daughter with worry. Both of them were concerned about Luna's disappearance and were hoping that she would come back safely soon as well. Before they could walk out to comfort their daughter a door chime was heard. All three looked towards the front entrance, and instantly they all appeared before it from shifting through time. Behind Complica however a slight distortion effect was seen lingering on for a moment showing the trail of shifted time she passed through. Ultima opened the door to see two snow people with frosted wings standing there.

"Oh, Mr. and Ms. Kuyumaya, what brings you over here?" Lega asked curiously.

"We're sorry to come over unannounced, it's just…have any of you seen Arial by chance?" the snow man asked worriedly. The Cii family looked to each other then to the snow angels.

"No, we haven't. Is something wrong?" Ultima asked.

"Oh dear, she didn't come back last night at all. We're getting worried." the snow woman said. Everybody looked to Complica who showed signs of worry.

"What? She didn't?" she asked.

"Complica, wasn't she at the palace with you?" Ultima asked.

"Yes father. But, I haven't seen her since." the girl said shaking her head.

"Gabriel and a few other guardians are searching the palace grounds now, but we were hoping maybe Arial said something to you." the snow man said worriedly.

"Oh dear, she's missing?" Lega asked with concern.

"Complica, are you sure you don't know where she could be?" Ultima asked his daughter firmly. The girl shook her head with worry.

"No, we both went up into the palace, and then Gabriel brought me back here. I don't know where Arial went afterward." she said softly.

"Arial…" the snow woman said looking down with worry.

"It'll be ok, I'm sure she's fine." Lega said gently.

"I'm sorry, we don't know anything about her whereabouts. But if we see her we'll be sure to bring her back to you right away." Ultima said assuredly.

"Thank you. I know she's not hurt or anything, this is heaven after all. But we can't help but worry about our daughter." the snow man said with concern.

"Yes, we're worried about ours as well." Lega said looking down worriedly.

"What do you mean?" the snow woman said looking at Complica.

"Our daughter Luna was chosen by the Almighty to help investigate some strange anomaly in heaven. However…she hasn't come back from it yet. We're growing more worried as time goes by." Lega said with remorse.

"Oh my, she's missing too?" the snow woman said with a bit of surprise.

"Yes, our brave daughter Luna chose to help the Almighty with this problem and now she's vanished from the Almighty's sight. The guardian angels are trying to figure out what happened to her, but we haven't heard anything regarding her whereabouts." Ultima said with regret.

"It was so dark in there too, I didn't want her to go, I didn't." Complica said as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Dark in there? Dark in where?" the snow man asked.

"I followed Luna when she came up here, I wanted to know what she was going to be doing up here in heaven. There's a black hole in the clouds far away from the heavenly cities. It was all dark and creepy looking, and…and…she was going to go inside of it." the girl said before crying.

"Oh my." the snow woman said holding a hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know you too had a loved one missing." the snow man said with remorse.

"We're all praying that she comes back safely, my poor Luna, I hope she's ok." Lega said before she started to cry softly. Ultima looked down with a pained expression, the chronofly worried about his daughter's safety as well.

"I had no idea such a disturbance existed in heaven." the snow man said with worry.

"The Almighty doesn't want to worry the souls of heaven, it's being kept secret until they can take care of the problem. Please, don't tell anyone else what we said, we don't want to cause a panic." Lega said worriedly.

"Yes, of course. We won't tell a soul, we promise." the snow woman said softly.

"This is horrible, our daughters are missing and there's a dark anomaly in heaven. What is going on here?" the snow man asked shaking his head. The families looked at each other worriedly then to Complica, the young chronofly crying still from the disappearance of not only her sister but also her friend.

"Luna, Arial, where are you?" she cried out before burying her face into her mother's side, the woman then holding her with a worried expression.

* * *

The group was walking towards their next class together down the halls of Yokai Academy. After a quick visit from Ren the group had gone through their first class with no real problems or issues. Moka was looking down at the ground with a distant expression, the vampire still thinking about her mate that was confined to Paradise. She desperately wanted to see him again and was counting the seconds until school was over so she could see if a quick visit into the strange land would be permitted. School just wasn't the same for her without Tsukune near, the vampire and her inner self missing the boy that they fell in love with greatly. Even walking the halls she felt the absence of the boy strongly, the girl having grown used to being able to walk with her mate between classes. And it certainly didn't help that nearly everybody else had somebody to walk with either.

Kurumu was holding onto Rason's arm as always, the winged couple walking with the group as they felt the bond flowing between them. The girl loved the sensation more than anything as it coursed through her body, and never wanted the feeling to stop. She could feel his heartbeat, his breathing, and his muscle movements so well, the two lovers in tune with each other's bodies and lifeforce to a high degree. She sighed happily and glanced up at the boy who always had a calm smile on his face. From day one he's always been smiling at everybody, and now his smile always brightened her day the more she saw it. And the angel was also enjoying being close to his girlfriend, the succubus who turned out to be the Princess of Hell. Sure he was a love demon, and sure if she used her full demonic power she would go into an uncontrollable mating frenzy and savagely make love to him until knocked out, but he couldn't imagine any other girl he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Of course, seeing as how her 'hugs' nearly kill the boy every day, the group was slightly curious just how long the 'rest of his life' might be.

Mizore was holding onto Dark's arm, the snow maiden looking down at her finger with her crystal ring on it. She couldn't take her eyes off of it all during the first class, and each time she was called upon by the teacher she had absolutely no clue what the lesson was about. But she didn't care, she found her future husband and now was officially engaged to him, something that made the snow girl melt on the inside. Yes they had an oncoming threat from the sirens' old master, and yes her dear friend was suffering from a vampire's ancient bloodlust and was isolated in Paradise until he overcame the condition. But her mind just couldn't focus on anything but the thought of finally marrying Dark, her shadow demon that stole, and marked, her heart. And Dark, although showing no expression as always while he listened to his music, was also happy that he had finally given his snow girl the gift she had been waiting for. He was still cautious about the upcoming troubles for the group, however his snow maiden always came first to him. To keep her safe and happy was his primary concern, and so far he was doing just that.

Another couple was walking with the group, the young casters Yukari and Ahakon who were holding hands with one another. Yukari was excited for the next class coming up, as this was her chance to cook Ahakon a proper meal that he would love with Ran's help. She had been reading through a cookbook all last period, and was thinking of a few choices she could try to make for her boyfriend that hopefully wouldn't cause him to become ill like the many times before. The boy thought she could cook properly now and she wanted to live up to that, the young witchling more focused on that at the moment then the upcoming dangers for the group. And Ahakon was just hoping for a quiet day with his friends and girlfriend, the young mage wishing for one day where all hell didn't break loose and he could enjoy his day at school with his genius girlfriend. He knew trouble was coming their way, and he knew he had to be ready to help protect his girlfriend when the time came, but he just wanted one day, just _one day_, where life threatening battles and wild events wouldn't take place. Of course he knew that was probably too much to hope for at this school, but he still wished for it all the same.

Two others were walking with the group that day, the siren sisters Ran and Rin. The blonde haired sister was tapping her headphones a bit as they once again cut out, the girl having gotten through the first class barely following the teacher's lesson plan. It didn't help that her natural memory and intelligence was already a bit low, the girl unfortunately living up to the blonde stereotype, but with her mind under her own misguided spell she was having an even tougher time focusing as her enchanted headphones were in poor condition now. As she blinked a few times and remembered where she was and why she was walking with this group of students Ran was looking ahead at Ahakon, the blue haired siren having a gentle smile on her face. She was happy she could be near her hero like this, and was even happier that he appreciated her cooking before. Even though he thought it was Yukari's doing the siren didn't mind in the least, the girl happy that he liked what she had worked so hard on for him. She knew Yukari was counting on her helping during the cooking class to make Ahakon something great again, and she also knew that this worked in her favor in another way.

"So what class do you have next Ahakon?" she asked as she ran up next to him and looked at the boy with a curious smile. He looked to her and rubbed the back of his head.

"Shop class, that's always interesting to say the least." he said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, especially since Dark keeps seriously injuring other students on a near daily basis." Rason said with a sigh.

"They had it coming." Mizore said as she was still fixated on her ring, the girl not even looking up at those talking. The shadow demon was also silent and not speaking about the matter, although that was pretty much expected by everybody.

"I don't think they all did. Well…maybe you're right about that. But still." Ahakon said looking at the demon with a raised eyebrow. Ran looked at the silent boy curiously then to Ahakon.

"Is that class really dangerous?" she asked.

"It is if you're in it with our boyfriends." Kurumu said with a giggle. Moka nodded with a slight smile to that.

"Or if Inner Moka is cooking." Yukari said with a giggle. Moka smirked at that while her rosary glowed a bit, the inner vampire annoyed by the hurtful, yet factual, comment by the witch. Ran looked at them curiously then smiled gently at the young mage again, the girl then glancing to Yukari. The witch looked at her for a moment then nodded with a slight smirk. The siren smiled then gently took hold of his other hand, the mage looking at her curiously.

"Ran?" he asked.

"Just walking you towards your next class, is that ok?" she said with a blush. Ahakon looked at her, then to her hand, then over to Yukari who nodded.

"Sure, nothing wrong with that, right Ahakon?" she said.

"What? There's not?" he asked confused. The others were looking at them curiously as Ran smiled timidly. Rin looked between the three then tapped her headphones.

"Ok, did I blank out on something here?" she asked.

"I was wondering the same thing." Rason said puzzled.

"Yukari…I thought you said you weren't sharing him." Moka said curiously.

"I'm not, but she just wants to hold her hero's hand, nothing wrong with that is there?" Yukari asked simply.

"She's staring at him with loving eyes." Kurumu said with a raised eyebrow. Yukari glanced over to the siren who was indeed staring at the mage with a loving expression then back to the succubus.

"So…nothing wrong with expressing one's gratitude for one's hero either, right?" she asked a bit more slowly.

"She's really holding onto him." Rason said with a raised eyebrow. Yukari looked over to see Ran holding Ahakon's arm closely to her, the girl walking very close to him. The witch blinked then smiled weakly at Rason.

"There's…nothing wrong…with-"

"Um, Yukari?" Mizore said pointing to something. Yukari looked over to see Ran holding Ahakon close to the point where the boy had to lean to the side away from her to avoid being pulled into her breasts. The witch blinked then looked at Ran with a dull expression.

"You were saying?" Kurumu asked with an amused smile.

"Um, Ran?" Yukari asked flatly. The siren kept walking while the mage was trying to somewhat pull his arm free, the girl holding onto it gently and securely.

"Ran?" Yukari asked again as her eyebrow twitched a bit.

"Ran, do you think…you could maybe not walk so close?" Ahakon asked nervously as he was held really close to the girl's side her swaying chest coming very close to his face.

"Ran!" Yukari yelled out. The siren jumped a bit and looked at her with surprise.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked. Yukari growled a bit and glanced to the girl's arm, the siren looking down to seeing Ahakon looking at her nervously while being held really close.

"Oh, sorry." she said as she quickly let him go. Yukari closed her eyes and breathed out, then smiled weakly at the siren.

"Just…not so close, ok?" she asked tiredly. Ran nodded and resumed merely holding the boy's hand while keeping her proper distance. He looked at her puzzled then to Yukari.

"Um, what's going on here?" he asked. Yukari looked to Ran then to the mage with an innocent smile.

"Nothing boyfriend, well, let's get going shall we?" she said before she and Ran started pulling the boy forward, with the mage stammering something while looking between the two. The group watched them walk ahead while Rin tapped her headphones again.

"Um, did I miss something here or is Yukari sharing him with my sister?" she asked.

"Well, she says she's not." Moka said puzzled.

"Looks like she is though." Kurumu said curiously. Mizore merely shrugged before looking back at her ring with a loving smile, the girl finding more interest in that than anything else.

The group walked towards their next classes and saw Yukari once again having tackled Ahakon down to the ground with a kiss. Ran was watching with a blush and a curious expression as the mage's arms and legs were flailing about.

"And something's never change." Rason said with a laugh. Yukari jumped back to her feet while Ahakon slowly stumbled back onto his.

"Have fun in class boyfriend, I'll be sure to make you something you love for when you get out." Yukari said with a bright smile. The boy blinked and regained his senses then smiled at her.

"Um, sure. Thank you Yukari." he said softly. The witch nodded eagerly then started walking towards the cooking class and pulling Ran along, the girl looking back at Ahakon with a timid smile and wave before looking ahead.

"Sister? Where are you going?" Rin asked. Ran stopped and looked back to her.

"Um, I'm going…to cooking class." she said softly.

"What? But we don't have that class next period. We have math class, remember?" Rin said puzzled. Ran and Yukari jumped at that and looked to each other.

"What? Oh…that's right." Ran said quietly as she looked up with worry.

"You do?" Yukari asked worriedly.

"You know they're not in our next class Yukari, how could you forget that?" Kurumu asked curiously. The young witch looked from Ran to Ahakon then back to the siren again.

"But…she…" she stuttered.

"Yukari? What's wrong?" Moka asked. The witch looked around nervously then down with concern.

_Oh crap, that's right. They're not even in our cooking class, that means…oh no, I need her to help me otherwise I can't make anything good for Ahakon. What do I do?_

She glanced around quickly then looked to Dark. She ran over to him and pulled on his hand repeatedly, the demon looking at her with a raised eyebrow as Mizore glanced to her.

"Dark, I need to talk to you right away, please." she pleaded. The demon just looked at her for a moment while the group watched her curiously.

"Yukari? What's gotten into you, is something wrong?" Moka asked. Yukari shook her head with a nervous smile at her.

"No, nothing…wrong. Everything's ok here. Please Dark!" she cried out looking back to the demon.

"So talk, I'm listening." he said simply. Yukari stammered as she glanced to Ahakon, the mage looking at her perplexed, then looked back to Dark with worry. She pulled on his arm repeatedly before he knelt down in front of her, the girl pulling out one of his earbuds and whispering franticly into his ear.

"What's going on here?" Rason asked.

Yukari backed up while Dark merely looked at her with no expression.

"No." he said simply.

"No what?" Mizore asked cautiously glancing to Yukari.

"Please Dark! Pretty please! For me!" Yukari cried out.

"What's going on Yukari?" Ahakon asked.

"What did you just ask him?" Kurumu asked tilting her head.

"No." Dark said shaking his head.

"No what?" Mizore asked looking at Yukari with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm begging you, you did it for Kokoa!" Yukari cried out.

"Did what for Kokoa?" Moka asked.

"What are you asking of him Yukari?" Rason asked glancing to the demon.

"That's what I want to know." Mizore said crossing her arms before her.

Yukari hopped up and down with a worried expression while Dark rolled his eyes.

"That was different Yukari, I did so only because-" he started before the witch ran back up to him and whispered into his ear again. He paused then glanced to Ran, the siren watching him worriedly. The group looked at the two curiously as Yukari backed up again while looking at Dark with pleading eyes.

"Please." she said worriedly.

"What is this about Yukari?" Ahakon asked.

"Tell us." Mizore said with narrowed eyes.

Dark looked at the witch then glanced to Ahakon, then to Ran. After a pause he stood up and put his earbud back in.

"What's this about Yukari?" Moka asked curiously.

"Fine, on one condition." Dark said simply. The group looked to him as Yukari tilted her head a bit.

"Tell your boyfriend the truth." he said. Yukari jumped and trembled a bit as all eyes looked back to her. Ran showed a worried expression at that and glanced to Ahakon.

"The truth? About what?" Kurumu asked.

"But…but…" Yukari said nervously.

"What's he talking about Yukari? Tell me what truth?" Ahakon asked. Yukari cringed a bit then slowly looked over to him.

"Um…well, you see…" she said slowly.

"Yukari." Dark said firmly. The witch glanced to him as he crossed his arms.

"I will not help you further your lie, if you want my help you will tell him the truth." he said. The group looked back to Yukari as she looked down with worry.

"What is he talking about?" Ahakon asked walking up to her.

"Yes, do tell." Mizore said simply. Yukari glanced around at the group then looked at Ahakon with worry.

"Um…the truth is…" she said softly.

"What? What is it?" Ahakon asked looking at her curiously. Yukari looked at him with worried eyes then sighed.

"I didn't make you that breakfast this morning. Ran made it for you." she said softly. The group looked at her with wonder then to Ran, the blue haired siren nodding slowly and looking down.

"She did? Then…why did you both say that you made it?" Ahakon asked.

"She wanted you to think I made it so there wouldn't be any fighting between me and her if you she could give it to you, and…I wanted you to think I made it because I wanted you to like my cooking." Yukari said looking down with shame.

"So, that meal this morning…was from you Ran?" the boy asked looking to the siren. She nodded while looking at him with a timid expression.

"I wanted to make you something delicious for your first meal today, and I knew that the only way Yukari would let you have it was if she took the credit for it." she said softly. Ahakon looked at her with wonder then back to Yukari.

"I'm sorry Ahakon, I just wanted you to appreciate my cooking. I know what I've made you before has been…just awful, and you deserve a girlfriend who can make you something delicious." she said softly. Ahakon looked at her curiously then smiled at her.

"I've always appreciated your cooking Yukari." he said gently. The witch sniffled and looked at him with a bit of wonder at that.

"What? But…it's always made you sick before. How could you like that?" she asked. The boy smiled and shook his head a bit.

"I've appreciated it because my girlfriend made it for me. No matter how it tastes I'm still glad to have a girlfriend who cares about me enough to try to cook for me. I've always loved that about you." he said gently. She looked at him with wonder at that.

"Really?" she asked. He nodded and rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile.

"Even with the blackouts and the upset stomachs and induced vomiting, I'm still glad you're my girlfriend Yukari, I promise. No matter what you make, I'll always eat it because I love you." he said. She looked at him with amazement at that while the group looked at the boy with wonder.

"Wow, that's gotta be the bravest kid I know." Kurumu said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, willing to take her cooking with a smile. What a trooper." Rason said with a nod.

BANG! BANG!

The two dropped to the ground from golden washtubs connecting to their heads as Yukari smiled at her boyfriend, the witch slowly lowering her wand as she smiled at the boy.

"Ahakon…thank you." she said softly. Ran smiled a bit at the couple then glanced away.

"So…is that why you were letting Ran so close to him this morning?" Moka asked as Kurumu and Rason stood up again, the angel holding back the enraged succubus and slowly calming her down again. Yukari nodded and glanced to Ran.

"Yes, I agreed to let her be close to him in exchange for her helping me learn to cook better for Ahakon. But I forgot we don't even have the same cooking class." she said with remorse. The group slowly nodded then glanced to Dark.

"Then…what did you ask Dark to do for you?" Mizore asked. The shadow demon looked at the young witch for a moment then to Ran.

"You and your sister go with the other girls into the cooking class." he said simply. Ran and Rin looked at him puzzled from that.

"What? But…we're not supposed to be in that class." Ran said shaking her head.

"What you're supposed to be doing next class is teaching this witch to cook so she doesn't kill her boyfriend. The kid's willing to eat her cooking out of love for her, can't have him dying because of that can you?" he said before he started walking off down the hall. Ran looked to Yukari curiously then back to Dark.

"Where's he going?" Rason asked scratching his head. Mizore watched him go then glanced to Yukari.

"Just what did you ask him to do?" she asked curiously. Yukari looked around at the group then back to where Dark walked off, the demon vanishing into a black wisp before their eyes.

* * *

Elsewhere in the academy Ms. Ririko was walking towards her class with a calm expression, the woman looking at some papers in her hands as the next period was about to start. She got to the class door before she glanced over and saw Dark standing there all of a sudden. She jumped a bit then looked at the boy with a surprised expression.

"Oh, Mr. Kuyumaya, don't sneak up on me like that. What are you doing here, you don't have math class until…" she started before the boy started walking towards her, the hall around them growing darker. She looked around then back to the boy, the woman then backing up against the door with a cautious expression.

From around the corner Ms. Nekonome walked out then looked over with wonder.

"What are you doing?" Ms. Ririko asked as she felt a cold chill run down her spine, the woman looking into the pitch black eyes of the shadow demon. Ms. Nekonome felt the chill down her spine as well as she stared at the boy with wonder. The cat demon watched as Dark started saying something to the math teacher, the woman watching him with a slightly fearful expression as the halls around them were near pitch dark. She pushed back against her door with a frightened expression and trembled a bit as the boy crossed his arms before him. After a moment the woman nodded eagerly then the darkness faded.

"Oh my…" Ms. Nekonome said trembling bit.

"Good, thank you for that Ms. Ririko. You may have very well saved that boy's life." Dark said simply as the teacher looked at him with wonder. He had shown his true nature, the cold and dark aura of the boy sending chills down the woman's spine. She felt the evil power of the boy that was known to be a hero against Fairy Tale at the school, and for the first time she felt helpless against such a monster. And she liked it.

"Kagome." she said softly. He blinked and just looked at her with no expression.

"You can call me Kagome." she said timidly. The boy paused then started walking away without saying another word. He walked down the hall as Ms. Nekonome peeked around the corner. She then walked over to Ms. Ririko as the woman was still staring at where the boy had vanished.

"What was that about? Ms. Ririko?" she asked curiously. The other woman blinked then looked down.

"Um…nothing." she said softly. The cat demon looked at her curiously then jumped a bit.

"He did it to you too, didn't he?" she asked. The woman looked at her with a bit of surprise.

"What? What do you mean by…you mean…you as well?" she said in wonder. Ms. Nekonome nodded and looked down nervously.

"Yes…meow." she said softly. She shivered a bit then looked away.

"I know it's unprofessional, but…he's…" she said softly, the cat demon trying to push thoughts of the demon out of her head. The image of herself on a kitty leash flashed before her eyes, the teacher looking up at the demon with a blush as the darkness around her closed in. Ms. Ririko slowly adjusted her glasses then glanced to her classroom door.

"I see. Well, if you'll excuse me…I have class to attend to." she said softly. She turned to her door the glanced back down the hall. After a pause she looked at the cat demon.

"Just a random question, but-"

"He's engaged. He and Ms. Shirayuki." Ms. Nekonome said in defeat. The other teacher nodded slowly and glanced down the hall again.

"Oh." she said softly.

"I know…meow." the cat demon said sadly. They stood there in silence for a moment before Ms. Ririko walked into her classroom. Ms. Nekonome sighed and looked back down the hallway again.

"Stop thinking about him…just stop it…please stop it." she whined softly as she started to walk away.

* * *

Inside Apsara's cooking class the girls had taking their usual stations while Ran and Rin were standing at the front of the class with the teacher looking at them with a confused expression.

"Excuse me, but who are you two?" she asked.

"Um, I'm Ran and this is my sister Rin Otonashi. We're…transferring into your class today." Ran said with a weak smile.

"I wasn't informed about any new students today. Nobody told me about this switch beforehand." Apsara said with her hands at her hips.

"Me either." Rin said looking to Ran confused. The blue haired siren shrugged with a weak smile then looked at the other girls with worry.

Before anybody could say anything Dark walked into the classroom, the boy listening to his music as always. All the girls looked to him as he took two steps into the room, then stopped. He looked down for a moment then back to the doorway. After a pause he looked at the teacher with a blank expression.

"Hold on one sec." he said before he walked back out. The girls looked to each other puzzled as Ran and Rin looked to each other with wonder. There was a long pause before a crashing sound and screaming was heard next door. Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari face palmed while Mizore giggled, the girl prepping her station with a smile still. The others showed weak expressions while the siren sisters looked at the wall where a boy's cries of agony echoed out from.

"What was that?" Rin asked with a tremble.

"Dark." Moka said tiredly. The sisters looked to each other puzzled as Apsara sighed and held out a washcloth. The sirens looked at it confused then over to the door where Dark, Rason, and Ahakon walked in from. The demon walked over to the teacher, took the cloth and cleaned the blood from his hand, tossed the rag into a nearby sink, then proceeded to walk towards a station behind his snow girl.

"Seriously, every day. Why?" Rason said with exasperation.

"What did that guy do? He didn't say _anything_ about Mizore." Ahakon said with disbelief as he shook his head.

"What just happened?" Ran asked.

"He walked right up to some kid and threw him into the table saw again!" Rason cried out. The group looked to Dark as he started preparing his cooking station. He glanced over and saw the teacher looking at him with a weak expression, then glanced to the siren sisters.

"Those two are transferred in here from Ms. Ririko's math class, you'll find she's cleared it for today." he said calmly before looking back to his station.

"That's still no reason to throw some kid into the table saw!" Rason shouted out.

"He had it coming." Mizore said softly as she smiled at her demon.

"No he didn't!" Rason and Ahakon cried out.

Apsara sighed then waved the two new girls into the classroom.

"Just take a station girls." she said tiredly. The siren sisters nodded slowly while looking at Dark with worry still as the two other boys walked over and took their usual stations as well. Yukari smiled weakly at the shadow demon then waved Ran over, the siren nodding then walking over. She stood at the same station as Yukari as the witch smiled at her, the blue haired siren smiling weakly back.

"Did you…tell him to do that as well?" Ran asked nervously.

"No, he always does that. But don't worry about that right now, now we can focus on you teaching me how to cook like you can." Yukari said with energy. Ran laughed weakly and nodded. Ahakon smiled and shook his head at his girlfriend then started prepping his station as well. Kurumu shrugged then waved at her angel behind her, the boy smiling and waving back. Rin took a station behind her sister and was looking at it curiously, the siren trying to remember the proper procedure on boiling water. Moka smiled a bit at seeing all her friends then looked back to the empty station where Tsukune used to be at.

_Tsukune…_

**_It's just not the same without him._**

_I hope he's doing ok with his training in Paradise._

**_Next time we see Ren we'll have to ask how he's progressing. I'm sure he's doing well with it. You know your mate, when he sets his mind on something nothing can stop him._**

_Yeah, nothing at all. Not a vampire lord, not an entire army, not time itself._

**_Not even common sense._**

She and her inner self laughed a bit then started prepping her station for cooking as well, the vampire hoping that her mate could overcome the bloodlust that plagued him and return to her soon.

* * *

Down the streets in the human world a motorcycle was driving along with two students on it. Ceal was dressed in his usual school uniform as he drove the vehicle down the road, the boy having a calm expression still. Behind the boy holding onto him securely was Falla, the girl also in uniform and smiling timidly. Her skirt fluttered in the wind as she held herself close to the boy as he drove along the road. Her mind was lost in what transpired back at his place, the girl's heart beating steadily as it had then.

_Falla was pushed down onto the small table as the boy pulled her into a kiss, the girl's leg hooking around his as he held her down. The touch of his lips seemed to light the girl up inside, the chronofly feeling a shiver run down her spine as she was held down in his living room. She had wanted him to kiss her since she first fell for the boy, the world around the girl fading away as she got lost in her moment with him. Whether his kiss had any magic to it or not couldn't be determined as the girl loved it all the same, the chronofly's arms wrapping around him to hold him close. She knocked off books from the table as she moved slightly, the girl wishing for the moment to never end as he held her down in the embrace. When the kiss finally broke she looked at him with wonder, the boy gazing into her red eye._

_"Ceal…" she breathed out. They remained there, the boy holding the girl down as her leg was hooked around his and her hands were holding him around the shoulders, both looking into each other's eyes in silence._

_"From the day we are first trained to be dragon slayers we are taught to be in control at all times of our mind, to be focused on our task and to not let anything distract us. To be ready for anything that life and our prey throw at us." he said calmly. She looked at him with wonder as he showed a dull expression briefly._

_"I'd like to personally thank you for ruining that for me." he said simply. The girl blinked then smiled softly at him._

_"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." she said softly. He slowly stood up and brought the girl back up onto her feet, the chronofly looking at him with wonder._

_"I wanted you." she said quietly. She looked down timidly then back to the boy._

_"I promise though that I'll help you on your quest. Nothing will stop you from claiming Pandora's Box and slaying Fafnir, I swear." she said gently. He moved closer to her and held his gloved hand around the back of her head gently, the boy holding the girl close to him._

_"I'm going to hold you to that Falla." he said. The girl nodded and smiled softly._

_"Yes sir." she said softly. She glanced to the clock then back to the boy._

_"I guess we're going to get in trouble now aren't we?" she asked. The boy shook his head as he glanced to the clock._

_"No, I have a feeling the teachers won't mind we're late." he said simply. She looked at him with wonder then giggled._

_"You have dirt on all of them don't you?" she asked. The boy smirked a bit and looked at her with a small shrug. She smiled and looked at him curiously._

_"How come you attend this school if you're after Fafnir?" she asked. The boy glanced away at that remark._

_"I have my reasons." he said. The girl looked at him curiously for a moment then smiled softly._

_"Ok, that's reason enough for me." she said simply. She wasn't going to pry or question him anymore, the girl believing that what he said was good enough. He nodded then looked back at her._

_"We should get going." he said. The girl nodded and giggled a bit._

_"Sure thing, boyfriend." she said with a coy smile. The boy smiled softly for a moment then glanced away._

Riding down the road Ceal glanced back to his new girlfriend, the chronofly smiling timidly while holding onto him still, then looked ahead again. He had given in to his urge to have the girl as his, the slayer only thinking of the same thing still as he drove down the road with her behind him.

_All that self-discipline to remain focused in life, and you throw it away for a girl with a hot ass. Fucking pathetic Ceal._

They drove down the road and turned down a small alleyway that led towards the high school in the distance, the narrow walkway having concrete walls on both sides that separated them from houses on the other sides. Falla held onto the boy and looked at him with a dreamy eye, the girl loving that she and him were now officially a couple. She had wanted to move on from Tsukune for a while now, the girl accepting that he and the vampire were meant to be in this timeline. That being the case she wanted to forge a new life for herself in this timeline and find a new love, and what better choice than the boy that not only healed her mind but was a noble dragon slayer.

Suddenly the bike screeched to a halt, the girl looking around with a bit of surprise as she came back to reality.

"What the…what's wrong?" she asked. She looked ahead and saw multiple black chains stretching from one side of the alley to the other, the chains coming out of black rifts in the concrete walls.

"What the heck is that?" Falla asked. Ceal narrowed his eyes then looked up. Standing on one of the concrete walls was Razico, the man looking at the two with his arms crossed while his cape flowed a bit behind him.

"Razico? What are you doing?" Falla asked.

"I'm done playing this game Falla, I'm here for his key." Razico said as he jumped down from the wall and landed on the ground next to his chain link barrier. Ceal smirked a bit as he tilted his head slightly.

"I don't think I'll be handing it over to anybody hunter." he said simply. Razico narrowed his eyes at the boy while Falla looked between the two worriedly. She shook her head and looked to Razico with a cautious expression.

"Don't do this Razico, Pandora's Box belongs to him. You don't know what you're doing." she said.

"I should say that to you, siding with this monster when he's trying to bring about the end of the world. Have you lost all your common sense?" Razico said with discontent.

"He's not going to destroy the world Razico, he's not a bad guy. He's done nothing wrong." Falla said assuredly.

"You two are on the bike he stole from me Falla." Razico said flatly. Falla blinked then looked down to the vehicle, the girl then looking to Ceal with a playful smile.

"Ceal, you bad boy you." she said with a purr. Razico staggered a bit then growled at them.

"That's not something you should be happy about. Enough of this, get away from him Falla, I'm not letting him pass until I get his key." he said as his arm started to glow a blackish hue. Ceal chuckled then slowly got off the bike, the boy looking at Razico with a slightly amused smile.

"So you really want to fight me hunter?" he asked.

"If I have to then so be it. Render and Leon ran off ahead to school but I managed to spot you two before you got there. I'll start with your key then I'll get theirs afterward. Nobody is opening Pandora's Box, not now or ever." Razico said firmly. Ceal looked at the man with a raised eyebrow while Falla slowly got off the bike.

"Don't fight you two, let's talk about this." she said worriedly.

"Falla." Ceal said glancing to the girl. She looked at him nervously as he just looked at her.

"Do you remember what I said before?" he asked. The girl looked at him then down with worry.

_"Let me make this perfectly clear to you Falla, I will have my revenge against Fafnir, no matter what the cost. I will kill anybody that stands in my way, nothing will stop me from completing this task."_

"Yes…I do." she said softly.

"And do you remember what you said to me?" the boy asked simply. Razico glanced to the girl as she slowly nodded, the chronofly glancing away with a bit of frustration.

"Yes…I do Ceal." she said quietly. She paused for a moment then slowly turned to look at Razico with a dull glare.

"I swore to Ceal, to my boyfriend, that nothing will stop him from his goal. Nothing." she said firmly. Razico looked at the girl with caution as he tensed up.

"Boyfriend? Are you serious Falla? You're actually going to help this guy with this?" he asked.

"Yes, I am." Falla said firmly.

"Falla, I don't want to fight you, don't do this. We're not enemies here." Razico said cautiously.

"I feel the same way Razico, so just stand aside and let us pass." Falla said with a focused expression.

"I can't do that Falla, I can't let them get away with damning the world and killing everybody we know and care about." Razico said shaking his head.

"Dammit Razico, I don't want to fight you. Don't do this, don't make me hurt you." Falla said urgently. Ceal glanced to the girl then looked back to Razico with a dull expression.

"If having to draw his blood would cause you such discomfort, I suppose I can be nice here and spare you that pain." he said simply. Falla glanced to him curiously as Razico looked to him with discontent. Ceal's gloved hand glowed a black hue as the dark rifts opened up around the ground in front of him. Several large black tentacles whipped out and flailed around in front of him as Falla looked at the boy with a worried expression. Razico watched the dark limbs sway about then looked to the boy with caution. Ceal narrowed his blue eyes a bit at the warlock as he smirked a bit.

"I however will feel no pain tearing you apart hunter."


	33. Deception

Class was about to come to an end in the human high school, with the teacher wrapping up his lecture in front of his students. Most of the boys and girls in his class had paid good attention to what he was teaching them while writing down notes diligently, however a few students were a bit distracted that morning to pay full attention.

Render and Leon were somewhat following along, however they had a lot keeping their minds off track at the moment. For one they would finally be opening Pandora's Box that night, the boys eager to at last complete their long quest and finish what they and their fallen friend had started together. They had agreed to help Ceal with his wish, seeing as how it was for a noble cause, and if the boy really did manage to slay the dragon all on his own there would be plenty of treasure waiting for them. They had him and Falla on their side in their quest, the four ready to unlock the fabled box and fight what may try to come from it in order to claim their wish. Of course they also had something else poking at their minds now, and that was regarding the witch sisters Apoch and Astreal. The twins had tried to use deceit and trickery the previous night to steal one of their keys, the girls having failed to do so as Ceal had caught onto them early on. However the sisters had expressed their sincere apologies that morning and claimed that Kyouko was the mastermind behind the whole deception. Not only that, but Falla also seemed to agree with them, the chronofly blaming the human girl for the witch sisters' reasons for not trusting the boys. They still didn't fully trust the girls, however were wondering if what Falla said was true about them.

Falla, Apoch, and Astreal paid nearly no attention to the teacher that morning, the twins merely watching the teacher with empty looks while Falla was just looking at her desk with a bored eye. The three girls seemed a lot less lively compared to yesterday and extremely distant from everybody, with none of them taking notes or answering any questions by the teacher.

And Kyouko was having trouble listening to the teacher as she was trying to figure out why all her friends suddenly blamed her for Apoch's idea to have the movie night in hopes to steal one of the keys. Not only that, but the three monster girls seemed very cold to the girl, something she couldn't figure out as well. She already knew that Falla would be mad, which was understandable, but was baffled why Apoch and Astreal were mad at her as well.

"Ok class, that concludes today's lesson. And remember that tomorrow there will be a test on what we went over, so I expect all of you to study hard tonight." the teacher said as he gathered his paperwork at his desk. He glanced to Ceal's empty desk then rolled his eyes, the man then walking out of the classroom. Other students started to get up and leave as Render and Leon looked at the girls next to them with a curious glance. Apoch and Astreal kept looking ahead with no expression while Falla was just tapping a finger on her desk with a bored expression. Behind them Kyouko was looking at them with confusion and disbelief still. After the other students had left Falla glanced to the sisters and cleared her throat, the two looking to her then to the boys with worried eyes. They stood up and walked over to them and bowed timidly.

"If you'll allow us, may we please walk with you to our next class?" they asked together.

"Wow, how did you say that perfectly in unison?" Render asked scratching his head. Leon looked at them carefully then to Falla who stood up, the girl looking at them with a simple smile. He then looked back to the sisters.

"No thank you, we'll be fine on our own." he said simply. The twins looked at them worriedly as the two boys stood up.

"But I promise to behave. I'll make sure no other girls come near you while you are walking the halls Mr. Render." Apoch said softly. The boy blinked and looked up in thought about that. Astreal looked at Leon with a worried glance then down again.

"I understand you still have a wound from losing your girlfriend Mr. Leon, I will not try to take her place. However if there is anything I can do to make peace between us, please allow me just one chance." she said timidly.

"I'd say they really like you two, can't you just find it in your hearts to give them one more chance?" Falla asked gently. Kyouko kept looking between the two parties with puzzlement as the witch sisters looked down with closed eyes.

"Please, just one more chance." they said together. Render and Leon glanced to each other.

"Well…I wouldn't mind walking the halls without being mauled every five seconds by crazy girls." Render said with a shrug. Leon rolled his eyes then looked to the girls.

"Keep your distance, understand?" he said simply. The sisters nodded with gentle smiles.

"Yes, we understand." they said together. The two boys nodded then glanced to Falla.

"Where is Ceal? How come he didn't show up to class with you?" Leon asked. The girl merely shrugged.

"No idea." she said simply.

"So you actually spent the night with him, did you two play nice?" Render asked with a smirk. Falla looked at him with a dull expression for a moment then smiled arrogantly.

"I took him for the ride of his life, not that it's any of your business." she said with a purr as she wiggled her hips slightly. The boys jumped a bit and looked at her with a surprised expression while Kyouko's jaw dropped.

"You did?" Render asked with wide eyes. Falla nodded and glanced to the witch sisters.

"Well he is a treasure hunter, and if there's one thing that gets girls like us going, it's a treasure hunter." she said with a coy expression. Apoch and Astreal giggled and nodded with bashful expressions. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the girls with wonder while Kyouko still showed a stunned expression with an open mouth.

"Well…you don't say." Render said as he regained himself. Apoch approached him and glanced to his arm.

"Mr. Render, I think for appearances…I should hold onto your arm in the hallway. That way other girls will get the hint that you are taken." she said softly. Render looked at her with raised eyebrow then glanced to Falla. The girl nodded and motioned him on. After a pause he slowly nodded.

"Well…ok then." he said. Apoch walked up to him and gently took hold of his arm, the witch looking at him with a caring smile.

"I'll keep you safe all day, I promise." she said softly.

_No! Don't listen to me! It's not me talking! It's not me!_

Astreal walked up to Leon and looked down timidly.

"If you wish for me not to hold onto your arm I will understand, however is it ok if I at least walk near you?" she asked softly. Leon looked at her carefully then glanced to the window.

"Fine. That's ok I guess." he said simply. The girl nodded and smiled timidly at him.

"If you need anything at all Mr. Leon, please let me know." she said softly.

_That's not me talking! Help! Help us!_

"What is going on here?" Kyouko said shaking her head. Falla glanced to her with a glare then looked to the others.

"I need to have a word with my _friend_ here about her conniving ways, I'll meet you all later." she said firmly. The witch sisters nodded then looked at the human girl with a glare.

"If I hadn't listened to you and your damned idea I might have been his actual girlfriend." Apoch said with a hiss.

_Ms. Kyouko! Help us, please!_

"You made me harm Mr. Leon, and he was already hurting already from his loss. I can hardly stand myself now thanks to you." Astreal said as she trembled with anger.

_Don't listen to us, and don't listen to her, that's not the real Ms. Falla!_

The two boys looked to each other then to Kyouko, the girl rendered speechless at her friends' words.

"What? But…what? The date night idea wasn't _my_ idea! It was-" Kyouko cried out before Falla spoke up.

"Enough of this already. You and I need to talk Kyouko, leave them alone. You've already set them back far enough from finding new boyfriends with your treachery." she said sternly. Kyouko looked at her with shock while the witch sisters looked down with closed eyes and firm expressions.

"Come Mr. Render, I'll make sure you get to your next class safely." Apoch said softly. Render looked at her curiously then slowly nodded.

"Um…sure. Thanks, I guess." he said before the witch and him started walking away.

"Mr. Leon? Shall we go?" Astreal asked softly. Leon looked at Kyouko cautiously then to Falla. Astreal watched him as he walked down the steps and after his friend, the blonde haired witch following closely behind him. After they left Falla looked at Kyouko with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Falla, please believe me. That date night idea was Apoch's plan, not mine. I mean yes, I was with them on trying to steal the key, but…they wanted to do it on their own, not because of Razico, and certainly not because of me." Kyouko pleaded. Falla looked at her with a dull expression and tilted her head a bit. Kyouko looked at her worriedly then down in shame.

"I'm sorry, I know you wanted that night to go well so you and Ceal could get closer, but please trust me. He's bad news for you Falla, and you can't let them open Pandora's Box, it could be the end of the world! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" she asked looking back to her friend worriedly. Falla just stared at the girl without saying a word. Kyouko looked at her worriedly then walked over to her.

"Falla, please, you're my friend. I don't want you to get hurt or be used like this, please just listen to me on this." she begged. Falla looked at her for a moment then started giggling. Kyouko watched her as the girl started laughing and then laughing wildly, the chronofly holding her sides as she laughed manically.

"Falla?" Kyouko asked worriedly. Slowly the chronofly regained herself and looked at the girl with an amused smile.

"You always are so friendly with me Kyouko, I've never understood why." she said simply.

"What do you mean Falla? We're friends, why wouldn't I care about you?" Kyouko asked. Falla chuckled and shook her head.

"Oh yes, of course. _Friends_." she said with a slight smirk.

"Falla?" Kyouko asked again with a curious expression. Falla smirked and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Tell me _friend_, don't you trust me? I thought since we were so close that you would always believe in me, are you saying that's not true?" she asked. Kyouko looked at her curiously as the chronofly put a finger to her chin with an inquisitive expression.

"Don't you trust me Kyouko?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But…I mean…I do…it's just…what they said about the box…" Kyouko said nervously. Falla laughed a bit and looked at the girl with a smile.

"They're not going to open the box." she said calmly. Kyouko looked at her with surprise. Falla chuckled and leaned in closer to her.

"Apoch and Astreal…are merely pretending to be on their side again." she said quietly. Kyouko blinked then jumped a bit.

"You mean…what they said earlier…" she said softly. Falla nodded and tilted her head a bit.

"Of course, they're just playing the part Kyouko. We have no intention of letting them make their wish after all." she said softly.

"You mean…you're not going to help them open the box now?" Kyouko said with surprise. Falla laughed a bit and shook her head.

"No, I'm not going to help them open the box Kyouko. I promise." she said kindly. Kyouko looked at her with amazement then smiled a bit.

"Falla, oh wow, you had me going there. I though all of you were really mad at me." she said with relief. Falla laughed wildly for a moment then looked at her with an amused expression.

"Oh Kyouko, you know you really are so gullible sometimes. It's kind of cute actually." she said with a smirk. Kyouko laughed weakly then breathed out in relief.

"I'm sorry, it's just…the way you were so nice and obsessed with Ceal the other day, you had me thinking you really did side with them." she said with a relieved smile. Falla raised an eyebrow at the girl and chuckled a bit.

"Oh really? Kyouko dear, what's my name?" she asked. Kyouko looked at the girl curiously then smiled a bit.

"Falla Cii." she said softy. Falla nodded and held up a finger with a smirk.

"And what does that mean?" she asked.

"Deceptive and misleading." Kyouko said with a giggle. Falla nodded and stood proudly.

"It's what I do Kyouko, it's all in my genes." she said confidently.

"I'll say. I'm glad that you really are on our side still, I was worried about you." Kyouko said with relief. Falla showed an innocent smile as she took her hand and started walking her out of the classroom.

"Aw, you always do care about me don't you? Such a good friend." she said with a sweet tone.

"Well of course, you may be deceptive but I know for a fact you're still a good person Falla." Kyouko said assuredly. Falla giggled and looked ahead as she walked her down the hallway of the school. Kyouko nodded then looked at her with a curious smile.

"So…you and Ceal…didn't really…" she said with a raised eyebrow. Falla glanced to her and smirked.

"Kyouko dear, there isn't anybody in this school that's worthy of being with me, let alone some petty self-proclaimed treasure hunter." she said arrogantly. Kyouko laughed a bit and nodded.

"Haha, I'm glad to hear you say that. You know when he first cured your dementia I thought he took control of your mind or something." she said with a laugh. Falla nodded then glanced to the girl curiously.

"Cured my dementia?" she asked. Kyouko nodded and smiled at her.

"Yeah, when he cured your mind yesterday. I mean that was pretty insane that he could do that, but I thought he did something to make you like him. I should have known you were being deceptive like always. You're like a double agent in one of those spy movies." she said with a smile. Falla looked at her curiously then smiled a bit.

"Yes, I suppose I am, aren't I?" she said simply. Kyouko nodded then looked down while they rounded a corner in the hall as Falla looked at her carefully for a moment.

"I was trying to call Tsukune all night to tell him about what was going on, but he never answered. I was worried that with you siding with them on this crazy hunt that Pandora's Box would have been opened for sure." Kyouko said softly. Falla looked at the girl with a dull glance then forward again. Kyouko took a breath then smiled at her friend confidently.

"But now I'm feeling much better about things, I should have known you wouldn't have agreed to help them with opening that thing." she said. Falla smirked and nodded.

"Don't worry Kyouko, I assure you that those boys will never open that box." she said calmly. Kyouko nodded then looked around curiously at the hallway.

"Um, I think we took a wrong turn back there, this isn't the way to math class." she said with a laugh. Falla glanced to her and smirked a bit.

"Oh I know, we're not going there right now." she said simply.

"What? Why not?" Kyouko asked curiously.

"Because we're meeting up with the twins of course." Falla said as she walked up to the infirmary doors. Kyouko looked at her puzzled then to the doors.

"What? Why would they be here though, they just walked Render and Leon to math class." she asked as Falla opened the door, the chronofly motioning her in.

"I thought you just got done saying you trusted me Kyouko, where did all that trust go just now?" Falla asked playfully. Kyouko smiled a bit and nodded then walked in, the chronofly following and closing the door behind them.

"I'm sorry, you're right." Kyouko said looking around the infirmary room with a calm smile. The room had three beds with enclosed white sheets to separate them, all of them drawn at the moment. The desk where the nurse was normally at was empty as sunlight was seen from the window across the room. Falla smirked and walked into the room with crossed arms as Kyouko looked around curiously.

"Where are they? I thought we were meeting the twins in here." she said.

From one of the enclosed beds two figures walked out from behind the sheet. Kyouko looked over and smiled at the two girls. They were both dressed in the school uniform as one had short dark hair while the other had long blonde hair.

"We're right here." Jovian said with a smile. Kyouko looked at the girl as her smile slowly faded.

"Hello." Jacqueline said with a creepy smile. Kyouko's expression slowly turned to shock as she recognized one of the dark witches.

"Wha…what…" she breathed out as she started to tremble.

"Kyouko Aono, it's been a while. How have you been doing?" Jovian asked with a curious smile, her multicolored eyes staring into Kyouko's. The human girl trembled with fear and slowly pointed to her.

"You…you…" she said as she remembered the dark witch and the abuse the monster put her through before. Jovian giggled and nodded.

"Me." she said simply with a smirk. Kyouko shook her head and slowly looked back to Falla, the chronofly smiling wickedly at her.

"What is this…what's…going on?" Kyouko said with fright. She backed away from the three towards the window as the girls looked at her with dark smiles.

"So this is the one you got to play with on that day? No fair, she's so much riper than Tsukune's mom." Jacqueline said with a slight pout. Jovian giggled and looked at the human with an inquisitive expression.

"I suppose she is, although she wouldn't stop screaming for a few good hours when we got started, she's such a drama queen." she said plainly. Kyouko looked at them with fright then glanced over to the sheet that was pulled over slightly from where they walked out of. Lying on the bed was a smoking body of an adult, the woman's body charred and burnt from head to toe.

"Oh…my…god…" Kyouko breathed out in horror. The witches glanced to it and shrugged as they walked up closer to her.

"She wouldn't shut up. She was a screamer too I guess." Jovian said with a giggle.

"So we had to make her be quiet. Are you going to scream now too?" Jacqueline said tilting her head with a creepy smile. They grabbed the girl by the arms and held her as they looked at her playfully.

"You can't…be here…you're dead." Kyouko said with fright. The sisters giggled and shrugged.

"We may be dead…" Jovian said.

"But we're still here." Jacqueline said with a smile. Kyouko looked at the girls as they held her securely then over to Falla with wide eyes.

"Always so gullible. Such a pathetic commoner if there ever was one." Falla said with a smirk.

"Falla…" Kyouko breathed out. The chronofly chuckled and walked towards her.

"Now now Kyouko, my dear _friend_…" she said with a dark smile. She walked up to Kyouko and grabbed her by the hair, the girl looking with wide eyes at the chronofly as she leaned in closer.

"What's my name?" she asked with dark tone.

* * *

Render and Leon were walking down the halls of their school along with the two witch sisters, both girls smiling timidly while glancing to the two boys. Apoch was holding onto Render's arm gently as the boy was looking at her with a curious expression. He didn't fully trust her, not after what the two girls tried last night, but wasn't complaining about being able to walk to class without being hounded by girls like he always was. Astreal was walking beside Leon, the girl avoiding contact with the boy at his request yet still remaining close to him. He was looking at her with a careful eye as he figured the sisters were up to something, even if Falla insisted that they were indeed on their side.

"Is this ok Mr. Render?" Apoch asked softly as she looked to the boy with a curious smile.

_No…I can't move…I can't stop myself!_

"Um…yeah, I guess." The boy said nervously with a weak smile. She showed a bit of worry and tilted her head.

"Is something wrong? Am I overstepping my boundaries?" she asked softly.

"No, this is fine. Really." Render said rubbing the back of his head. Apoch looked at him curiously then down again.

"I really am sorry for what happened last night, I hope you can forgive us." She said softly. Render looked at her with a bit of concern then over to Leon. The boy glanced to him then to Astreal who was still walking alongside him.

"So you girls just expect us to trust you again after you tried to steal my key?" he asked flatly. Astreal gently took his hand and stopped, the boy looking to see her showing a remorseful expression.

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one Mr. Leon. I really do. I'm sorry about coming between you and your promise to your girlfriend's memory. I know I acted horrible last night, and just by saying sorry I cannot earn your trust back. But please, give me just one more chance to show you that I'm serious when I say that…that…" she said before looking down with closed eyes. Apoch and Render looked at her curiously as the girl looked back up to Leon.

"That I want to be with you." She said softly.

_I can't stop myself…no, no I can't control my body or my voice!_

"And just why should I believe a word you're saying?" Leon asked simply.

Before anybody could say a word Render was yanked to the side from Apoch's grip, the witch looking to seeing two other girls holding him by an arm each.

"Come on Render, I'll walk you to class." one of them said with a giggle.

"No I'm walking him to class." the other said yanking him to the other side.

"Like hell you are, I saw him first!" the first girl yelled back.

"You wish, take a hike bitch." the other barked back.

Leon watched with a dull expression while Render was looking between the two girls nervously.

"Wait, hold on, you two aren't even in my math class. In fact…who are you anyway?" he said worriedly. The two girls giggled and started dragging him down the hall.

"Hee hee, then you can walk me to my class Render." one of them said with a purr.

"No, he's walking me to mine." the other said as she started pulling on his arm.

"Back off, he's mine you little-"

The two girls smacked into a flickering wall of light and bounced back, the girls shaking their heads and looking at the barrier with surprise. Render looked at the wall of light then over to see Apoch glaring at the girls. She walked up to the girls and yanked the boy back away from them.

"He's coming with me, like hell either of you are worthy enough to be with him." She said with a glare. The two girls blinked then looked at the witch with worry as the girl extended her blade of light and held it out towards them, the witch holding onto Render's arm still as the boy was looking at her with surprise.

"If you so much as touch him again I'll hack off your hands. You got me?" she said with a hiss. The two girls nodded nervously and backed into the wall of light behind them. Leon and Render watched with surprise while Astreal showed no expression at all.

"What…what are you?" one of the girls said in fear. The barrier behind them vanished and they fell back onto their rears as the witch dissolved her blade.

"I'm his girlfriend." Apoch said firmly. She blinked then nudged Render.

"Play along Mr. Render." She whispered to him. He looked at her for a moment then glanced to the two other girls as they stumbled back to their feet. He smiled confidently and held the witch close from around the waist, the girl glancing to him curiously.

"You heard her, she's my girlfriend. Spread the word." He said proudly. The witch looked at him with a curious glance as a strange aura pulsated through her. After a pause she looked to the two girls with a smug smile. The girls nodded then walked away in defeat while Render chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Wow, that was close. Thanks Apoch." He said as he smiled at the witch. She giggled and smiled at him.

"Anything to help Mr. Render." She said softly. He smiled a bit and glanced to Leon. The boy looked at him for a moment then rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't prove anything." He said simply. Render looked at the two witches then shrugged.

"I'd say it counts in their favor at least." He said with a smile. Apoch looked down timidly as she held onto his arm.

"I'll do whatever it takes to be worthy of your trust, and of you." She said glancing up to him with a small smile. He smiled a bit and looked to Leon, the boy still giving him a dull stare. Leon sighed and started walking again with Astreal following alongside him. He glanced to the girl as she was looking down timidly still.

"I still don't trust either of you." He said flatly.

"I understand Mr. Leon. And I'll do whatever it takes to be worthy of your trust as well, just tell me what I must do." She said softly. Render and Apoch followed after them, with the boy looking at the blonde haired witch curiously while Apoch was looking down with a blank expression.

The four students walked into their next class and took their seats, with the boys sitting at one table and the girls behind them. Each girl was looking at the boy in front of them with a dull expression, the girl only showing a smile if either boy looked back to them briefly.

"They do seem to want to make up for what they did." Render said in a hushed tone to his friend.

"It's just another trick, I don't believe them at all. They're just trying to steal the keys again." Leon said quietly.

"But what if it's not? You saw how sorry they were this morning, and even Falla said they didn't mean to act that way. Kyouko just got into their heads is all." Render said.

"The only thing getting into anyone's head around here is Apoch with you." Leon said flatly. Render glanced back to the raven haired witch, the girl smiling softly at seeing him and waving a bit. He smirked and looked back to his friend.

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't entirely accurate, however that's beside the point here. Falla saw reason, maybe they did too." He said quietly. Leon shook his head as he kept looking ahead.

"You can trust them if you really want to, but I'm not so easily convinced they're as innocent as they say." He said firmly. Render looked at him then glanced to Astreal.

"You know, Astreal…does seem to like you." He said softly. Leon growled a bit and glanced to him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't even think about it Render." He said sternly. Render looked at him for a moment then down.

"Selena wouldn't want you to close yourself off from the world like this man. She would want you to be happy, to…move on." he said softly.

"Shut up." Leon said through bared teeth. Render looked at him worriedly then ahead again. The two witch sisters kept staring at them with blank expressions while inside their minds the girls were screaming in terror.

Other students started to walk into the class along with the teacher as class was about to begin. Render and Leon glanced over and saw three empty seats, then looked back to the sisters. They shrugged with calm smiles.

"Maybe they're just running late." they said together.

"How do you always speak together like that?" Render asked curiously. The sisters merely giggled…also in unison, as Leon looked back to the empty seats. Before he could ask anything Falla walked through the door and over to her seat. She sat down and looked ahead with a bored eye as the boys looked to her.

"Hey, where's Ceal? And Kyouko?" Render asked. Falla glanced to him and smiled a bit.

"Kyouko went to the infirmary, she felt rather bad about everything she's done and needed to lie down." She said with a shrug. Render nodded and looked to the empty seat next to her as Leon raised an eyebrow.

"And what about Ceal?" he asked. Falla shrugged and looked ahead again with no interest.

"How should I know where he is?" she said plainly. The boys looked to each other curiously then to the chronofly. The witch sisters kept looking at them with dull expressions, neither seeming to have their eyes focus on anything. After a few more students walked into the class the teacher started his lesson for the day. Again Apoch and Astreal showed no focus or interest in the lesson as they had empty looks in their eyes. Render and Leon were paying vague attention, with Render wondering if the witch sisters were really on their side while Leon was still skeptical about their sudden change in personality again. As the teacher was going on with his lesson Falla glanced to the empty seat next to her, the girl holding in her chuckle as she showed a dark smile for a brief moment.

* * *

Inside the infirmary room muffled whimpers and cries were heard. Jacqueline was standing by the window looking out at the human city with a bored expression. She then glanced back into one of the waiting areas in the infirmary. It's sheet was drawn back to show Jovian sitting on the edge of the bed, the girl looking down with a cold smile. Below her Kyouko was seen on her hands and knees, the girl being forcibly held under Jovian's skirt as the evil witch licked her lips a bit.

"Come now Kyouko, you're not even trying. And after all the pleasure I gave you on our special night together before you could at least try to show some gratitude." Jovian said with a laugh as she held Kyouko's head firmly, the girl whimpering and crying as she as forced down on the witch.

"No fair sister, you had her last time. Let me have a go." Jacqueline said with a pout as she walked over to them, the witch crossing her arms and looking at Kyouko with disappointed eyes.

"Oh but she's so happy to be with her long lost friend again. She must have missed me dearly too, look, she's crying tears of joy." Jovian said as she held Kyouko's face up slightly. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she stared at the witch with horror.

"St…stop…please…" she breathed out. Jovian giggled and brushed her hand through the girl's hair.

"Oh, but you've just started, you can't stop now." She said simply. She gripped Kyouko's hair and glared at her with glowing multicolored eyes.

"I gave you such pleasure before, now you're going to return it, or else." She said before she pushed Kyouko back down on herself. The girl whimpered and cried as she was held down while Jovian hooked one of her legs around the girl's head.

"Either you return the favor, or I'll snap your neck right here and now _friend_." She said with a smirk. Jacqueline giggled and glanced to Kyouko's skirt. She licked her lips and looked at her sister with a coy smile. Jovian glanced to her then smirked, the witch then nodding. Jacqueline knelt down behind the girl and pulled Kyouko's panties down, the girl screaming as she was held down still. Jacqueline smiled wickedly as her hand started to glow a bright multicolored light, the girl then reaching towards Kyouko's exposed flesh.

"Ah ah." Jovian said shaking her head. Jacqueline looked at her with worry as Jovian smirked a bit.

"This one won't heal as fast as the other one, I don't want you ruining my fun with her just yet." She said with a laugh. Jacqueline nodded then looked down disappointed while her hand returned to normal.

"Aw, first we have to wait here in this boring school and then I can't even have any fun." She said with a pout.

"It's all for a greater reward my dear sister. Have patience." Jovian said as she started to quiver a bit. Jacqueline nodded then glanced to the window.

"How long do we have to wait here for anyway?" she asked.

"Until our little helpers get those keys from those treasure hunters. One of them has his keys hidden away, so charming it out of him is the best course of action to take." Jovian said as she held onto Kyouko's hair tightly. She giggled and looked to her with a coy expression.

"Good girl, I knew you could behave properly." She said with a purr. She then looked to her sister again.

"We'll give them until the end of the day to get those boys to show them the keys, then those hunters can die along with those weaker models of us." She said with a nod.

"But what if those boys don't give them the keys? Or the real Falla shows up?" Jacqueline asked curiously. Jovian chuckled and gripped Kyouko's hair tightly, the girl screaming while she was forced to please the evil witch.

"Then we'll just have to use a bit of force dear sister. One way or another they will give us those keys, even if we have to level this city to the ground." she said with a dark smile. Kyouko looked up to her with wide eyes and whimpered something while being held down firmly.

"What was that? Sorry, but you have your mouth full." Jovian said with a giggle. Kyouko yanked back a bit and trembled in fear.

"What do you mean…the real Falla?" she said shakily. Jovian laughed and pushed her back down again.

"You should be paying more attention to me right now friend, c'mon now, focus." She said playfully. She then showed a bit of discontent and held the girl's head down with a tight grip.

"If I'm not screaming soon then you'll be." She said sternly as Kyouko thrashed a bit while being held down on the witch. Jacqueline giggled and shrugged.

"As long as I get to play soon I'm ok with that." She said before pulled Kyouko's skirt up. The girl screamed loudly as the dark sister began to use her tongue on her, the human girl being held down and abused by both witches. Jovian laughed as she watched Kyouko's suffering, the witch getting as much a kick out of it as the girl's tongue. She could have easily have hexed Kyouko to make her more submissive, but she wanted the girl to be awake as she was abused and to see the pain and torment in the girl's eyes while she played with her. She then glanced to the window as she started to tremble a bit.

"Don't worry Kyouko, I'm sure your friend will be coming here soon. And when she does, you two can suffer together." She said with a wicked smile before she leaned back, the girl wrapping her legs around Kyouko's head as she got lost in the moment. The human girl whimpered and cried as she was held down by the two witches, the girl scared and confused as to how the evil sisters were once again alive.

_Apoch…Astreal…Falla…help me!_

* * *

Falla was standing by the motorcycle that she was riding a moment ago with a nervous expression, the girl looking at a standoff taking place in the alleyway near some human homes. Concrete walls were on both sides of the alley along with a chain link barrier that was set to stop the vehicle, the chains coming from black rifts in the walls. Near the chain link barrier Razico was standing ready, his arm glowing a soft black hue as he watched his opponent carefully. He knew he had to stay on guard as he was facing somebody who had a great deal of necro magic at his disposal. Facing the warlock and standing next to the motorcycle as well was Ceal, the boy dressed in his normal school attire as his gloved hand glowed with a soft black hue. In front of him dark tentacles were flailing around slowly from dark rifts on the ground. Falla looked between the two worriedly as she was watching her new boyfriend about to attack, and likely kill, her friend.

"Wait, please don't do this you guys." She said shaking her head.

"Seems your friend wishes to spare you death, perhaps you should listen to her hunter." Ceal said calmly.

"Don't give me that crap kid, I'm not letting you pass with that key, and that's final!" Razico yelled as electricity raced along his arm and built up at his hand. The warlock launched the lightning blast towards Ceal, the attack being blocked as one of the dark tentacles whipped around and connected to the blast. The limb flailed around smoking then withered and vanished back into the ground as the other tentacles continued to sway around in front of the boy. Ceal merely glanced to where the smoke from the attack billowed up and dissolved then looked to Falla.

"Shame, seems your friend wishes to die." he said. In a flash two dark limbs ripped up from rifts below Razico, the man dodging to the side as the limbs whipped around. One of them struck at the chain link barrier and shattered it as the other snapped at the warlock. Razico rolled to the side and held back his hand, the warlock creating a long chain that extended out and cracked behind him like a whip. He then struck forward with it as fire raced along it, the heated chain slicing through one of the limbs as the other swiped at him. It wrapped around his arm before his heated chain wrapped around it, the man then yanking back and slicing through the dark appendage. He looked over to see a flash of dark light flying at him, the man gasping ducking down as the bolt of black lightning struck over him and blasted into an explosion behind him. The warlock looked over to see Ceal aiming his gloved hand at him while his eyes were narrowed.

"Ceal stop!" Falla pleaded before more dark limbs appeared around the warlock. He whipped his chain back before one of the limbs grabbed him by the arm and swung him over into the wall, the man smacking against it as his arms and legs were entangled by the dark limbs. Ceal walked towards him while Falla shook her head with fear.

"Please don't kill him Ceal, please!" she begged. She vanished and appeared in front of Razico, the girl holding her arms to the sides. Ceal stopped and just looked at her as she shook her head.

"He can't stop you, he's not a threat. Please don't kill my friend." she pleaded. Ceal just looked at her for a moment then jumped back as dark chains flew upward from the ground, the boy then darting to the side as another pair shot out from the wall towards him. He looked back and narrowed his eyes at the warlock that was glaring at him. Falla turned to look at him before the dark limbs around him tightened and he yelled out, the warlock's arm then flaring with a small trail of fire. He grabbed one of the dark limbs and it burst into flame, the tentacle flailing about as it let go of his arm. He then brought over his free hand to the one holding is other arm and grabbed it, the warlock the sending a torrent of fire around his arm and flaring up around the limb. It too let go and flailed around as Ceal growled a bit. Before Razico could grab the ones holding his legs they swung him around and threw him into the concrete wall across the alley, the man smacking into it with a cough before dropping down onto the ground.

"Razico!" Falla cried out. She blinked then looked down as the two fiery limbs retracted back into the dark rifts, along with a ghostly groan that echoed out softly. Falla looked at the ground with wonder then over to the other limbs that hadn't vanished.

_Wait…they feel pain? But…they're just magic…_

"How dare you." Ceal said with anger. Falla looked over to seeing Ceal glaring at Razico, the boy showing anger very clearly for the first time. Razico coughed a bit and slowly looked up to him as the boy held out his dark hand.

"How dare you harm him." he said with anger.

"Him?" Falla said softly.

Razico slowly got to his feet before more of the dark limbs shot up around him, with each hand and leg being grabbed along with one around his neck. The warlock coughed out as he was lifted into the air slightly while Ceal glared at him. Razico's arm started to flare around as he smirked weakly. Again he unleashed his magic, with fire flaring around him in a torrent that set the limbs on fire. He dropped to the ground and dashed towards Ceal as the dark limbs flailed around on fire. Before he got close to the boy another limb grabbed his leg, the appendage then whipping him back and slamming him into the wall, then down onto the ground, then over into the other wall. Ceal watched the warlock get tossed back and crash into the ground as the flaming limbs vanished again, the rifts closing as a faint ghostly groan was heard. Falla looked at her friend with worry then over to Ceal. The boy started walking towards the warlock with narrowed eyes as Razico shakily got up on his hands and knees, the man coughing and struggling to stand back up. Again dark limbs appeared from rifts on the ground and ensnared him, the warlock being held tightly again from his arms and legs. He shakily looked over Ceal as the boy was glaring at him.

"You foolish hunter, did you really think you could stand against me? My family is trained to kill dragons, the most powerful of monsters in existence, and you believe that you, a low rate caster, can compare to me?" he yelled out. Razico was flung over to the side by his arms and slammed into the concrete wall, the man coughing out as he was yanked back and slammed into the other wall.

"Ceal, please stop. Please!" Falla begged as she ran over to him. She watched Razico get thrown back onto the ground, then hurled over into the wall, the warlock slumping down coughing as the limbs let go and flailed around in front of him. Razico slowly looked up to the boy as he was sitting against the wall, his vision slowly coming back as he was breathing heavily.

"Dragons?" he coughed out.

"He's a dragon slayer Razico, he's after Fafnir. That's why he's wants the box for the wish, to find him so he can kill him." Falla said worriedly. Razico looked at her with a bit of surprise then over to the boy. A tentacle appeared from the wall behind him and wrapped around his neck, the warlock grabbing it as he choked loudly.

"I've said it before hunter, nothing, and I mean _nothing_, will stand between me and my goal. I will kill all those that dare to get in my way. I will have Fafnir's head no matter what the cost." Ceal said as he held out his gloved hand towards the warlock. Falla grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"No Ceal, please. He's done, he can't fight back. You've won, just don't kill him. Please!" she cried out. She looked over to Razico and gasped. The wall behind him seemed to shift around as a dark rift rippled behind the warlock. He glanced back and saw the limb that was holding him extending into the rift…towards rows and rows of razor sharp teeth that extended deep into the darkness.

"What…is that…" Falla breathed out in fear. Razico grabbed the edges of the wall near the rift as he was yanked back, the man trying to stop from being thrown into what he could only assume was a mouth of something. From the edges of the dark rift teeth started to extend out, a few of them cutting into his arms.

"What the hell is this?" he coughed out as he formed a black chain from the ground and held onto it, the links in the ether below holding as the ground around the rift started to crack from the force.

"You won't be interfering again. Goodbye hunter." Ceal said coldly. The ground around Razico's chain started to crack as he was pulled from behind, the limb around his neck holding tightly as three more whipped around his waist and shoulder. The ground below him started to shift around as the dark rift seemed to expand below, the man looking down to see the faint image of more teeth where the rift would be opening up into.

"What…what is that thing?" Falla said with fear. She looked to Ceal and grabbed his arm tightly with her hands.

"Please, I beg of you stop! For me!" she cried out.

"What the hell is this?" Razico said as the ground around him started to shift into darkness, the man's foot dropping down as another limb whipped around it. The warlock was being pulled back and down into what looked to be a dark void with nothing but teeth around it, the mouth seeming to stretch out beyond what could be seen.

"Please Ceal! I beg of you!" Falla cried out as she hugged him from the front, the girl burying her face into his shoulder. He glanced to her then to Razico as his chain snapped from the ground, the warlock being thrown back into the void. He stopped suddenly as the ground below him vanished completely and he was held in midair from the missing floor and wall, the warlock glancing back to what seemed to be a monster's mouth that had nothing but teeth around inside of it. Falla slowly looked over as the man was held there, then they both looked to Ceal.

"Ceal…" Falla said softly. The boy glanced to her then to Razico. He growled then snapped his fingers as he looked away. The warlock was then thrown out of the rift and into the other wall, the man crashing into it and dropping to the ground with a thud. Falla looked over to him then into the rift.

"What…is that Ceal?" she asked.

"My pet. Xarai." Ceal said with a calm expression. A dark limb slowly extended out from the rift and hovered before him, the boy holding his gloved hand out and letting the limb touch his palm. Falla looked with a wide eye at it as Razico slowly got up and looked with shock at the monster.

"What…what the hell is that thing?" he shouted out.

"Your…pet?" Falla asked. Ceal nodded then glanced to her. The girl looked to him with wonder then to the dark monster in the rift. All that could be seen in the small rift was his mouth, although the limbs that were coming forth seemed to blend into the darkness as all that was clearly seen was the monster's teeth. Razico looked at the monster cautiously then to the boy.

"That thing is your pet?" he asked with discontent. Ceal growled a bit as more dark limbs appeared around the warlock, the caster looking around as he tensed up.

"Offer your apology hunter, or else I'll feed you to him regardless of Falla's tears." Ceal said while still looking at his pet. Falla looked back to Razico as the man stared at Ceal like he was fucking crazy.

"Are you fucking crazy? I'm not apologizing to something that tried to eat me." he barked out.

"He didn't 'try' hunter, he was going to succeed until I stopped him. It was only because of Falla's words that I decided to give you a chance to surrender, and you can start by apologizing for burning his limbs." Ceal said glancing to the hunter. Razico growled and tensed up before Falla shook her head worriedly.

"Don't Razico, you can't beat him." she said urgently. The warlock growled with frustration and glanced around. The monster from the other side was indeed powerful, even if his limbs were able to be burned more just showed up like it was nothing. And apparently Ceal had complete control over the beast as he stood there with a calm expression while letting one of the dark limbs rest on his palm. Razico grunted then slowly dropped his attack stance.

"He's waiting hunter." Ceal said with a tone of impatience. Razico narrowed his eyes at the boy and glanced to one of the dark limbs.

"I can't believe this…" he growled through bared teeth. Ceal glanced back to him as Falla looked at the warlock with a worried eye.

"Just do it Razico." she said softly. Razico glanced to her then looked down as he clenched his fists.

"Sorry." he muttered out. Falla looked at the dark limbs then back into the rift.

"What…is he Ceal?" she asked.

"A necro monster from the underworld. With this hand I'm able to summon him anywhere I go, almost as if he's bound to me just as this hand is." Ceal said as he slowly let go of the dark limb. The tentacle swayed around a bit as Falla looked at it with wonder. She had no idea that each time she saw these dark limbs they were actually from a monster on the other side, the girl always having assumed they were just disembodied limbs from a magical spell.

"Wow…" she said softly. Razico looked at the boy cautiously then to his gloved hand.

_I knew it, he's getting all his real strength from that hand. No wonder he's so powerful with his necro magic._

"Xarai?" she asked curiously. Ceal nodded then gently took her hand and held it out. The dark limb swayed around and brushed against it, the slowly coiled around her hand. She looked at it with fear for a moment then with a bit of wonder.

"Xarai." Ceal said firmly. A few more dark appendages appeared from the rift and reached out, the limbs wrapping around her waist and arm. She looked with fright as Razico tensed up.

"Ceal." she said while shaking a bit.

"This is my girl Xarai, you will not harm her. Understand?" Ceal called out. Falla looked to him with wonder as Razico merely raised an eyebrow. Slowly the limbs let go of the girl and retracted back into the rift as another ghostly groan was heard from the monster's mouth. The tentacle around her hand loosened slightly and slid around her palm slowly. She looked at it with a bit of wonder as the monster merely touched her hand with his limb.

"Oh wow…" she said softly.

"He will not harm you Falla, do not fear him." Ceal said calmly while glancing to her. She looked at the limb with amazement as it was docile in front of her. Yesterday each time she saw these dark tentacles she was always scared to at least a small degree, with the first time she saw them being frightened for her life. Yet now she saw them and the monster they were connected to in a different light. It was acting calm and peaceful around her, like a dog. The limb slowly crept along her arm then up and brushed against her cheek a bit before pulling back slightly. It wasn't slimy or sticky, yet had smooth yet scaly feeling to it. She smiled a bit and ran her hand along the limb, the dark appendage slowly coiling around her hand then letting go.

"It's…unreal." she said softly. Razico watched the limb treat Falla gently with a cautious eye then looked to Ceal.

"He's so gentle now, even after Razico cut off some of his limbs." she said softly as she looked at the tentacle curiously.

"His limbs regenerate very quickly, severing them won't hurt him. However he doesn't like it when they're burned." Ceal said glancing back to Razico with a glare. The warlock looked at him with a raised eyebrow then back to the appendage that Falla was looking at with a gentle eye. The limb then recoiled back into the darkness as the rift sealed back up, the ground and wall shifting back to normal as Ceal recalled his power. Falla looked to the boy with wonder as he glanced to her.

"I spared your friend's life this time, don't assume I'll do so again." he said simply. She nodded and smiled a bit.

"Thank you Ceal, for showing a heart." she said softly. He just looked at her for a moment then over to Razico. Falla looked over to him as the warlock was watching Ceal carefully.

"So, a treasure hunter, a dragon slayer, and a pet owner. You're just full of surprises kid." the warlock said crossing his arms before him. Ceal just looked at the man with no expression for a moment then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Unless you've changed your mind about dying in Xarai's stomach, this fight is over." he said coldly. Razico growled a bit as Falla looked between the two worriedly.

"Please you two, don't fight." she said softly. Razico glanced to her then to the boy. Ceal smirked a bit and tilted his head.

"Still planning on taking me on for my key?" he asked with an amused tone.

"I was thinking about it, yes. I don't go down that easily." Razico said with narrowed eyes.

"Actually, you do. I just saw you. But here's something you should consider hunter…" Ceal said with a smirk. Razico and Falla looked to him as he flexed his gloved hand slightly.

"My key is with Xarai on the other side, so unless you want to see my pet again under hostile circumstances, you're never going to see it." he said with a chuckle. Razico looked at him with a bit of surprise then over to where the rifts vanished. Falla looked back to the spot as well then to Razico with a shrug.

"Well, looks like you're not getting it from him Razico." she said simply. Razico growled a bit and then glared at the boy.

"This isn't over kid, I'm not backing down from stopping you. Even if Falla is really so far gone in her belief that you're not some lunatic and you have Render and Leon fooled, I won't fall for your deception. I'll never let you open Pandora's Box, not a chance in hell." he said sternly. Ceal rolled his eyes and walked over to the bike, the boy mounting it with a calm expression.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Razico barked out.

"I'm going to school with Falla, we're already late this morning thanks to her." Ceal said glancing to the girl. She blinked then smiled softly.

"I said I was sorry." she said with a coy expression. Razico looked at her puzzled then back to Ceal with discontent.

"We're not done here yet kid, and besides that's my bike you're sitting on." he said sharply. The boy glanced to him then chuckled a bit.

"You're welcome to fight me for it hunter, but as a fair warning you won't get far." Ceal said looking at him with an amused smirk. Razico narrowed his eyes and tensed up before Falla appeared before him instantly.

"Please stop Razico, don't start another fight." she said warned.

"I'm not starting it, but I'm going to finish it. Stand aside Falla, I won't let this boy damn the world into chaos all for some stupid wish." the warlock said sternly. Falla shook her head and looked at the warlock with a stern expression.

"It's not stupid Razico, I've seen what he's going to wish for. I know why he's going to risk his life for that wish. His wish is for a noble cause, and he can handle this. You can't stop him Razico, I won't allow it." she said with a firm expression. He looked at her as a pulse of magic radiated around the girl.

"I won't let you go near him, do you understand me? He's going to have his wish, and nothing, and I mean _nothing_ is going to stop him." she said firmly. He looked at her cautiously as the girl turned and walked back over to Ceal. The boy smirked a bit and looked at Razico.

"Seems my girlfriend has made her choice hunter." he said simply. Falla smiled and blushed a bit at that remark as she mounted the bike behind him, the girl holding him around the waist securely. Razico growled as Ceal started the bike, the warlock's fists clenched as he watched the two with a careful eye. The boy had access to powerful necro magic and a rather large summoned beast from the underworld, and Falla would be nearly impossible to stop with her magic at her disposal again. Not to mention that even if he could somehow detain them the key he was after was being guarded by the boy's pet, and would likely be nearly impossible to steal from. Ceal started driving the bike then stopped next to Razico, the boy then glancing over to the man.

"Ruby." he said simply. Falla and Razico looked at him curiously as the boy raised an eyebrow at the warlock.

"That was the name you called out back in the monster world inside the labyrinth, isn't it?" Ceal asked. Razico nodded as Falla looked to him.

"Yes, what about her?" he asked.

"I take it she's someone special to you?" Ceal asked carelessly. Again Razico just nodded. Ceal looked at him for a moment then ahead again.

"Then go be with her hunter, you're done here." he said before the two drove off. Razico watched them drive down the alleyway and turn onto a road then growled a bit.

"No, I'm not done here yet kid. Not by a long shot." he said sternly. He paused then looked down in thought.

"A dragon slayer? And did she say Fafnir? What kind of wild stories is this kid telling her, that's just absurd." he said shaking his head. He then looked to where the two drove off and narrowed his eyes.

"You won't sway me from this kid, I'm not going to let anyone open that box. One way or another I'll stop you, that's a promise." he said before he started running after them.

From the other side of the alleyway a man was peeking around the corner with wide eyes, the human having seen the strange fight between the two magical casters. He looked around at the damaged alleyway then over to where the warlock rounded the corner and vanished from sight.

"Oh my god…monsters. Monsters are running loose here now. Holy shit." he said nervously. He backed up around the corner and brought out his cell phone, the man dialing numbers quickly as he looked around fearfully. He listened to the other side as he trembled a bit, then looked around with fright as the other end picked up.

"Get me the HDA, this is an emergency."


	34. Endangered

Inside Apsara's cooking class Moka was looking down at her station with a blank expression. She didn't have anything cooking as she had lost focus on her class and was preoccupied thinking about her mate. She hated being separated from him like this, and each passing moment seemed to drag on without the boy nearby. She sighed and just looked at her empty station as she remembered his smile that he always had. How he was always around when she needed him. How his vampire aura was like no other to her. And how he always said her name, the girl feeling her heart race each time he heard his voice say it. Even her inner self was finding time going slower for her, even more so since she was normally sealed from the power of the rosary. To make matters worse she couldn't come out at all now with him gone, the boy having been the only one that could remove the seal over her chest. Not that she had any real desire to anyway, since the outer version of the vampire could defend herself from any bully at school, and that she was also among friends who could easily protect her as well. All either side of the vampire wanted was to see their Tsukune again, to hear his voice, to feel his touch, and to be near him once again.

She breathed out and looked to the clock, the class time seeming to be endless to her. She just wanted the day to end so she could go to the headmaster's office in hopes she could visit Tsukune in Paradise.

_The day has never seemed to drag on so much like this before._

**_I know what you mean, I feel like we've been waiting for days to see him again. Literally days._**

She nodded slowly and looked back down to her station. Nothing else seemed to matter to the vampire as Tsukune was the only thing on her mind. She was so deep in thought about her missing loved one she didn't really notice what her friends were up to.

To her side Mizore was working at her cooking station by making a frozen plate of meat and vegetables for her demon. And by working I mean mostly looking at her ring on her finger and very slowly preparing the dish. And by preparing the dish I mean mostly putting the meat and vegetables on the plate and flash freezing them. She simply couldn't take her eyes off of the ring Dark had made for her, the girl's eyes admiring it nonstop all morning. It shimmered slightly in the sunlight while a dark hue seemed to swirl around inside the band from the demon's essence. She tilted it and examined the ring constantly while she smiled happily, the girl rolling her lollipop around in her mouth gently as she relished in the fact that she was officially engaged to the shadow demon. She sighed happily and glanced behind her, the girl watching her fiancé work at his station. He was listening to his music, as always, and had a blank expression, as always. She glanced down and watched his movement with his knife, the boy slicing vegetables up quickly and evenly before whipping them with the knife into a pot. The girl giggled a bit as she watched her demon cook something, the girl still amazed by everything he could do. Read lips, fight with human weaponry, cook perfectly, and had perceptual awareness that surpassed even hers. She just watched him with a dreamy expression, the snow girl already planning in her mind how her wedding would be with him.

While she got lost in her fantasy and he continued cooking unaware that his snow girl was just staring at him with unblinking eyes, Kurumu was leaning back against her station watching her angel behind her. She already had some cupcakes baking for her angel, the succubus more than familiar on how to bake sweets, and was watching her boyfriend with a curious smile. Rason could do a lot of things; fly around in the sky with her, fight the forces of evil alongside her, and even bring her back to life. However it appeared there was something the angel couldn't do to save his life, and that was cook. She had come to that conclusion by merely watching him as he once again tried his hand at the craft. It wasn't hard to figure out though; his pot had fire coming out of it along with black smoke, he had a pan of…something that certainly wouldn't pass for food on it, and he was looking at his station with a perplexed expression while scratching his head. He knew he followed the directions properly by the book, yet was sure this wasn't supposed to be the outcome. He glanced to his girlfriend and shrugged with an innocent smile, the girl giggling and shrugging back. She didn't care he couldn't work his way around a kitchen, she was more than happy to cook for her Destined One. Actually, she was more than happy to do a lot of things with her Destined One, with one more thing coming to mind prompting the girl to bring out a little notebook from her shirt and write it down. She looked to her boyfriend with a coy smile as she put it away, the angel recognizing that expression from his love demon and wondering just what exactly was going through her head.

As Kurumu planned for more playful activities for her angel and as the boy quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire that might have caused an inferno in the classroom, Yukari and Ran were at her station working on a meal together. The young witch had one goal in mind, something that she had been thinking about all morning. Cook one, just _one_, meal that wouldn't cause her boyfriend to either vomit, pass out, go into a hallucinogenic state, soil himself, or cause blood to come out of any part of him. Yes, that last part is not just a joke, there was that one time…but anyway. She was determined to cook a proper meal for him, and had found help in the blue haired siren. Ran had expressed her interest, and talent, for cooking for the boy by making him a breakfast that morning that he did indeed like. She even tried to have Yukari take the credit for it since that would allow her hero to eat her cooking without a fight breaking out. Even though the secret was out now she was still happy to help any way she could to make sure Ahakon got a proper meal. And seeing as how Yukari's meals nearly kill the poor boy, she was very eager to try to save her hero by helping the witch learn how to cook. At the witch's station the two were looking at a cookbook with a careful eye.

"Ok, I think we'll start with this. It sounds simple enough to make." Ran said pointing to something. Yukari looked at it then shook her head.

"No, the last time somebody tried to make that we all nearly died." she said simply. Ran jumped a bit and looked at the book with surprise.

"Really? What's so hard about making pumpkin pie?" she asked scratching her head.

"Trust me, pick something else." Yukari said shaking her head. Ran glanced to her then back to the book as she started reading another page.

As they brainstormed on what to make for the boy they liked Ahakon was reading a cookbook himself, the boy wanting to try something new. He glanced at a few pages then over to his girlfriend. He smiled a bit seeing Yukari and Ran talking and laughing a bit, the boy glad they finally worked out their differences. He was also curious about what the two would be making together for him.

_Well it is a comfort to know with Ran working with her I'm sure the meal will be safe to eat._

"Yukari, you can't add those in." Ran said worriedly as Yukari tossed something into the pot and started stirring.

"Why not? The recipe calls for ingredients with lots of protein doesn't it?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, but not from live grasshoppers." Ran said holding a hand over her mouth. Ahakon looked at the two worriedly as Yukari just looked at the pot with a curious expression.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked.

"What's wrong with them? What's wrong with you? You can't put live insects into a stew like this. We're supposed to add beef to it, not…bugs." Ran said shaking her head. Ahakon showed a nervous expression as Yukari merely looked at the pot while still stirring, the witch trying to figure out what she did wrong despite Ran pointing it out.

"So…insects bad?" she asked looking up at the siren with a puzzled expression. Ran just looked at her with disbelief.

"Yes, insects very bad." she said nodding. Yukari nodded slowly then looked to the pot.

"What about spiders? They're not insects." she asked. Ran and Ahakon showed a disgusted face at that remark.

"Spiders aren't good for protein...are they? Wait a minute, can you even _eat_ spiders?" Ran asked cringing a bit. Yukari looked at the siren curiously.

"Of course they are, they're delicious. You can grind them up into a nice spice or seasoning, or you can fry them and eat them like chips, or you can…um, you ok Ran?" Yukari asked as the siren turned pale and showed a worried expression.

"You mean, you've eaten those things before?" she asked with a shiver. Yukari nodded with a smile. Ran glanced to Ahakon then back to the witch.

"And…you've kissed Ahakon…with that mouth?" she asked weakly. Yukari showed a puzzled expression and nodded a bit.

"Yeah, what's wrong Ran?" she asked. Ran wavered a bit then held a hand over her mouth.

"Oh god, that's disgusting." she said shaking her head.

"What's wrong with eating spiders?" Yukari asked puzzled.

"Everything!" Ran cried out. She shook her head and looked to Ahakon, the boy looking at them curiously.

"Did you know she eats spiders and then kisses you?" she asked in disbelief. At that remark everybody, including Moka, looked over to her with wide eyes. Dark merely glanced over since he saw Mizore staring at something with surprise. Ahakon showed a stunned expression and just glanced to Yukari.

"Um…what?" he said weakly.

"You're eating spiders? What is wrong with you?" Rason asked shaking his head.

"And you're kissing him with that mouth afterwards? Gross." Kurumu said with a disturbed face. Yukari looked around puzzled as everybody was staring at her.

"What's the big deal, they're good in protein, and kind of tasty too." she said simply. She looked over to see Ahakon just staring at her with a stunned expression. Ran looked at the witch then to the mage with surprise.

"I can understand you wanting to eat her cooking no matter how bad it is, you want to be a considerate boyfriend. But…kissing her after she's been eating spiders? There's got to be a line Ahakon." she said in disbelief. Yukari jumped a bit and looked at her worriedly.

"Hey, it's not like I go around eating the things off the floor or anything, they have to be prepared correctly beforehand." she pleaded.

"You just dumped a handful of live grasshoppers into the pot, and were planning on feeding that to Ahakon." Ran said pointing to the pot with a disturbed face. Ahakon just looked at the pot worriedly then over to his girlfriend.

"Where did she even get live grasshoppers from anyway?" Mizore asked.

"Where did Inner Moka get a live pig from?" Kurumu asked flatly with a shrug.

"Hey, you're supposed to be helping me learn to cook, not making fun of me." Yukari said with discontent.

"I'm trying to, but it's hard when you keep suggesting food that's not only alive but has more than four legs!" Ran cried out.

"But the food is edible, and it's healthy to eat too. I've been eating this kind of stuff my whole life." Yukari said shaking her head. Ran looked to the pot of boiling insects then back to the witch with wide eyes.

"You've been eating bugs your whole life?" she asked with a disgusted face.

"You know, when she puts it like that, that really does sound gross." Rason said with a weak expression.

"No wonder Ahakon throws up nearly everything she cooks, it's got bugs in them." Kurumu said shaking her head with a disgusted expression. Yukari looked around at her friends then to Ahakon with worried eyes, the boy just looking from her to the ground with a nervous expression.

"Ahakon…it's good. Really." she said softly. The boy glanced to her then to the pot without saying a word.

"How can you feed my hero this stuff every day? Tell me you didn't put…bugs in everything you've made for him." Ran said with shock. Yukari glanced away and shook her head.

"No, not…everything." she said softly. She looked down then slowly glanced up to Ran. The siren looked at her cautiously then glanced to the pot.

"What else have you been feeding him Yukari?" she asked.

"You know, I'm not sure I want to hear this. Really." Ahakon pleaded. Rin looked around at the group then down to her cutting board as she was cutting up carrots, the girl turning up the volume on her headphones so she didn't have to hear more of this lovely conversation and ruin what little appetite she had left.

"What have you been feeding him Yukari? Tell me." Ran said sternly. Yukari smiled nervously and glanced to the pot while touching two fingers together innocently.

"You know. Healthy stuff. Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts…some frogs' legs, eyes of salamanders, some rabbits' feet…along with the rabbit, crushed sunflower seeds…and the flowers, mice tails, some scrambled squid eggs, and…" she said shakily before trailing off. She glanced around to see everybody staring at her with shock, even the cooking teacher.

"What the…oh my word, haven't you been learning _anything_ in my classroom young lady?" Apsara said disturbed.

"Oh dear god, you really are trying to kill Ahakon after all." Kurumu said in shock.

"You've been feeding him all that, and he's still alive? How?" Rason said with a pale expression.

"Oh my…Yukari…" Moka said weakly, the vampire disgusted by the witch's cooking ingredients in the past.

"And they say my cooking is weird." Mizore said flatly. Dark didn't say a word and showed no expression while Ran showed a mortified expression. Ahakon however just looked at the witch with wide eyes. He knew the ingredients the witch had used with her questionable meals before would have been different, but he didn't imagine that he had been eating anything like that.

"You…you've been feeding him all that? How could you Yukari? How could you?" Ran said shaking her head with concern. She looked at the pot with worried eyes then to Ahakon. She ran over and hugged the boy, his face being buried into her chest with his eyes looking up at her with surprise.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry Ahakon, I never knew you were suffering this much." she cried out. The boy tried to say something but his words were lost in the girl's bosom.

"Hey, he's not suffering!" Yukari barked out.

"You've been feeding him everything _but_ what is considered food Yukari." Kurumu said looking at the pot with a disturbed expression. Yukari looked at the pot nervously then to Ahakon. Ran leaned back from her hug and looked at the boy with worried eyes.

"I'm so sorry Ahakon. I promise I'll cook you a good meal every day, I won't let you die like this." she pleaded.

"Die? Hey, my cooking isn't that bad!" Yukari yelled out.

"I do remember one time when he was coughing out blood." Mizore said flatly. Yukari twitched at that and looked at her with worry.

"Oh yeah, that was a scary five minutes." Rason said looking down with a shudder. Yukari showed a pained expression then looked to her cooking station. She had been getting the hint lately that her cooking wasn't desirable, but now she was seeing just how bad it really was for everybody.

"But Ran, it's ok, really. I mean…she's trying her best, I can't get mad at her for that." Ahakon said shaking his head. Ran backed up a bit and looked at him with concern.

"You're so brave, you really are. First you face Alucard and his horrible offspring, then you eat this girl's cooking with no fear of death." she said softly. Yukari twitched then growled at the girl.

"You're comparing my cooking to Alucard?" she yelled out.

"They both can be pretty deadly." Rason said with an inquisitive nod. Yukari trembled then looked down with her hair covering her eyes, the girl sniffling as she shook her head. The group looked to her as she whimpered a bit and kept looking down.

"Yukari?" Ahakon asked worriedly.

"I…I…I'm trying." She said softly. The group looked at her as she glanced to her cooking station with a watery eye.

"I really am. I just don't understand, everything I've made is what I've eaten at home with my family, I don't understand what's so wrong with it." She said before she sobbed a bit.

"For starters you're putting bugs in it!" Ran cried out. Yukari cried a bit and looked to Ahakon with remorse.

"I'm sorry Ahakon, I really am. I wanted to learn to be a better cook, but I just can't do it right." She said softly.

"Yukari, you…you didn't do anything wrong." He said walking over to her.

"What do you mean she didn't, she's been feeding you the worst possible things." Ran said worriedly. Ahakon looked to the witch's cooking station then to his girlfriend, the witch starting to break down and cry.

"I mean it Yukari, I'm not upset with you." He said gently. She sniffled a bit and slowly looked up to him.

"You're not?" she asked softly. He shook his head with a kind smile.

"No, you've just been cooking how you were taught at your home, there's nothing wrong with that." He said gently.

"Um…there is stuff _moving_ in her pot." Kurumu said looking in the witch's cooking pot with a disgusted face. Ahakon breathed out then looked at the group with discontent.

"Would you all knock it off already?" he yelled out. The group looked at him with surprise as Yukari looked at the boy with wonder.

"Stop picking on her for her cooking. So what if it's different, it's how she was taught to cook by her family. She's only making food how she thinks is right, and maybe it is too." He said firmly.

"What? How is using live insects in a stew right?" Ran said shaking her head. Ahakon looked at the pot then to his girlfriend.

"Because it's a witches brew, and it's healthy too. Right Yukari?" he asked. The girl just looked at him with wonder and nodded slowly. Ran looked at the pot with a disgusted face then to Ahakon.

"Ahakon, how can you say such things about that?" she asked puzzled.

"Yeah, her cooking's nearly killed you before, how can you defend it?" Kurumu asked shaking her head. Yukari looked down with worry as Ahakon smirked.

"Hey, she's still learning to cook isn't she? You can't break her down for trying." He said simply. The witch looked at him curiously at that remark.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, you may know some of the ingredients to your cooking, but, have you ever considered that you're not cooking your own recipes properly?" he asked. She looked at him puzzled as the group just glanced to each other.

"I don't understand, what do you mean by that?" she asked again.

"I mean that maybe you just need to refine your own recipes a bit. What you said before make sense, cooking with those ingredients is healthy. But maybe you need to cook them properly like you said before. You just need to practice them more, that's all." Ahakon said gently. The witch looked at him curiously then to her pot.

"Wait, are you saying that you actually _want_ her to keep cooking you this…stuff?" Ran said looking at the pot with surprise. Ahakon chuckled and glanced to her.

"Why not? I'm dating a witch after all, and this is what witches eat. If she can love it I'm sure I can too." He said with a nod. Ran looked at him with surprise then to Yukari, the young witch looking at the boy with wonder.

"Ahakon…" she said softly. He looked to her and smiled a bit.

"Don't give up Yukari. If this is how you know how to cook, then build on that. I'm sure you can perfect your own cooking style, you are a witch after all." He said assuredly. She smiled a bit and looked at him with loving eyes.

"You mean that Ahakon? You'll…still try my cooking?" she asked. Ran just looked at the boy speechless then to the pot on the station. Ahakon nodded with a calm smile.

"Of course." He said.

"Again, bravest kid I know." Rason said with amazement.

"Ahakon…" Yukari said with watery eyes.

"Yukari…" he said kindly.

"Ahakon…"

"Yukari…"

"Ahakon…I love you!" she cried out before she tackled him to the ground, the boy flailing around a bit as she kissed him passionately. Ran just looked at them then over to the station with wonder. The group looked at the pot of boiling insects then down to the couple with a bit of curiosity. After a moment Yukari hopped up and looked at her boyfriend with a bright smile, the mage having a dazed expression on the ground from his girlfriend's love.

"Thank you Ahakon, I promise I'll make you a great meal yet, just you wait!" she cheered out. Ran looked at the boy on the ground curiously then to the pot. Ahakon slowly got to his feet and smiled weakly.

"I can't wait Yukari." He said with a chuckle. Yukari nodded then looked over to see Dark standing by her station, the boy looking at the pot of grasshoppers that at this point were certainly dead. After a pause he scooped one up with a fork and looked at with a blank expression.

"Whoa, what are you doing man?" Rason said worriedly. The group watched as he ate the grasshopper, the boy chewing it with no expression still. Everybody jumped in surprise as he stood there, with Mizore watching with wonder. After a moment he swallowed the food and just looked ahead into space.

"Dark?" Moka asked worriedly. The demon paused then glanced to Yukari.

"Could use a bit of salt." He said simply with a shrug. The witch looked at him with wonder as the group looked to the pot curiously. After a moment Mizore walked up and looked at it curiously.

"Mizore don't, are you crazy? Besides it's too hot for you." Kurumu said worriedly. Mizore scooped up a grasshopper on a fork and blew on it, the insect frosting over and cooling down instantly. She then ate the bug with a crunch and chewed it, with the group watching with wide eyes. After a moment she put the fork down and shrugged.

"I've had worse." She said softly.

"Mizore…" Yukari said softly.

Rason and Kurumu looked to each other then walked up to the pot. They each took out a grasshopper with a fork and looked at it curiously. After a pause they ate them and looked to each other curiously as they chewed it. They swallowed the food and looked back to the pot.

"Well?" Moka asked walking up to them.

"It's not…bad actually." Rason said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I wonder how they would go with chocolate on them." Kurumu said curiously. Moka and Ran walked up to the pot and looked at it curiously. They each then took out a grasshopper with a fork and looked at them carefully.

"It's really…ok?" Ran asked with a worried expression.

"It looks…safe." Moka said cautiously.

"Well I'm not coughing out blood." Rason said with a simple smile. Ran and Moka looked to each other then to the insects. After a pause they each ate them as the group watched curiously.

"Is it ok?" Yukari asked worriedly. The two swallowed the food and looked at the pot with wonder.

"It's not…that bad." Moka said. Ran just looked at the pot curiously then to Yukari. The witch smiled a bit and looked down. Ahakon walked over and tried a sample as well, the witch and siren watching him closely. After a moment he swallowed it and looked at his girlfriend with a smile.

"Yeah, that wasn't so bad. Really." He said. Yukari smiled brightly as Ran looked back to the pot with a curious expression.

"Hey what are you guys eating over here?" Rin asked walking over to them. She looked at the pot and turned pale with a weak expression.

"Um…what the heck? There are bugs in that pot." She said nervously.

"Yeah, try it. It's actually kind of good." Moka said with a smile. Rin held hand over her mouth and shook her head.

"No way, that's gross." She said worriedly.

"We thought so too, but…we were wrong." Rason said looking at Yukari with a smile. She smiled a bit and looked at Rin.

"It's ok, try it. It's just grasshoppers." The witch said gently. Rin shook her head with a disgusted expression.

"No way, I'm not eating bugs." She said firmly. The group looked to Ran who was still staring at the pot. After a pause she glanced to Ahakon.

"Do you really like it?" she asked softly. He nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, it's ok for being insects, right?" he said with a weak laugh. Ran looked at Yukari for a moment then over to the cooking.

"Sister, did you eat that stuff too?" Rin asked worriedly. Ran nodded and smiled a bit.

"Yeah. It's actually…not too bad for bugs." She said looking to Yukari. The witch smiled a bit and nodded. Ran then looked to her sister.

"Try it, Yukari made it." She said with a smile.

"No way!" Rin cried out backing up from the group.

"But Ahakon likes it." Ran said looking to the mage, the boy nodding with a smile.

"So what? If Ahakon jumped off a bridge would you do it too?" Rin said with a disgusted face.

"Well yeah, somebody would have to catch him." Ran said with a giggle. Yukari held in her laughter and looked at the blue haired siren with a smirk.

"It's not bad Rin, really." Moka said gently.

"Yeah, we were surprised too. But the pipsqueak can cook after all." Kurumu said with a shrug.

BANG!

The succubus dropped to the ground as Yukari held her wand up in the air, the girl having an annoyed expression with closed eyes as the blue haired girl fell to the ground next to a golden washtub. Yukari paused for a moment then smiled innocently at Rin.

"Just try it, please?" she asked.

"No way no way no way!" Rin cried out shaking her head. Kurumu jumped back up and tried to charge the witch with fury in her eyes, the girl then being held back by her boyfriend who showed a tired smile.

"Just try it Rin." He said as he held back his enraged girlfriend. Slowly the girl calmed down with the bond flowing through her and gradually relaxed, the girl then holding her angel while giving the witch a slight glare.

"I'm not eating bugs!" Rin said holding her hands over her mouth and looking at the pot with disgust.

"What do you mean, you already said you wanted to try it." Dark said simply. The group looked to him curiously as Rin shook her head again.

"No I didn't, I never said that." She said sternly.

"Yes you did, don't you remember?" Dark asked curiously. Rin blinked and looked at the demon with a cautious expression.

"What are you talking about, I never said I would eat those things." She said worriedly.

"But you just said you would since your sister did, did you forget that already?" Dark asked looking at the girl's headphones. Rin blinked and held them with a puzzled expression.

"No, I didn't. Did I? No, I'm sure I wouldn't have." She said nervously.

"But you did, you were just about to try them with us. Your headphones must be on the fritz again." Mizore said softly. Rin tapped her headphones and looked down puzzled.

"I did? But, that doesn't sound right." She said shaking her head.

"Yeah, you wanted to be the first to try it but your sister went first anyway. Aw Rin, your memory lapsed again didn't it?" Kurumu said sweetly. Rin looked at the group then to the pot.

"It did? I didn't even notice." She said worriedly. The girl walked up to the pot and showed a bit of fear.

"But…bugs. I really wanted to eat this stuff?" she asked shaking her head.

"Yeah, you thought it would be fun to try." Mizore said softly.

"It's ok sister, we all tried it, give it a chance too." Ran said gently. Rin looked at the group then to the pot. Slowly she took out a fork and brought out a grasshopper, the girl looking at it nervously.

"Are you sure I wanted to?" she asked worriedly.

"Just eat it Rin, it'll be ok." Ahakon said with a nod. Rin blinked then slowly put the grasshopper in her mouth, the girl chewing it with a cautious expression. The group watched her eat the food slowly, the siren looking down at the pot of insects then to her sister before she swallowed it.

"Well?" Ran asked. Rin glanced to the pot then tapped her headphones.

"Well what? What was I doing again?" she asked puzzled as she looked around.

"Headphones lapsed again." Rason said shaking his head.

"You were just about to eat Yukari's cooking with us." Kurumu said with a smile. Rin blinked and looked down to the pot, the girl then showing a disgusted face.

"What? No way, I wasn't going to eat bugs, that's gross." She said shaking her head.

"But you just ate one." Ahakon pointed out. The siren looked to him with surprise then to the pot.

"What? I did?" she cried out. She coughed out and dropped the fork, the girl spitting off to the side as the group smirked a bit.

"Ew, that's so gross. I hate bugs I hate bugs." She said shivering a bit.

"What's wrong with insects? Some of them are good for you." Ran said glancing to Yukari, the witch smiling at her in return. She nodded then looked to the blonde haired sister that looked like she was about to throw up.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up." Rin said weakly.

"Well she did try it at least, no need to make her do it again." Moka said with a weak smile. Rin spit out to the side and looked down with a disgusted face as the group chuckled a bit. Ran looked to the pot then to Yukari.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. The group looked to her as the siren smiled a bit.

"I guess your cooking isn't…that bad after all." She said softly. Yukari smiled a bit and looked down.

"Well…I still need more practice though." She said.

"A lot more." Kurumu said with a smirk.

BANG!

As the succubus dropped to the ground again from another washtub connecting to her head Yukari smiled up at Ran, the witch lowering her wand as Rason looked down to his dazed girlfriend.

"But thank you for trying it." She said softly. Ran nodded and glanced to Ahakon. After a moment she looked at the witch curiously.

"So what else do witches make for their boyfriends?" she asked. Yukari looked at her with wonder as Ran winked at her.

"I agreed to help you cook remember? Let's see if I can help you better your own style of cooking. I don't know much about cooking…bugs and what not, but I do know a thing or two to help make the meal tastier." She said. Yukari smiled and nodded eagerly.

"Thank you Ran." She said happily. Ran nodded and smiled weakly.

"After all, I don't want Ahakon coughing out more blood." She said. The group chuckled a bit as Ahakon rubbed the back of his head nervously. Kurumu once again jumped up and tried to charge the witch while Rason held her back, the angel smiling tiredly at his girlfriend's quick temper. Dark and Mizore just watched Rin spit continuously as the siren was disgusted that she actually ate an insect. And Moka was smiling at her group of friends, the vampire wishing her mate was here with them.

Rin coughed a bit and looked down with a weak expression.

"I hate bugs I hate bugs I hate bugs." She said shaking her head.

"Ok sister, you don't have to try it again. Sorry about that." Ran said with a small smile. Rin shuddered and started walking back to her station.

"They're not that bad are they?" Yukari asked with an amused smile. Rin shook her head and looked back to her with a disgusted face.

"They're bugs!" she cried out.

"Maybe you just don't like grasshoppers. I hear Yukari knows how to cook different kinds of bugs, maybe she can make you something else." Rason said with a laugh. Yukari smiled weakly and rubbed the back of her head at that comment. Rin shook her head with a disturbed face.

"No way, I hate all kinds of bugs. Spiders, ants, beetles, chronoflies, they're all so gross." She said with a shiver.

"Oh c'mon, they're not that…wait. What did you say?" Yukari said with surprise. The group looked to Rin as she was spitting a bit more. She looked back to them and shook her head.

"They're all so gross." She said.

"Did she just say chronoflies?" Moka asked.

"What's a chronofly?" Ran asked. The group looked to her then to Rin. The blonde haired siren looked around at them puzzled.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Rin, did you say chronoflies?" Ahakon asked. The girl blinked and tapped her headphones a bit.

"Um, I think so. Why?" she asked.

"What's a chronofly, I've never heard of that kind of bug before." Ran asked.

"It's not a bug, it's a type of monster." Kurumu said looking at Rin carefully.

"How do you know about chronoflies?" Rason asked curiously. Rin looked around at the group and shrugged.

"I just do I guess. I remember when I was little seeing big butterflies, my dad said they were called chronoflies or something. They were like giant insects, it was so gross." She said with a shiver.

"Big butterflies? I don't remember ever seeing that kind of monster back home." Ran said scratching her head.

"Oh my god…" Yukari said with wide eyes. She walked up to Rin and looked at her with wonder.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rin asked as the witch looked at her intently.

"You saw them? You actually saw them? When?" Yukari asked.

"When I was really little, I don't remember when or where exactly." Rin said with a shrug. Yukari looked at her carefully then glanced to the girl's headphones.

"Was this…when you had your accident? When you blanked out your mind?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah I guess so. I only remember a little bit back then, but the big butterfly wings I know I saw. Why?" Rin asked. Yukari looked at her carefully then gasped.

"It was them!" she cried out. The group looked to her as Rin tilted her head.

"That's what I just said, I saw them. What's wrong with you?" she asked.

"Yukari? What is it?" Moka asked. Yukari backed up and pointed to Rin.

"It was the chronoflies, they enchanted those headphones for you!" she declared. The group looked at her with surprise then to Rin. Ran looked at the girl puzzled and tilted her head.

"What? The chronoflies did that?" she asked.

"What do you mean? Bugs made my headphones work like this?" Rin asked holding her headphones with worry.

"They're not bugs, they were a race of monsters that could control time. They even had healers that could cure the mind from a mental illness they had. They must have been the ones that enchanted those for you, it was them." Yukari said in amazement.

"Wow, do you really think it was them?" Ahakon asked with wonder.

"Oh my, that's right. Luna and Falla said they had healers in their old home that could cure mental conditions, they had them to cure their chrono dementia before it got too bad." Moka said with amazement.

"Then that means, your dad took Rin to them when she was little." Kurumu said looking at Ran with surprise. Ran looked at the group then to her sister.

"You were at their kingdom? You actually saw their home?" Yukari asked with amazement. Rin looked around puzzled and shrugged.

"Um, I guess? I said I don't remember much about it though." She said simply.

"Dad never told us where he took her, he was told to keep it a secret from everybody." Ran said in wonder.

"That sounds like them, they were a very secretive race, they just wanted to live alone in peace." Ahakon said.

"But how do you remember that Rin? You weren't able to remember anything then." Ran said shaking her head. Rin blinked and shrugged.

"I just remember icky bugs with big wings." She said.

"Looks like her aversion to insects burned their image into her mind." Dark said simply. Rin shuddered as she remembered the butterfly monsters, the girl not remembering much else from that time.

"It makes sense. They had the best healers of the mind, they would have been the ones your father took you to see Rin." Yukari said with a nod. The siren looked around at the group with a disturbed expression.

"You mean my headphones were made by giant bugs? Ewww." She said shivering. Ran looked at the damaged headphones with wonder then smiled a bit.

"Wait Rin, this is great news. Now we know who enchanted those for you. We can find them and get them to fix those for you." She said with a bright smile. Rin blinked and looked up in thought for a moment, then down with closed eyes as she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to go back to those things, I hate bugs I hate bugs I hate bugs!" she cried out.

"But they can help us, they can properly fix your headphones for you. We have to go see them." Ran pleaded.

"But you can't." Ahakon said with remorse. The sirens looked to him as he shook his head.

"They're not there anymore, they're gone." He said softly.

"Gone? Gone where?" Ran asked worriedly.

"Gone. They're dead Ran." Moka said softly. Ran looked at her with surprise then shook her head.

"No, they can't be. We need them to help us. If they were the ones that made her headphones for her before…we need them!" she pleaded.

"The giant bugs are all gone?" Rin asked worriedly.

"All but two, the rest of their race was wiped out in a horrible incident. Their kingdom is gone now." Rason said with remorse.

"All but two?" Ran asked.

"Yeah. Luna and Falla, they're our friends. They're the last of their race." Kurumu said with a saddened expression.

"But…can they fix them for her? They're chronoflies right? Chronoflies can heal the mind, right?" Ran asked hopefully.

"They are, but they can't fix the mind like that. They're not trained as healers from their home." Moka said with regret. Ran showed devastation at that while Rin showed a worried expression.

"No, you mean…we can never fix those for her?" Ran asked with sorrow.

"I'm sorry Ran, really." Moka said softly. Ran sighed and nodded then looked to her sister, the blonde haired siren holding her headphones with a worried expression.

"I don't want bugs to touch these, I don't I don't." Rin said worriedly. Ran breathed out and looked down.

"Don't worry, they won't Rin." She said softly. The group looked at her with sympathy then to Rin, the blonde haired siren looking down while holding her headphones.

"Well at least now we know how those got created for her." Ahakon said looking at the blonde haired siren. The girl shuddered as she remembered the butterfly monsters.

"I hate bugs." She said weakly.

"They're not bugs Rin, and they were a very peaceful race. Not to mention skilled with magic, they could control time itself." Rason said with a slight smile. Rin and Ran looked at him curiously.

"What? They could control time?" Rin asked. Ran blinked then looked at the angel curiously.

"That's right, there were two butterfly monsters fighting Alucard with you on that day, weren't there?" she asked.

"Yep, that was Luna and Falla. You wouldn't guess it at first glance, but they're quite powerful in a fight. They really helped save the day when we were fighting that nightmare." Moka said with a smile.

"They are?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, with their chrono magic they're one of the most powerful monsters out there. Easily S-Class." Yukari said with a smile. Ran and Rin slowly looked to each other with wonder.

"We couldn't have won that fight without their help, their magic really saved the world." Ahakon said with a smile while rubbing the back of his head.

"Really? We saw those bugs fighting with you, but I never saw them actually hit anything." Rin asked puzzled.

"For the last time, they're not 'bugs', and you wouldn't have seen them attacking. They attack in a single moment in time, you don't see them doing anything until after the damage is done." Yukari said with a dull smile. Rin and Ran looked at her puzzled.

"Um, what do you mean?" Ran asked. Yukari explained to them how chronofiles attack and move around in a 'shifted state' of time, and how the two girls had helped the group dealing with Alucard and his offspring. After the story was told Rin was looking at the witch with wide eyes.

"You mean…the world was saved…by bugs?" she said in disbelief.

"Stop calling them that, they're chronoflies. And yes, if it wasn't for them we would all have been killed." Kurumu said with a nod.

"Wow, I never knew that was how you killed that destroyer. We always thought it was Tsukune alone that landed the finishing blow on him." Ran said in wonder.

"He did, with Falla's help." Moka said proudly.

"Yeah, so don't talk about them like they're just bugs, if it wasn't for them you would likely be dead." Mizore said coolly. Rin nodded while looking down while Ran looked up in thought. She blinked then looked at Ahakon.

"Wait, so…those two…are the last ones in existence?" she asked. He nodded with a bit of regret.

"Yeah, they're the last ones alright." He said softly. Rin looked around curiously.

"Where are they though?" she asked.

"Luna's on a special assignment up in heaven, she's been chosen by the Almighty himself to help with a problem because of her powerful chrono magic." Rason said with a smile. Ran looked at him with wonder for a moment then worriedly.

"And…the other one?" she asked slowly.

"She's in the human world, she was selected to be one of the first monsters to attend a human school publicly. Um, are you ok?" Yukari asked as the siren was showing a bit of fright. Ran looked to her sister as Rin started to show worry as well.

"What's wrong?" Ahakon asked.

"They're powerful." Ran said with fear.

"And…endangered." Rin said trembling.

"What's wrong you two?" Kurumu asked. Ran looked down with worry while Rin was shaking her head.

"Oh no, we had no idea those two were so strong." Ran said with worry.

"What's so bad about that?" Mizore asked.

"What if our master knows? He saw them in that battle, what if he knows what they are?" Rin asked worriedly.

"Your old master? What about him?" Moka asked cautiously.

"Oh no, if he finds out what they are…and what they can do..." Ran said trembling.

"What's wrong?" Rason asked worriedly. The siren sisters looked at him with fearful eyes.

"We were only sent here after the boys, because they were shown to be powerful fighters against Alucard. Our charming magic only works on boys, and he was content with just grabbing them since they were so strong." Ran said worriedly.

"Yeah, we had no idea your two friends were that powerful. If he had known he would have sent others after them as well." Rin said with a bit of fear.

"Wait, are you saying Luna and Falla are in danger?" Moka asked worriedly.

"Not just in danger, _en_dangered." Ran said with fright.

"What do you mean by that?" Ahakon asked cautiously.

"Our old master wants a powerful army, he had us go around collecting strong and rare monsters and demons from all over this world and other worlds as well." Ran said shakily.

"Yeah, and some were rarer than others." Rin said with a few tears starting to form. Ran looked at Ahakon worriedly then down.

"If he found a powerful monster that he wanted, he would have had us try to get them all to strengthen his army. However if a monster was endangered but still useful to him he wouldn't send it out into battle." She said fearfully. The group glanced to each other then back to the sirens.

"Where are you going with this?" Dark asked cautiously.

"When we were captured, we were kept in the darkness. But we weren't endangered, that's why he sent us out on his missions to collect more soldiers. But…those that are endangered…are…are…" Ran said before she started shaking.

"What about them?" Kurumu asked worriedly. Ran and Rin looked to each other then to the group.

"Are used to breed new ones." Rin said fearfully. The group looked at them for a moment then slowly their eyes widened.

"Wait…you're…you're not saying that…" Rason said shaking his head.

"That he would…make them…" Kurumu said with a tremble.

"Oh my god…" Moka said covering her mouth. Ran and Rin nodded and looked down with fear.

"I can still remember the screams from the darkness, from those he used for that." Rin said with a tremble.

"Your two chronofly friends are powerful, endangered…and female." Ran said looking back to the group with fear.

"No…no that can't be…you're not saying…" Yukari said shaking her head.

"If he gets a hold of Luna or Falla…" Ahakon said with fear.

"If our old master finds them and takes them away…" Rin said looking to her sister.

"They're going to be used…as breeders for more monsters like them." Ran said with sorrow. The group looked at them with shock at that remark.

"What?" they all cried out.

"Oh my god, we…we have to warn them, fast!" Kurumu said with worry.

"He saw them fighting against Alucard, he might know what they can do. Oh no, if he knows what they can do…he'll go after them for sure!" Rason said with a panic.

"We need to get to them now, they're in great danger." Moka said looking out the window with worry.

"Luna's up in heaven, she's safe for now. But Falla's exposed in the human world, and she can't even use her magic to defend herself with." Yukari said while looking down with concern.

"Why can't she use her magic? I thought chronoflies were powerful." Ran said confused.

"Falla's magic is sealed, her mental condition was escalated in the battle with Alucard too much. She's powerless now." Kurumu said shaking her head.

"Apoch and Astreal are with her, but I don't know if they can fend off an entire army on their own." Moka said worriedly.

"She'll be an easy target for him, she won't be able to fight or even run away with her magic sealed." Dark said glancing to the window. He growled then looked to the others.

"Not only that, but she's in the human world. If this monster attacks there looking for her, coexistence between the two worlds is history." He said with discontent.

"Dammit no, she'll be taken away and the human monster war will start up all over again." Rason said looking down with frustration.

"We have to get her out of there, she'll be taken for sure if she stays in the human world." Ahakon said looking around at his friends.

"We need to tell the headmaster, c'mon!" Moka said as she started to run out. The group followed as Apsara and the class watched with confused expressions.

"Hey, where are you all going? There's still a few minutes left of class time." the teacher asked out loud.

"Sorry, but this is an emergency." Kurumu said franticly as the group left the room. The teacher blinked and just watched them go, then looked back to Yukari's pot on her station.

"That must have been some really bad stew." the teacher said shaking her head.

* * *

Inside the infirmary room of the human school Jovian was watching something with a cold smile. In one of the resting areas in the room a burnt body was lying on the bed, the body of the school nurse that unfortunately met a quick end with the evil witch sisters showing up. In the adjacent resting area Jacqueline was sitting on the edge of the bed with a wicked smile, the girl looking down at Kyouko who was still held down on her hands and knees. The blonde haired witch was holding the girl's head down on herself and had a leg wrapped around Kyouko's back, the girl being forced to satisfy the evil witches all during the class period.

"Come now, you made my sister scream in joy, do it for me too. C'mon!" Jacqueline said as she held the girl's hair tightly, the human girl whimpering as she was forced to do as the witch said.

"Now now Kyouko, be nice to my sister. We're good friends are we not?" Jovian said before she laughed. Jacqueline giggled and looked at her sister with a coy smile.

"You always have the best toys sisters, she's so lively when she's scared." She said with a giggle.

"Only the best for me and you sister." Jovian said with a wink. Jacqueline nodded then hit Kyouko in the back with her heel, the girl being knocked down a bit and crying out.

"Pick up the pace Kyouko, I'm still not feeling that joy." The witch said with a bite.

"Don't be too rough with her, Falla wanted to have some fun with her as well. I hear those two were friends before we even met them." Jovian said with a smirk. She laughed a bit and watched Kyouko crying as she was forced down on the witch.

"Of course I'm sure her fun and our fun are two completely different funs." She said with a chuckle. Jacqueline nodded then tilted Kyouko's head up so the girl could see into her multicolored eyes.

"You hear that? Make me scream in joy soon, I might not get another chance to play with you." She said with a dark smile. Kyouko's mouth quivered as she stared at the witch with fright. The witch scowled at her and pushed her back down.

"You got to play with my sister twice, now play with me. Play dammit!" she yelled at the girl.

Jovian laughed a bit then glanced to the window. She walked over and watched as a motorcycle drove into the adjacent parking lot. On it were two students from the school, one of which she recognized.

"It's her." Jovian said with a smirk. Jacqueline started breathing a bit more heavily and glanced over to her.

"Her who?" she asked.

"The other Falla. She's arrived with somebody. So, that must be the other treasure hunter, Ceal I believe was his name." Jovian said as she watched the two dismount the bike and start talking to each other in the parking lot. Jacqueline bit her lip and looked down at the human girl.

"Hurry up, playtime is almost over. Make me scream or else I'll make you scream." She said harshly. She held the girl's face down forcibly then looked over to her sister.

"So what do we do now?" she asked. Jovian watched the two in the parking lot then glanced back to the human girl.

"We try to get his key as well. Or should I say, the other Falla will. However first I'm sure she would want to be able to kill that other chronofly, she does seem to hate her a lot." Jovian said with a cold smile. Kyouko screamed and glanced to her, the girl trying to shake her head.

"Hey, I'm still not done here yet. Focus bitch." Jacqueline said as she pushed the girl back down on her forcibly. She took a few deep breaths then looked to her sister.

"But the other Falla is with those boys still, if they fight now then they won't give our helpers their keys." She said as she gripped Kyouko's hair tightly.

"Yes, I suppose that's true." Jovian said walking over to them. She knelt down beside the human girl and gently stroked her hand along the girl's back down to her rear, the girl shaking in fear from the touch.

"We'll just have to keep them separated for now. I'm sure Falla wouldn't mind a little alone time with…herself anyway." She said with a chuckle. She then glanced to Kyouko with discontent.

"Hey, hurry up and make my sister feel good, we can't stay here all day." She said sternly. Kyouko whimpered something as she was held down still, the two witches looking at her with discontent. Jovian stood up and over the girl, then knelt down with her hands around the girl's neck.

"Make her feel good, or else." Jovian said as her eyes glowed a bit. Jacqueline leaned back and started breathing heavily with a flushed face as Jovian leaned in closer to Kyouko's ear.

"Make her scream friend, then I'll let you see your dear Falla again." She said with a bite. She started laughing while Kyouko was crying, the girl praying with all she had that her friends would come save her. Jacqueline looked up with an open mouth and quivered as Jovian glanced to her. She smirked and smiled coyly at Kyouko.

"Good girl." She said as she brushed the girl's hair.

Jacqueline let out a loud moan followed by a scream of ecstasy, the girl's voice not being heard out in the parking lot as Falla was being held by Ceal. The boy had his hands around her waist as she had her arms around his neck, the girl kissing him with a closed eye. She felt the world around her fade away as he held her, the girl happy to have found a new place in this world. She had wanted to move on from Tsukune and forge a new life for herself, and going out with a dragon slayer who was going to open Pandora's Box was certainly a big step for her in that direction.

After a while the kiss broke and the girl looked at him with a dreamy eye, the boy looking back at her with a calm gaze.

"Thank you Ceal." She said softly as he let her go. He looked at the girl for a moment then glanced to the school.

"Let's go, we're late enough as it is." He said. The girl smirked a bit and nodded then walked alongside the boy. She gently held onto his arm and laid her head on his shoulder, the boy glancing over to her then ahead again with a blank expression. As they walked across the street towards the school he thought of one thing.

_She's going to be a distraction._

"You don't have to pretend to be so cold Ceal, I already know you like me." Falla said gently. She wouldn't be fooled by his attitude any longer, the girl knowing that he did care about her. Ceal glanced to her, then noticed her cleavage as she walked, the girl's breasts swaying slightly with each step. Again he looked ahead with a blank expression.

_Yeah, she's _definitely_ going to be a distraction._

"Just remaining focused Falla." He said simply. She giggled a bit and glanced to him.

"You don't have to be so uptight, you're going to get that dragon no sweat, I just know it." She said confidently. The boy smirked a bit at that and glanced to her.

"I prefer to think of it as me staying in control. That's something I've always had a talent for." He said. The girl blushed a bit and nodded.

"Yes sir." She said before resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eye. He looked at the girl for a moment then ahead again.

_I did until you came here at least._

As they approached the school the bell rang and signaled the end of the class period. They walked through the front doors to see students walking the halls again between classes.

"Sorry again about making us late, I hope you won't get into too much trouble." Falla said looking to her new boyfriend. Ceal merely shrugged.

"I'll be fine, I doubt any of the teachers or staff here will give me much trouble." He said glancing to the girl with a smirk. She blinked then smiled a bit.

"You have dirt on all of them don't you?" she asked with a giggle.

"Well, most of them. Anyway I'll see to it that neither of us are penalized for being late today. Don't worry about it." Ceal said looking around again. Falla looked at her boyfriend with a dreamy eye and sighed happily a bit. She then glanced over to see two students rounding the corner down the hall away from them, with one having short dark hair and the other having long blonde hair.

"Apoch? Astreal?" she asked herself. Ceal glanced down to where the girl was looking.

"Your witch friends?" he asked plainly. The girl showed a bit of discontent and rolled her eye.

"Yeah, some friends. Kyouko's probably with them, those sneaky rats." She said with scowl. She looked around then to Ceal.

"I'll be right back Ceal, I need to tell Kyouko what I thought about her little idea yesterday. And to see if Apoch and Astreal are ready to grovel for forgiveness." She said. Ceal glanced to her then looked ahead again.

"Go on then." He said. She smiled and held his arm gently.

"I'll be right back, boyfriend." She said with a giggle. She then ran down the hall of crowded students after where the girl with short black hair and one with long blonde hair walked off to. As she did Ceal noticed her skirt fluttering a bit, the boy catching a glimpse of her underwear. He watched the girl vanish into the crowd then just shook his head.

_Why does she have to be so attractive?_

As he stood there trying to keep his mind focused on his task of killing the dragon he was after rather than the hot girlfriend he now had, a girl was watching him from nearby in the crowd of students. She watched him with a single red eye and a dark smile, then vanished as a few other students passed by.

Falla weaved her way through the crowd of students then came out at another hallway intersection. She looked over to see the two students she was after walking around the corner.

"Hey!" she yelled out as she ran down the hall. She rounded the corner and came up to the gymnasium door. She opened it and looked around inside. It was empty still as no gym class was using it. There were wooden bleachers on each side of the large hall and a wide open space used for running around and for indoor sports. There were a few windows along the top of the large hall that showed daylight outside and a few large ceiling fans were spinning among the rafters. Falla walked in and looked around curiously as she lost sight of the twins.

"What the…they just went in here…didn't they?" she asked herself. She turned around slowly and looked for any sign of the girls. She turned around again and came face to face with somebody. Somebody who was looking at her with a single red eye.

"Hello again." the dark Falla said with a glare. She grabbed the surprised girl by the throat and lifted her into the air, the other Falla grabbing the arm and choking while having a wide eye of surprise.

"What's wrong? Aren't you glad to see me again?" the dark chronofly asked with a cold voice. Falla looked with shock at her double then glanced to the side. Two girls walked up to either side of her from behind, both of them looking at her with amused smiles and multicolored eyes.

"So this is the other Falla, the one that killed you." Jovian said with an intrigued smile.

"Aw, did you think we were your friends? Sorry." Jacqueline said with a giggle. Jovian laughed a bit then yanked on a rope she was holding. Falla slowly glanced over as the dark witches walked up to the other chronofly. And bound to the rope Jovian was holding was Kyouko, the girl having her arms tied behind her with the rope going around between her legs, around her breasts, around her neck, then over to the dark witch. She had a rag tied around her mouth and was looking at the real Falla with shock. She was yanked over and grabbed by Jovian as the dark witches smiled wickedly at the surprised chronofly.

"Ky…Kyouko." Falla coughed out.

"I heard you and this ant became friends, that's just so horribly sweet." The dark Falla said with a bite.

"She can be rather good company, we've been having lots of fun with her waiting for your arrival." Jovian said as she watched the shocked chronofly gasp for air. Kyouko screamed into her gag and tried to move, the girl being held tightly by the dark witch.

"You sent me to hell you bitch, you killed me! I died, all because of a mistake that never should have come to be! You shouldn't exist, I'm the only Falla this world is graciously going to receive!" the dark chronofly yelled out. The good Falla looked at her with a strained expression as the dark girl growled at her.

"Now…you worthless piece of trash…I'm going to make you pay for what you did. I'm going to make you and your little human friend suffer." She said coldly. She brought the struggling chronofly closer and glared into her eye.

"You're both going to bow to your queen, and beg for death."


	35. Suffering

The group was gathered inside the headmaster's office at Yokai Academy, with all of them showing great concern. The siren sisters Ran and Rin had told the group that their former master wanted to collect powerful warriors and monsters from any world he could for his army. They had been used to charm and bring him many beings for their mysterious master during their captivity, and also had witnessed just how dark their old master was. Not only would he steal any powerful monster he came across, but if a monster was in short supply that he deemed valuable he would have the monster bred to increase the numbers. During the fight against Alucard the dark being had witnessed the group's efforts against the destroyer and his offspring and put them on his list of candidates for his army. His sirens however would only be able to charm the males in the group, and they along with the school they hailed from were worth the endeavor for the evil being. The sirens weren't originally even aware that Luna and Falla were indeed the backbone of the group's efforts against Alucard, with the two chronoflies being powerful with their own chrono magic. They just assumed the two girls were flying around doing nothing of real contribution to the group's efforts and were small time monsters. During their cooking class with the group they learned that the two girls were indeed powerful, and also rare. So rare in fact that they were the only ones left in existence. The group then realized that if the dark master who watched over the fight realized this, then surely he would go after them. And since they were the last two of their kind, that meant should they be captured they would be forced into breeding new chrono wielding monsters against their will. Luna was assumed to be safe since she was in heaven with the Almighty, however Falla was in the human world and was last known to have her magic sealed away, making her a prime target for the dark monster. The group had rushed to the headmaster with this information and told him how they feared their friend would likely be targeted by this strange being. After they told him everything the man only had two words to say.

"I see." he said as he looked down at his desk, the man dressed in his usual white robes as he sat at his desk like always. The group looked to each other then back to the headmaster.

"That's all you have to say? Falla could be next to be taken away by this asshole and all you can say is you see?" Kurumu said in disbelief. The headmaster looked to her and shrugged.

"What exactly were you expecting me to say Ms. Kurono?" he asked.

"Something other than 'I see', something that shows you give a damn." Rason said with discontent.

"My dear boy, although this is troubling news I'm afraid it's out of my hands. Ms. Cii is in the human world, and I have no jurisdiction in that world. She is also no longer a student here at Yokai Academy, and therefore not under my protection. I'm afraid she's on her own in the human world." the headmaster said simply.

"Well I'm the angel in charge of the monster world and those that come from here, and her life and safety _are_ my jurisdiction." Rason said crossing his arms.

"Indeed it is boy. So, what are you going to do about this?" the headmaster asked with his usual creepy smile as he tilted his head.

"We want to go get her and bring her back here. She's in great danger out there, not to mention that if this guy does come looking for her and causes problems in the human world then coexistence is the last thing the humans would want from us." Moka said urgently. The headmaster nodded and looked to the window.

"Yes, I fear that is correct Ms. Akashiya. And we're certain that this threat has indeed targeted her?" he asked.

"No, we're not sure. But if there's any chance the sirens' old master is after her we need to bring Falla back here. We can't let her be taken, and we can't let a monster fight break out in the human world." Rason said. The headmaster nodded and looked back to them.

"I see, well that does sound to be reason enough." he said with a smile. He stood up and walked around his desk towards the group. He then leaned back against the desk and looked at the group curiously.

"So, again, what is your plan here?" he asked.

"We need a ride into the human world, we need to pick her up along with Apoch and Astreal and bring them back here. As long as she is out of the human world hopefully that will keep this monster out of there as well. He'll have to come here if he wants her, and we'll be waiting for him." Dark said simply.

"That sounds like a reasonable plan. Such a shame, those three were going to hopefully make a difference with the coexistence treaty." the headmaster said looking down.

"It may cause a stir if they are removed suddenly, but it would be even worse if a war erupted in the human world. Getting her back here and shifting the human world out of this monster's eye is the priority." Mizore said softly.

"Yes, I can see that. Well I can arrange a ride into the human world towards their school if you would like, however the buses aren't here at the moment. As soon as one is available I can put you on the first trip." the headmaster said simply.

"What? But…how long until they get here?" Yukari asked.

"I'm sorry Ms. Sendo, but I'm not sure. They are currently off academy grounds at the moment. I'll have word sent for the closest one to report back here as soon as possible, however it could take a while." the headmaster said solemnly.

"Dammit, the longer we take to get there the longer she's in danger." Rason said with frustration.

"Hey, maybe he hasn't realized what she is yet. I mean, nothing's happened yet, right?" Kurumu said looking to the headmaster hopefully.

"I haven't received any word about a monster fight or conflict breaking out in the human world as of yet, and certainly nothing related to Ms. Cii's current whereabouts." he said calmly.

"All we can do is hope that he doesn't find out what she is before we get to her." Dark said glancing to the window. Moka nodded slowly then looked at the headmaster worriedly. Before she could say something Rason spoke up again.

"Alright, then we'll wait at the bus stop for the first bus to arrive. The second it gets here we're off. I trust our studies can wait for a day." Rason said looking to the headmaster. The man chuckled and nodded.

"If the guardian of the monster world says so, I'd say they can as well." he said simply.

"Then that settles it, let's get down to the bus stop and wait for our ride. Let's just hope Falla's ok until we can get to her." Kurumu said with a nod.

"Hold on Ms. Kurono, I'm fine offering you a ride to pick up your friend and offering you a leave of absence for your classes, but you cannot _all_ leave." the headmaster said looking to the siren sisters. They looked at him curiously as the group looked to them.

"What? What do you mean?" Ran asked.

"Wait, he's right. Ran, Rin, you're the only protection this school has from your old master right now, remember?" Yukari said. The sisters looked to her as the group glanced to each other.

"Yeah, if this monster shows up with his charmed army one of them would have to be here to stop them. Otherwise he could march right on in if we're all gone." Ahakon said looking at the sisters. The sirens looked to each other then to the headmaster.

"Your sister is still with Mr. Aono in Paradise, and she cannot be here at the same time. One of you will need to remain here in case your old master comes by again. A siren being here would be a much needed defense against such a powerful force." the headmaster said calmly. The sirens looked to each other worriedly.

"You two can both stay here if you want, we're just running to the human world and back again. This isn't your fight to worry about." Moka said gently.

"She's right, you don't have to come with us to the human world. Besides with both of you here you're even safer from your old master." Kurumu said in agreement.

"But…what about you?" Ran asked worriedly.

"We'll be fine. If we do run into trouble we can handle it on our own. We're kind of used to it by now." Rason said with a smirk while rubbing the back of his head.

"We've trained ourselves for combat, we're ready for what may come our way. You two are not, you would be safer here." Dark said. Ran looked at Ahakon worriedly and shook her head.

"No, I'm going with you. I'm not going to let you go out there without any protection." she pleaded.

"We'll be fine Ran, we're actually used to dealing with this sort of thing. If anything, we would be the ones protecting you while we're out there." he said gently.

"Then protect me too, I'm not going to abandon you." Ran said running up to him. He looked at her with a bit of surprise as the siren showed a worried expression. She looked to Yukari then bowed to her.

"Please, allow me remain by his side, I can help if you run into trouble. Really." she pleaded. Yukari looked at her with wonder then to Ahakon, the boy just shrugging in response.

"Well…" Yukari said looking to the others. They looked to each other then back to the siren. The blue haired girl peeked up and glanced around at them then looked down again.

"If she wants to I guess she can come, if anything a siren could only help if we run into any charmed monsters, right?" Kurumu said with a shrug.

"That does make sense, I guess." Rason said scratching his head.

"Doesn't matter to me." Mizore said simply.

"It's her choice, if she's ready to face the consequences of her choice then so be it." Dark said looking away.

"Are you sure Ran? You don't have to do this." Moka said gently. Yukari looked at the siren curiously as the girl looked up to her. After a moment the witch showed a dull expression.

"You just want to come since Ahakon is going, right?" she asked flatly. The siren jumped a bit and looked away with a blush.

"I want to stay by my hero's side, and help him however I can. Please." she said softly. Yukari looked at her with a blank expression then shrugged.

"What the hell, you agreed to help me with my cooking, so fine." she said plainly. The siren looked to her with a bright smile and nodded. Ahakon smiled a bit at the siren then at his girlfriend.

"Sister, you're going too?" Rin asked. Ran looked to her and nodded.

"Yes, they might need me if our old master shows up. Don't worry, we're just going to the human world then coming back again with the chronofly." she said softly.

"You don't have to risk your life for a bug." Rin said worriedly.

"She's not a bug." Yukari said through bared teeth.

"I want to do this sister, we'll be back soon. Just stay here and keep an eye on the school." Ran said with a nod. Rin looked the headmaster then to the group.

"Ok, but hurry back." she said softly.

"Alright, we're off then. We'll bring Falla back here and keep the human world out of this fight, if this monster wants to fight anybody it's going to be with us here." Rason said with a smile. The group nodded and started to run out before Moka stopped and looked back to the headmaster, the girl seeming like she wanted to say something. The man smiled at her and chuckled a bit as the group looked back to her.

"Um…" she said softly as she looked down.

"Moka? What is it?" Yukari asked. The vampire glanced to them then down again.

"My dear, you wanted to go into Paradise to see your mate didn't you?" the headmaster asked while tilting his head. The vampire nodded and looked at him worriedly.

"I've wanted to see him all day. Would it be possible…I mean just for a minute." she said gently.

"Well I could always make that gateway for you my dear, however you would need to find Ms. Tojo in order to come back, and there is no telling how deep in Paradise they are or where they are for that matter. I imagine you would be gone for quite a while." the man said simply. The vampire looked down with a bit of frustration at that.

"You can go in when we get back, we'll even go with you to make sure you stay safe Moka. It's dangerous to go alone, and we don't have time to wade through all the monsters in there right now." Rason said gently.

"He's right, besides Tsukune's in there to train, he needs time to work on his self-control. I'm sure he's busy with that right now." Kurumu added.

"He'll still be in there when we get back, he's not going to beat this in a day. You'll have your chance to see him again." Dark said. Moka nodded and looked to the group.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." she said softly.

_Tsukune…_

**_I know how you feel, I wish to see him as well. But they have a point. We need to make sure that when our mate comes back out, which he will, that he's not walking out into another war. He'll be fine, let's make sure this world remains fine as well._**

_You're right, I can't get distracted like this. He'll be fine in there with Ruby and Ren. We need to make sure this world is still standing when he comes back to us._

She nodded and looked to the group.

"Alright, let's go. I'm not going to let another war break out while my mate is working hard in Paradise." she said confidently. The group nodded then took off, all of them running towards the bus stop to wait for the first available ride into the human world. As they left Rin waved gently as she watched her sister run with the group. Ren was isolated in Paradise by choice, Ran was going to the human world by choice, and she was left alone in the school not by choice. The three sisters were being split apart and she hated that, the girl having always had her sisters around all her life.

"Good luck." she said softly. She then started to cry softly, the girl looking down and wiping her tears away. The headmaster looked to the girl and showed a sympathetic smile.

"There there my dear, I'm sure they'll be fine. There's no need for tears." he said. The girl nodded slowly and sniffled, then looked to him worriedly.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked with a sob. The man nodded as she tilted her head a bit.

"Who are you? And…why am I crying?" she asked as she wiped her tears away. The man chuckled and looked to where the group ran off.

"Yes, it was a good thing that you stayed behind after all my dear. A good thing." he said simply.

* * *

Falla was staring with a wide eye of shock as she was struggling to breathe, the chronofly being held up by the throat in the air. She was grabbing the assailant's arm as she couldn't believe what she was seeing, the girl looking back at none other than herself who had a dark glare in her one red eye. To the sides of the dark copy Jovian and Jacqueline were watching with amused expressions, the dark copies of the witch sisters giggling a bit as Kyouko was held in Jovian's grip. The bound and gagged human girl was staring with shock as well as there were two chronoflies right before her eyes, who were the same girl.

"H…how?" Falla choked out as she was held tightly in the grip of her own double.

"How? Well that's a very good question. Let me explain. I was alive in this world, and then thanks to my damned sister messing up the timeline YOU came into existence. YOU came into OUR timeline and YOU KILLED ME!" the dark Falla yelled out as she strangled the surprised chronofly. Kyouko looked between the two with wide eyes, the girl seeing perfect copies of the monster that was her friend. The good Falla looked with a strained expression and slowly shook her head.

"No…that's not…possible. You're dead." She choked out. The dark copy chuckled a bit, then laughed. She laughed wildly while the evil witches giggled in unison.

"Dead? DEAD? THE ONLY ONE THAT'S DEAD AROUND HERE IS YOU!" she screamed as she shook the good copy of herself. She growled then brought the struggling chronofly down onto her knees, the dark copy then holding the girl's throat with both hands.

"You sent me to hell. You sent ME TO HELL!" she yelled out with fury. Kyouko looked at the girl with wide eyes then slowly over to the witches, both girls looking at her with multicolored eyes and creepy smiles. They nodded and tilted their heads, the human girl realizing that they too somehow came back from hell.

"Oh…I've waited for this moment…waited for so long. You have no idea…NO IDEA AT ALL!" the dark Falla yelled as she shook the good chronofly by the neck. The good Falla looked with a strained expression as she struggled to pull herself free from the dark copy's grip. She couldn't shift into time like this, she would take the dark version of herself with her.

"Falla, as much fun as it is to watch you play with yourself, could you hurry it up? We still have work to do here." Jovian said with a dull smile at the evil chronofly.

"Yeah, just kill yourself so we can get going." Jacqueline said, the two witches then giggling at how that sounded. The dark version chuckled and shook her head slowly.

"Oh no, I'm not going to rush this. I want this girl to suffer for what she did. I'm going to take my time with her." She said with malice as the good Falla looked at her with shock and fright. The dark chronofly grabbed her double by the hair with one hand and tilted the girl's head, the good Falla then looking with a wide eye as her double leaned closer to her face.

"I want you to scream. I want you to beg for death. I want you to know what HELL TRULY IS!" she yelled before she started laughing wildly. Kyouko watched the dark chronofly laugh manically then looked to the good version of the girl. The evil double laughed then slowly glanced to Kyouko.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to play with you too…_friend_." She said with a bite. Kyouko trembled as she was held tightly in Jovian's grip, the girl looking with wide eyes at the evil chronofly.

* * *

Render and Leon were walking down the halls of the school along with two witch sisters. Apoch was holding onto Render's arm gently, the witch having a timid expression as she kept looking down bashfully. She had fended off several other schoolgirls from attempting to maul him with love and affection, the boy being rather grateful for having somebody to help him walk the halls in peace again. Astreal was walking alongside Leon, the girl looking down with a calm expression as she kept a bit of distance from him. She didn't ask or plead to hold onto his arm, and seemed to be respecting his personal space as per his request. The girl glanced to him every now and then as she had a calm expression, the witch showing signs that she was interested in the boy greatly, something Leon was trying not to notice. The two boys were still a bit suspicious about the girls' sudden change in personality, however so far the sisters had been on their best behavior with the two, and Render was grateful to have somebody who kept his admirers at bay.

However inside the witch sisters minds the girls were screaming with terror, both of them watching through their own eyes as their bodies and voices were out of their control entirely. They were forced to watch as their bodies were under the control of their evil doubles, doubles that should be dead and gone from being killed by them personally.

"Is this ok? I'm not making you feel uncomfortable am I?" Apoch asked Render with a gentle smile. The witch was screaming inside her own mind as she struggled to move her body, the girl forced to watch what her eyes were looking at. Render shook his head with a nervous smile as the girl held his arm close, with her breasts going around his arm a bit.

"No, I mean this is alright. Right buddy?" he said glancing to Leon. The boy looked at him then to Astreal, the girl waving and smiling timidly at him. He looked ahead with a dull expression.

"Sure, whatever." He said simply. Astreal showed a quick expression of discontent then smiled again.

"Mr. Leon, are you still mad at me?" she asked softly.

"Can't say I've forgiven you just yet." He said flatly. The girl sniffled a bit and looked down.

"I'm sorry, really. I was a fool to listen to Ms. Kyouko like that. Please, don't hate me, I was just scared. I thought the world really would be in danger." She said softly. Render and Apoch looked to her curiously as the witch seemed like she was on the verge of crying. Astreal however knew her body was feigning tears, the witch screaming in her mind and struggling to move her own body.

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can do? Please, I really like you." She said softly with a whimper. The group stopped and looked at the witch as she looked down while burying her face into her hands.

"Sister, please don't cry." Apoch said worriedly.

"Hey man, I think she means it." Render said gently to his friend. Leon rolled his eyes then looked at him with a dull expression.

"I'm not falling for this crap again." He said simply.

"But dude, look at her." Render said looking at the blonde haired witch. Apoch walked over to her and held her close, the girl burying her face into her sister's shoulder and crying.

"They're really torn up about this. And besides, Falla said that they felt horrible about what they did, she even trusts them again." Render said with a small smile.

"You're just letting the fact that you have Apoch guarding you from the girls at this school while hanging onto your arm like that blind you. They tried to steal the key from us, after they _pretended_ to like us before. I don't believe they've changed at all, and I'm not going to forgive her that easily." Leon said crossing his arms.

"Well I'd be lying if I said her being with me wasn't a plus, but still…" Render said rubbing the back of his head. Apoch glanced to him at that remark, the witch inside her mind also a bit curious about that comment. Render looked around then shrugged.

"I think they mean it. If Falla can give them another chance, why not us as well?" he asked simply. Leon looked at him with a dull expression then glanced to the sisters, both of them looking at him worriedly.

"Please Mr. Leon." Apoch said softly.

"I'll do anything to gain your trust again, anything." Astreal pleaded. The boy looked at her for a moment then back down the hall.

"I doubt you can Astreal. I don't hate you, you just acted out of fear. That's understandable. However I can't trust you again, this could easily be another trick." He said simply. Astreal looked at him with devastation then down as Apoch looked at her worriedly. The sisters held each other closely as Render looked at the girls with a sympathetic expression. Leon waited a bit then glanced to him.

"You can trust them all you want, I will not be fooled again." He said simply.

"This is all her fault." Astreal said quietly. The group looked to her as she clenched her fists and bared her teeth.

"This is all Ms. Kyouko's fault. If she hadn't told us…if she never said anything…this is all her fault!" she yelled out shaking her head. She growled then ran down the hall.

"Sister wait!" Apoch cried out as she chased after her.

"Hey, don't go! Hey!" Render called out to them. He looked to his friend and shook his head.

"Good going buddy, way to go." He said.

"What are you talking about? I've done nothing wrong here." Leon said defensively.

"You just made a girl cry, that's what you did." Render said before he took off after the girls. Leon watched them go then growled a bit, the boy then following after his friend. The two boys ran down the hall and rounded the corner to see Astreal struggling in Apoch's grip.

"Let me go, she needs to pay!" Astreal yelled out.

"Sister calm down, please!" Apoch cried out.

"Never, it's because of her that I can never have Mr. Leon now! She's ruined everything for me!" Astreal yelled as she broke free and ran down the hall. Apoch chased after her as the boys watched with surprise. Render showed a bit of discontent and glanced to his friend.

"Still think they're faking?" he asked flatly. Leon rolled his eyes and they took off after them.

"Whatever, let's just keep her from killing anybody." He said as they chased after the witch sisters. As they ran they rounded another corner and followed them down a hall away from the front entrance to the school. Ceal watched from near the doors as the four students ran down the hall with Astreal yelling something.

"What the hell are those idiots doing now?" he asked shaking his head. He then glanced back to see a figure running up towards the school from outside, the boy turning around and looking out the window of the doors. He watched Razico running towards the building, then walked forward and back outside.

"Stupid hunter, you just don't learn." He said with discontent as his gloved hand glowed a black hue.

Inside the building Render and Leon were chasing after the witch sisters as they ran down the empty halls of the school. Astreal had murder in her teary eyes as she was in front of the group, followed by Apoch who was running after her with worry.

"Sister, please don't hurt her!" Apoch called out.

"Hurt her? I'm not going to hurt her, I'm going to blast that girl into dust!" Astreal screamed. Render looked at them with surprise then to his friend.

"Thanks a lot buddy, now she's on a freakin' warpath here." He said with a discontent.

"Oh c'mon, this isn't my fault." Leon said shaking his head.

"You rejected her without giving her another chance, why can't you open up to anybody?" Render said with discontent.

"This has nothing to do with me opening up, this is all because those girls tried to steal from us. Don't blame me for their actions." Leon barked back.

"Why can't you give them another chance? They're trying to make up for what they did, there's nothing wrong with giving them another chance. Falla even forgave them for what they did." Render said as they rounded a corner. They watched as Astreal aimed her attack down another hall with fury in her eyes, the girl's wrist glowing brightly.

"Ms. Kyouko! Get back here!" she yelled out before she ran down the hall. Apoch got to the intersection and gasped, the witch then forming her blade of light.

"Ms. Kyouko! Get away from her! Run!" she cried out before she too vanished down the hall. The boys blinked then looked to each other.

"Still think they're faking?" Render asked flatly. The two boys ran down the hall and rounded the corner, then went through the gymnasium doors. They ran in quickly with the doors shutting behind them.

"Astreal wait, don't…hurt…her…" Render trailed off as he looked with wide eyes. Leon stared with equal shock at the sight as before them they saw a group of figures. They saw Falla standing there, holding a copy of herself by the throat. The two girls glanced over to them, with one smiling wickedly while the other was choking loudly. They saw Kyouko tied up and gagged, the girl being held by two figures. They looked like Apoch and Astreal, but something was immediately noticeable about them.

"My my, what do we have here?" Jovian asked as her multicolored eyes looked at the boys curiously.

"What was that about Astreal?" Jacqueline said glancing behind the boys. Before they could move Render was pushed down onto his knees by hand on his neck, the boy looking to seeing Apoch holding her blade to his throat with a glare. Leon was grabbed from behind and pushed down as well, the boy looking back to seeing Astreal aiming her attack at his head point blank.

"Don't move." Apoch said with a hiss.

"We're done playing with you." Astreal said with discontent. The two boys looked at them with surprise then to the other figures. Kyouko whimpered something as she tried to move while the dark Falla laughed a bit.

"What…what the hell is this? How…two Falla's?" Render said looking around confused. Leon looked around cautiously as Astreal kept her attack aimed at him.

"Why did you bring them here? You were supposed to be charming the keys out of them." Jovian said with a dull expression.

"Sorry mistress, but my mark wasn't buying it. He wouldn't forgive me and refused to let me near him at all." Astreal said simply.

"My mark was buying it though, you could have at least waited until I got his keys." Apoch said rolling her eyes.

"What? Mistress? Marks? Charming?" Render said looking around puzzled. He looked to Leon who was merely looking at him with a dull expression.

"Hey buddy, remember when you asked if I thought they were still faking?" he asked dully. Render blinked then looked back up to Apoch.

"For crying out loud bitch, you could have at least tried going down on him or something first." Jacqueline said shaking her head. Astreal looked at her worriedly then back to Leon.

"Sorry mistress." She said softly.

"Why did you bring them here though?" Jovian asked flatly.

"You ordered us to report to you if anything went wrong. So…we're here." Apoch said softly. Jovian face palmed while Jacqueline merely raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"I don't believe this…you two are the stupidest pawns we've ever used, I swear." Jovian said looking back to Apoch with a glare.

"What do you expect from obsolete models? We should have done it ourselves." Jacqueline said crossing her arms before her.

"Sorry mistress." Apoch and Astreal said softly.

"What the hell…pawns? Obsolete models? Mistress? What is going on here?" Render asked looking around. Jovian walked over towards them while Jacqueline held onto Kyouko tightly. The dark witch kneeled down in front of the boys and smiled at them.

"Look, we don't really have time to explain everything to you two right now, we're very busy after all. So if you would be so kind, hand over those keys you have to Pandora's Box. The faster you give us what we want, the less painful your death will be." She said gently. The boys looked to each other then to the witch.

"Sorry, I'm too shocked about seeing double right now. Ask again later." Render said simply.

"Who the hell are you?" Leon asked with narrowed eyes. Jovian glanced between the two then stood up. After a moment she looked back to the dark Falla.

"Falla dear, remember what I said about hurrying up with your little revenge? I take it back, please, take your time. Give these two a little incentive to cooperate." She said with a dark smile. The evil chronofly chuckled and nodded.

"Well, if you insist Jovian." She said looking back to the struggling chronofly. She then looked to Jacqueline and nodded. The witch smiled and raised a multicolored dome around herself and Kyouko, the group watching as the colorful barrier swirled around gently. The dark Falla chuckled then looked to her double, the girl slowly bringing the struggling chronofly up to her feet.

"Before we get started, did you know our magic is useless against them? Their bodies and even their barriers are immune to our chrono magic. So strange isn't it?" she asked. The good Falla showed a strained expression and glanced over to Jacqueline, the witch giggling as she removed Kyouko's gag.

"Falla!" she cried out as she looked at her friend with fright. The dark chronofly laughed a bit and looked to her double.

"Aw, how cute. She cares about you, such a devoted ant. If you care about her, you'll stand still when I let go. You can't get to her inside that barrier, and if you move an inch my friend over there will kill her without so much as batting an eyelash." She said with a twisted smile. Falla looked at her with a strained expression. She did know of a way to kill the witch that had Alucard's blood, but she didn't know if the same technique would work on the witch's magical barrier. She slowly nodded and watched as her darker self backed up, the good Falla then gasping as she held her throat.

"What the hell is going on here?" Render asked out loud. The dark Falla chuckled and glanced to him.

"Simple, we want your keys boy. That and to settle an old score with those that killed us." She said looking back to her double. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the chronofly.

"That…only raises more questions." Render said slowly.

"Killed you?" Leon asked. The dark chronofly nodded and glared at her double. The good Falla shifted into time and looked to Jacqueline and her barrier. The girl then took off her shoe and held it, then struck at the barrier. She watched as the chrono attack seared around the barrier and dissolved, with the barrier still standing strong. Falla looked with shock at the dome then to Jacqueline.

_No…their barriers are completely immune…I can't break through._

"Told you." the dark Falla said with a chuckle. The good Falla looked over with surprise to seeing her double had also shifted into time and watched the vain attempt at breaking through the barrier.

"Trust me, I tried too, although I didn't see the point in using my own shoe like an idiot. Their barriers are completely immune to our magic." she said shaking her head. The good Falla looked at her with shock then to Kyouko. With the barrier around her nothing short of Apoch's sword could break through now. She then glanced to her darker self cautiously. It sounded like her evil self had tried to attack the sisters as well, but didn't use another object in the process, showing she didn't know that the sisters could likely be killed if an object used with the chrono magic struck them.

"If you want her to live, I suggest you go back to your spot like a good little girl." the evil Falla said with a dark smile. The good Falla looked at her with frustration then down. She could attempt to strike down the evil double right now, but she had no way of getting to Kyouko like this. Slowly she walked back to her original spot and put on her shoe. She looked to the dark double with a glare then shifted out. The dark copy laughed a bit, then shifted out too.

"Yes, killed us. You see, me and my friends here have something in common. We were all killed by those that shouldn't be here!" the dark chronofly yelled before punching the other Falla in the gut. The girl coughed out and wavered as the dark copy growled a bit.

"For dead girls you all seem lively enough." Leon said glancing to the dark sisters.

"Thank you." they said in unison with a smile.

"Yes, we were given a chance again. We were brought out of hell, however we were then told to bow to someone else. To follow his word, to follow his order, to obey him or else face annihilation. And that just doesn't agree with me." The dark chronofly said looking at the boys with a dull expression. She then punched the good Falla again, the girl taking the hit to the face and stumbling back a bit.

"Falla!" Kyouko cried out. The dark Falla rubbed her hand a bit then glared at her double.

"I was originally told to take you alive you know, to keep you in one piece. But I just don't care about that. I've dreamed about nothing short of killing you over and over again while I was stuck in hell." She said with discontent. The good Falla slowly stood up and glared at her darker self.

"Hard to imagine why you were sent to hell in the first place." Render said with anger. The dark chronofly chuckled and shrugged.

"A simple mistake really. And one that I intend to rectify." She said casually.

"Just what do you want?" the good Falla said with a growl. The dark copy chuckled and smiled at her wickedly.

"Besides ripping you apart limb by limb? Well, just to be alive again. That's all, nothing unreasonable. After all, I was denied my life after YOU KILLED ME!" she shouted out. The good Falla looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean to be alive again, you're already alive." She said. The dark chronofly rolled her eye and shook her head.

"No, I'm not. I'm just a disembodied soul, I'm not alive bitch, I'm still dead. We need Pandora's Box to wish for our lives again." She said with discontent.

"A disembodied soul?" Render asked puzzled.

"But you can't wish for that, the box can't bring back a life." Leon said shaking his head. The dark Falla laughed and looked at her other self with a smirk.

"No, the box can't bring back a _soul_. I overheard you this morning at your home, how your hunter friend explained how the box worked. It can't bring back a soul from the other side. Well guess what, our souls are already here. All it has to do is give us a body, a real body." She said with a dark smile.

"You were at my home this morning? But…that means…" the good Falla said looking to Apoch and Astreal. She gasped then looked to Jovian and then to Jacqueline.

"Sorry, but you were only talking to us." Jovian said in a soft voice like Apoch's.

"Yeah, those two were busy being good girls for us. _Very_ good girls." Jacqueline said with a purr. Kyouko looked at her with shock then glared at her with fury.

"You…you bitch! You molested them too?" she shouted out. Render and Leon jumped a bit and looked to Apoch and Astreal, the twins still smiling down at them wickedly.

"You did what to them?" Leon yelled out. The good Falla looked at the hexed sisters with shock then to Kyouko.

"Oh my god…wait, them too? You mean…oh no…they did that to all of you?" she cried out. Kyouko looked to her with teary eyes and nodded, then looked down with a whimper. Jacqueline giggled and looked at Kyouko with a coy smile.

"And they were so much better than you too, so much more dedicated to their masters." She said with a wink. Kyouko trembled a bit then looked to the hexed sisters with sorrow. Render and Leon looked at the sisters then to Jovian. The girl nodded and licked her lips then looked to Apoch.

"She may have killed me, but she is pretty good with that tongue of hers. I might keep her alive as my pet." She said with a giggle.

"Thank you mistress." Apoch said softly with a smile. Render looked at the girl with shock then glared at Jovian.

"Why is she calling you that? What the hell did you do to them?" Render yelled out with anger, his body giving off a blue flicker for a moment. Leon looked at Astreal then to Jacqueline, the witch holding Kyouko with a wicked smile. He growled then glared at the witch.

"You monsters…how dare you use them like this!" he yelled out.

"Oh god, Apoch! Astreal! Kyouko!" the good Falla cried out, the girl mortified to hear her friends had been abused like this. She had no idea that while she was with Ceal all her friends had been suffering.

"Enough of all this, hand over your keys now." the dark Falla said to the two boys. They glared at her as they were held down by the hexed sisters.

"Never." Render growled.

"You're going to pay for this." Leon said with anger. The good Falla growled loudly and glared at her double.

"You…" she said with anger. The dark chronofly chuckled and walked up to her.

"What?" she said amusingly. The good Falla struggled not to lash out and try to strike down the evil chronofly, the girl filled with rage at her friends' abuse.

"Oh? Are you mad? Does this upset you?" the evil girl asked. She then punched the good chronofly in the gut again, the girl keeling over onto her shoulder with a cough.

"Too bad." the dark girl said with a hiss. The good Falla slowly stood up again and shook with anger and frustration. The dark girl glared at her then glanced to the boys.

"Now, are you going to give us those keys? Or do I have to get rough?" she said with discontent.

"Don't give them anything you guys, not a damn thing." the good Falla said with frustration. The dark girl looked at her with a dull expression then scowled a bit.

"Fine, I don't mind using a bit of force here." she said with discontent. She glanced to Kyouko, the girl trembling as she saw the girl looking at her. After a pause the dark chronofly looked at her double.

"Let me see your wings." She said coldly. The good Falla just glared at her.

"I said, let me see your wings. Or do you need to hear Kyouko's dying scream to get you to listen properly?" the dark chronofly said crossing her arms. The good Falla growled loudly with clenched fists then slowly extended out her wings. Render and Leon looked with a curious glance at seeing the girl's butterfly wings appearing behind her. The dark chronofly looked at them with a dull gaze then looked to Kyouko.

"Do you remember when you first asked me to show you my wings? I believe that was when we first met." she said. Kyouko slowly nodded as she watched the evil double with fear. The dark Falla chuckled and looked to her double's wings.

"They are beautiful aren't they? I myself have always thought my wings were the most beautiful, far more so than my weakling sister's." she said walking around the girl and examining the wings.

"Wait…what are you doing?" Kyouko asked fearfully. The good Falla glanced back to her double nervously as the girl walked behind her and stopped.

"I've never really examined them this closely before of course, but I have to agree with you Kyouko, they really are beautiful. I can see why you were so happy to see them when I showed you, my wings simply are the best." the dark girl said with a calm expression as she ran a hand along one of the wing's edge. She then slowly looked to the two boys.

"Now then…" she said narrowing her eye. The group then watched as she grabbed the top left part of the girl's wings and yanked back, the girl holding Falla's shoulder and ripping the wing off her back. The good Falla shrieked with a wide eye as pain shot through her back, the girl dropping down onto her knees.

"NO!" Kyouko screamed as she watched the dark chronofly toss the wing off to the side with a glare at the boys.

"Give us those keys." She said sternly. The boys looked at the screaming girl with shock then to the evil chronofly. The dark Falla growled then grabbed the top right wing segment.

"Still not going to huh? Fine. Oh, I probably should tell you, these don't grow back!" she yelled as she ripped Falla's right wing off, the girl shrieking as she reached back with her hands and trembled.

"FALLA!" Kyouko cried out.

"Yes? Oh, you mean her don't you?" the dark chronofly said with a sweet tone as she watched her double cry out in pain. Jovian and Jacqueline laughed as they watched the girl scream while Render and Leon watched with frustrated expressions. Apoch and Astreal glanced to the screaming girl and smiled wickedly still, while inside their minds they were screaming in horror.

_MS. FALLA!_

_NO!_

The good Falla trembled while screaming as her wings were lying on the ground behind her. The dark girl smirked at her misery then glanced to the two boys.

"Well?" she asked in an impatient tone. Render and Leon looked at the screaming girl with pained expressions, the girl shakily looking down with a wide eye. She shakily looked over to them and shook her head while trying to hold in her tears. The boys growled then glared at the dark chronofly.

"Never." Render said with anger.

"You're going to die for this, mark our words." Leon said with anger. The dark Falla narrowed her eye then ripped off the lower left segment of the wounded chronofly's wing, the girl screaming in pain.

"Wrong answer." the dark girl said with a glare. Kyouko watched her friend scream with wide teary eyes and shook her head.

"STOP!" she cried out. The dark chronofly grabbed the lower right segment of the wounded girl's wing and glanced to her.

"Stop what? Oh, you mean, stop _this_?" she asked as she ripped off the last part of the chronofly's wing. The good Falla screamed in agony as the dark double tossed the segments behind her casually. The good Falla shakily looked over to Kyouko, the girl crying at seeing her friend mutilated right before her eyes. The chronofly slowly held out her hand towards her.

"Don't…worry…about me…" she said with a strained voice.

In a flash her arm was sliced off, the limb dropping to the ground as she stared with shock at it. She screamed and dropped to the ground holding her severed limb as Kyouko shrieked in horror. Render and Leon gasped at seeing the girl lose her arm then looked to seeing the dark chronofly standing over her with her hand down in a chopping stance.

"Oh, there's plenty of reason to worry about you. After all, I'm going to tear you apart. Slowly, and painfully." She said with a dark smile.

"Oh god, FALLA!" Kyouko cried out in horror.

"Stop this, stop it!" Render yelled as he watched the girl scream in pain. Leon looked at the girl with shock then to the evil double. He didn't even see the dark girl strike, and couldn't duplicate whatever magic she might have used to do so with either.

"You want this to stop? Then give us those keys." the dark chronofly said looking to the boys. They growled and glared at her as Jovian and Jacqueline watched the good Falla lay on the ground holding her bloodied limb. The dark chronofly waited then shook her head.

"Fine, then we'll keep going." She said as she picked up the good Falla's foot and lifted her leg into the air. Kyouko looked at the girl with fright and shook her head.

"No…no! Please! I BEG OF YOU!" she cried out. The dark Falla looked to her and chuckled.

"Begging, how I love that from a commoner. Now you've truly learned your proper place Kyouko." She said with a smile. In a flash her hand shifted down and the leg of the girl was sliced off, the chronofly screaming as the dark double tossed the severed leg off to the side.

"NO!" Render yelled out. Leon stared in shock as the girl was being torn apart right before him.

"FALLA!" Kyouko cried out before she started sobbing, the girl watching in horror as her friend was cut apart before her eyes. The good Falla shrieked in pain as she thrashed about on the ground while the dark copy laughed a bit.

"Does it hurt? Do you feel that? I hope so, this is just the beginning!" she said before laughing wildly.

"You…you're going straight back to hell for this!" Leon yelled out. The dark chronofly laughed then looked over to him with a smirk.

"No, I'm not going back there boy. And you're not one to talk to me with such threats. Now, give us those keys or I'll keep going. Might want to hurry though, she's losing an awful amount of blood." She said looking down to her screaming double. She then stomped down on the girl's ankle, crushing the bone with a cracking sound. The good Falla screamed in pain as the dark one laughed wildly.

"Dammit stop this!" Render yelled out.

"Then hand over those keys." Jovian said looking to him with a glare. Jacqueline dissolved her barrier and walked towards them, the witch shoving Kyouko over into the grip of the dark Falla.

"You can handle her now, I doubt your double can get to you even if she wanted to." She said casually as she walked up to her sister. Kyouko looked with horror at her friend on the ground then to the dark double.

"You…how could you…" she breathed out. The dark Falla chuckled a bit and tilted her head.

"Very easily actually. I'll show you again when it's your turn." She said in a cold voice. Kyouko trembled in fear then looked down to her friend with teary eyes. Jovian and Jacqueline laughed a bit then looked to the boys.

"Well? Her suffering can end, quickly and painlessly, if you give us what we want." Jovian said simply.

"I'd hurry and decide though, our friend is just itching to play with her more." Jacqueline said with a giggle. The dark Falla laughed a bit and glanced to them with a cold smile. The boys looked to each other with frustration then to the wounded chronofly. The girl was screaming as she held her bloodied limb, the girl looking with shock at her missing leg. Render growled loudly then glared at Jovian.

"Fine." He said through bared teeth. The witches laughed a bit as Kyouko looked to him with shock.

"No, don't do it!" she cried out. She choked as the dark Falla grabbed her throat tightly.

"Don't listen to this one, not if you want your friend's suffering to end." the dark girl said with a smirk. Render glanced to Apoch's blade then to Jovian.

"I need to move my hands in order to bring them out of the ether. You mind?" he said with frustration. Jovian nodded and waved Apoch back. The sword wielding witch backed up slightly as Render slowly stood up.

"Mine's in my front pocket, inside my shirt." Leon said looking down. Astreal kept her aim on his head as Jacqueline kneeled down and reached into his shirt.

Render brought up his hands slowly in front of him and glanced to Apoch, the witch keeping her eyes focused on him intently.

"Are they still in there? The real Apoch and Astreal?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, they can see everything just fine. Not that it matters, now hurry up and give us those keys." Jovian said holding out her hand. Render nodded and glanced down to his hands.

Jacqueline grabbed hold of the key inside the boy's pocket and smiled brightly.

"Got it!" she cheered out.

"Yup, you got it." Leon said flatly, then grabbed the witch's arm and swung her back into Astreal. The two crashed back into a tumble as Jovian and Apoch looked with surprise. At the same time Render darted over and grabbed Apoch's hand that held her blade, the boy grabbing her arm then and flinging her over into Jovian. The two crashed to the ground as Render dashed towards the exit along with Leon. The dark Falla looked over with surprise before Kyouko bashed her with her head, the chronofly stumbling back before Kyouko tackled her to the ground, the bound human trying to pin the dark chronofly down.

"Get help!" Kyouko cried out as the dark Falla growled and thrashed a bit beneath her. Render and Leon barged out through the doors and rounded the corner just as a blast of red light shot past and exploded into the wall behind them causing smoke and debris to blast out. They stumbled forward then kept running. Before they could run far they smacked into a wall of multicolored light, the red, blue, green, and white colors swirling around the barrier as they looked at it with surprise. Leon held a hand to it with a careful eye as Render looked back behind them. Out from the dust cloud they saw Apoch and Astreal walking towards them, with the raven haired witch holding her blade of light at the ready as the blonde haired one held her charged attack at the boys. Behind them Jovian and Jacqueline walked out from the gymnasium doors and looked at the boys with discontent.

"That wasn't very nice." Jovian said with a glare. Jacqueline smirked and held up a key in her hand.

"I got what I needed though, I guess we can kill that hunter now." She said with a giggle. Render and Leon glared at her as she held Leon's key to Pandora's Box.

Inside the gymnasium the dark Falla threw Kyouko off of her, the girl tumbling back and landing down next to her wounded friend. Kyouko looked over to her with fright as the girl was showing a strained expression with a closed eye, the girl whimpering as she held her severed limb.

"Falla." Kyouko said with sorrow.

"Run…Kyouko…run away." the wounded girl said as she was gasping with pain. Kyouko looked at her friend with teary eyes then over to see the dark chronofly getting up and glaring at her.

"That…was a mistake…you lowly worm." she said with a cold voice. Kyouko looked at her with fright as the girl walked up towards her, the bound human scooting back a bit with fear.

"I think I'll deal with you now…_friend_." the evil double said with a deep glare.

"Please…stop this." Kyouko begged. Falla smiled wickedly and chuckled.

"I love it when you beg, just like a commoner should with her queen. Please, keep doing so while I tear you apart." She said as she walked closer to the girl.

Out in the hallway Render and Leon looked at the pairs of witch sisters that were watching them closely.

"We have his key, he's useless now. Get rid of him." Jacqueline said casually. Astreal nodded and aimed her shot at the boy, the two hunters tensing up. Inside Astreal's mind the girl was screaming as she desperately tried to move her hand, the girl unable to budge her body even a little bit.

"Yes mistress." she said coldly, then fired her shot towards the boy. It raced towards them before Leon held out his hand, and a multicolored barrier appeared before them. The blast hit it and exploded into a cloud of fire and smoke, the flames vanishing to show the barrier still intact. The witches stared with shock at seeing Jovian's barrier before the boys. Jacqueline blinked then looked to her sister.

"You saved them? Why?" she asked surprised. Jovian stared at the barrier with wide eyes.

"But…I didn't. I didn't do that." she said shaking her head. The evil sister growled then fired her multicolored blast at him, the boy rolling to the side as the attack shot through and destroyed the multicolored barrier. As the attack raced behind him and blasted into an explosion in the hallway Leon held out his hand, a multicolored glow then swirling around his arm towards his hand where he fired out a copy of Jovian's attack. The girls gasped as Apoch swung her blade and deflected the colorful blast to the side, the shot piercing through the wall and detonating a storeroom into an inferno. As smoke and debris shot out from the blast the witches stared at Leon with wide eyes.

"Wha…how…you…" Jovian said with shock.

"Hey…he used your magic. He can't do that." Jacqueline said with anger. Leon got up and smirked a bit.

"Anything you can do, I can do better." he said coolly. The evil witches looked at him with shock then glared with anger.

"How dare you…" Jovian said with hatred. From next to her a classroom door opened and a teacher looked out.

"What was that explosion just now? What…what are you kids doing out here?" he asked franticly. Jovian kept her eyes locked onto the hunters as she held out her hand towards him, the man looking with wide eyes as a bright multicolored glow built up in her wrist. Before he could scream she fired out a massive blast of energy, the attack vaporizing the man and striking back into his classroom of shocked students.

* * *

Outside the building Ceal was looking with a bored expression at something as he had his arms crossed before him.

"Why can't you just admit defeat and scurry away already?" he said tiredly. In front of him Razico was bound with a dark tentacle wrapped around him, the man being upside down and clonked down on the ground repeatedly as he growled in frustration.

"I'm never giving up, you're not going to open that box ever!" he yelled out before being struck down again, the dark limb merely swinging him down casually again and again onto the ground as Ceal rolled his eyes.

"Maybe a few more hits to your head will bring back your common sense. You can't stop me hunter, nobody can. The wish inside the box belongs to me and nothing will get in my way." He said simply.

"You're insane, I won't let you bring about the end of the world. And would you get your damned pet to knock it off already?" Razico barked out as the dark limb kept clonking him back down on the ground headfirst.

"You're the one with mental issues hunter. You can't stop me, just leave. Falla has expressed an interest in sparing your life, don't assume I'll always honor that if you keep pestering me." Ceal said coldly. The dark limb swung the warlock around then threw him back into a tumble, the man crashing into the ground as the dark limb vanished back into a rift. Razico stumbled back to his feet and glared at the boy as he tensed up.

"About done yet?" Ceal asked plainly.

"Hardly, I'm not going to let you throw the world into ruin. If you open that box then all hell will break loose." Razico said as he got ready to attack.

Suddenly the building behind them shook wildly as a powerful explosion detonated inside the school, with a few classrooms and the floor above them being annihilated by the evil witch's attack. Screams and cries of agony echoed out as fire alarms started to go off. The two casters looked back to the building as smoke was seen coming from the top of the school.

"Odd, I haven't opened it yet." Ceal said with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

Back inside the hallway Render and Leon were looking in shock at the witches, and at Jovian that was glaring at them with anger. She slowly retracted her hand as screams were heard from the destroyed area she used her deadly magic on. Fire alarms were going off as the building shook a bit from the structural damage, with the third floor above the destroyed classrooms cracking apart and caving in slightly.

"Holy shit…are you out of your mind?" Render cried out.

"Dammit, how could you? Those were innocent humans, they have nothing to do with this." Leon said with anger.

"You speak as if I care." Jovian said flatly. She growled then glanced to Apoch.

"You, go get that other hunter's key. Hack him or anybody that gets in your way to bits until he gives it to you, understand?" she said. Apoch nodded and held her sword at the ready.

"Yes mistress." She said. The girl then dashed towards the boys with her sword drawn back. Leon held out his hand and formed Jovian's barrier, the evil witch sisters smirking at the sight. Apoch swung her blade and shattered the barrier instantly, with the boys looking in surprise.

"Sorry, but her sword can cut through that. Funny how that works in my favor now isn't it?" Jovian said with a laugh. Render looked with surprise at the sword wielding witch, the girl then kicking him into an adjacent classroom. The boy tumbled back through the door as students scrambled away from him. He crashed through a few desks then scrambled to his feet as Apoch walked into the room with her blade, the girl glaring at him.

"Render!" Leon yelled out. He looked back to see three blasts flying at him, one bright red while the others were multicolored. He formed his barrier and dodged to the side, the magical wall being annihilated instantly by the barrage as he was thrown against the wall. He staggered back and fired a shot of his own, the Jovian style attack flying towards the witches. It struck the overlapping barriers from the dark sisters and exploded into a colorful blast, the shield flickering yet still standing.

"Nobody copies my attack!" Jovian yelled as the three witches fired again. Leon darted to the side of the hall and dodged the barrage, then aimed both hands towards the witch sisters. On his right arm the multicolored glow from Jovian's attack swirled around towards his hand while on the left arm Jacqueline's attack charged up, the boy then firing out a shot from each hand, the two multicolored attacks from each dark witch racing over and connecting to the shields. The colorful explosions from both attacks detonated against the shields, blasting them to pieces. The hallway flashed brightly as the barriers shattered, the boy then turning and running down the hall. The witches shielded their eyes from the flash then looked down the hall with discontent.

"Hey, he used my attack. You can't do that! Cheater!" Jacqueline yelled out. She and Astreal took off down the hall as Jovian walked up to Apoch, the witch holding her sword as she glared at Render. The dark witch glanced at the scared human students and teacher as they were looking at the witches with wide eyes while they were backed up to the side of the classroom.

"Your friend is going to be a pile of ash soon. Such a pity." she said with discontent looking back to the hunter. Render looked at the witches carefully then glanced to the blade Apoch was holding.

"Give us those keys, or else I'll have my pet here carve these humans into little tiny pieces." Jovian hissed. Render glanced to the humans then back to the witches. He nodded and held up his hands defensively.

"Fine, we'll play it your way." He said. The witch kept looking at him with discontent as he slowly brought his hands together in front of him. He smiled a bit at Apoch as a glow formed in his hands.

"So I hear the real Apoch's still in there. If that's true, just let me say that you look damn sexy holding that blade." He said with a wink, his body seeming to give off a blue aura faintly. The girl just looked at him with a dull expression while the inner witch was rendered speechless by that comment.

"Would you hurry up?" Apoch barked out. Render chuckled and nodded, then looked to his hands with a focused expression.

"Sure thing, whatever you say." He said. The glow built up in his hands as the class of humans watched with wide eyes. A blue light swirled around his hands quickly and wildly, then the light grew bright as he flashed around him. Apoch and Jovian watched with narrowed eyes as a blue light flared around the boy quickly. In a flash it vanished and the witches stared with surprise at the boy. He stood there having his arms crossed before him with a confident smile, however something was noticeably different.

"What…what the hell?" Jovian said as she stared at the boy. The class stared with surprise as well, as the boy had nearly tripled in muscle mass. He stood there with a good amount of physical brawn and chuckled. His body seemed to give off a strange blue aura in wisps.

"What…how?" Apoch said as she held her blade ready, the witch glaring at the boy. Inside her mind the witch was rendered even more speechless by the boy, the girl wondering the same thing as she saw him standing there with a confident expression and a lot more physical strength. He smiled coolly and looked to Apoch.

"So, you like swords do you?" he said as he held his hands behind him to the sides. A bright glow came from them as the witches watched cautiously. The boy then slowly moved his hands forward, and in doing so blades seemed to form from the light. As he moved his hands forward two swords seemed to form out of thin air from within the light. He brought his hands forward all the way as the hilts for the two blades took shape, then grabbed the swords, spun them around casually, then held them both up at the ready. The left blade was a long blade that was a metallic blue and green, the sword's tip pointed as the handle had a few small red gems in it. The right blade was the same length, angular, and was a metallic red, the sword's tip being pointed as well while the handle had a few small blue gems in it. He held the blades ready and smiled confidently at the witch.

"What do you think about mine? I think they're pretty badass if I do say so myself." He said with a smirk. Apoch readied her sword and growled at the boy. Jovian glared at the boy then fired out a multicolored blast to him. She watched as Render used the green and blue blade to deflect the shot right back at her with a quick swipe, the boy bracing himself a bit with his feet from the impact. Apoch swung her blade and knocked the blast back, the girl also using a good amount of strength to block the strike, then watched as Render used his angular sword and again knocked the blast back. Apoch grabbed Jovian and pulled her to the side as the blast flew past them and exploded into the wall of the classroom. The witches looked back to the smoking hole in the wall then over to Render with wide eyes. The boy smirked and held up his blades in a defensive stance with both swords crossed before him.

"How…how can you block my attack? What the hell are those things?" Jovian yelled out. Render chuckled and shrugged.

"Just some handcrafted swords I made myself, created from rare magic runes in the monster world. I'm proud to say they're unbreakable." he said with a confident smile. Apoch growled then dashed at the boy with her sword. She swung at the boy, the caster bringing his angular sword back behind him and blocking the attack with his straight sword. The witches looked with shock as Apoch's blade sparked and crackled against it, but did not cut through.

"Impossible, my sword can cut through anything." Apoch said with anger.

"Really? It sure doesn't look like it." Render said with a laugh. The girl pushed on his sword, the boy easily keeping her at bay with one arm.

"Dammit, just what the hell are you anyway?" she growled as she pushed on the boy's sword with all her might, the witch unable to overpower him. The boy chuckled and pushed her back, then got into a defensive position again with both blades in a cross formation before him.

"What's the matter, never seen a battlemage before?"


	36. Stay Dead

Sitting at a desk inside a large office a man with dark hair and a thin mustache was looking down at his laptop. Jenner was showing a bit of discontent as he was looking through more paperwork about monsters living in the human world. He scowled a bit and sat back in his chair, the man's desk facing the doorway across from him while there were windows behind him showing the human city below, the office being high up from the ground level.

"This is absurd, so many of these…things hiding in our world, and the prime minister believes that they should be treated with equality and hospitality. That old fool, these damned creatures will be the death of us all." he said bitterly. He turned his chair around and looked out the windows with a narrowed glare. The city was far down below from his view line as he had his arms crossed before him.

"What is the point of forming the HDA if they're just going to open the doors and lay down the welcome mat for all these things? I'm in charge of keeping this world safe, and they still choose to think that these monstrosities from another world are our _friends_." he growled. As he watched the city down below him the intercom on his desk beeped. He glanced back to it then pushed a button on the device.

"Yes? What is it?" he said.

"Sorry to disturb you Mr. Rythmore, but we've gotten another call about monsters being seen in our city." a man's voice said worriedly.

"No shit, I've been dealing with six cases already this morning. Damn things keep appearing in our world, then whine and complain that they have equal rights as us humans, that they deserve to live in our world just as much as us. It makes me sick." Jenner said with a scowl. He growled a bit and shook his head.

"I don't need to be bothered with more sightings, I'm well aware these sneaky bastards are all over the place. Just…send an investigation unit down there, and if you find anything arrest the monsters in question. We'll sort them out later." he said with discontent.

"But Mr. Rythmore, that's not what I'm calling about." the man's voice said again. Jenner glanced to it with a raised eyebrow.

"Then what are you calling about?" he asked.

"There have been reports of monsters being seen in a nearby human city. Normally we would have just sent in an investigation unit to check it out…but…" the man in the intercom said worriedly.

"But what? What is it?" Jenner barked out.

"Now we've gotten calls about a high school under attack by unknown means. The surrounding area is in panic mode, local police and fire units are heading there now but…we're getting calls from within the school by teachers and staff reporting strange activity." the voice said. Jenner looked at the intercom closely then to his laptop.

"Strange activity? What sort of strange activity?" he asked cautiously as he typed in something. On his screen he pulled up the details about the school in question, and saw it had a special note on it.

"Well…we're not quite sure. However the incident is taking place close to where we received the first call about monsters in the area." the voice said worriedly. Jenner read the page on his screen closely then growled.

"Get a combat unit down there immediately." he said sternly.

"What? A combat unit?" the voice asked.

"Yes, get them down there and tell them to be ready." Jenner said looking at three special entries shown regarding the school's students.

"Be ready? For what? Are we under attack?" the voice asked worriedly. Jenner looked at the info regarding the three monster girls that were attending that school, and narrowed his eyes.

"If we are, then we will be the ones to put a stop to it. Get a combat unit down there to assess the situation, I want to know exactly what's causing this problem." he said with discontent. He pushed the button on the intercom and looked at the info for the three monster girls.

"I knew it was a mistake letting you come here, maybe now the world will see that as well." he said with hate.

* * *

Leon was running down the hallway of the school quickly, the boy rounding a corner just as two blasts of magical energy shot past him. The bright red projectile and the strange yellow, pink, purple, and black multicolored blast struck the wall of the hallway and detonated into a powerful explosion, the boy stumbling forward a bit before running quickly. He turned around and aimed his hand down the hall, the boy creating a multicolored glow around his arm that built up in his wrist. He then fired out a multicolored projectile that flew down the hall and crashed through a multicolored barrier, the wall of strange light shattering as two witches dodged the attack that shot past them.

"Hey, you can't use my attack!" Jacqueline yelled out as she fired another magical shot towards the boy. He formed the witch's barrier before him, the shield taking the hit and shattering instantly. He dodged to the side just as the attack flew by, the boy then darting to the side again as a red blast shot by him. He looked over to see Astreal aiming at him as well.

"Hold still Mr. Leon." she growled with a glare. Inside her mind the witch was screaming as she tried to move her body, the girl unable to control her own actions. Leon aimed at Jacqueline again before Astreal jumped in front of her and fired her attack again, the boy dodging to the side and looking with frustration.

"Dammit, fight it Astreal, don't let her control you!" he called out. Jacqueline laughed as she aimed her attack past the hexed sister's body, the girl using her pawn as a shield as she slid her other arm around the girl's waist.

"Sorry, but she's mine to play with until she breaks for good." she said before she fired out a multicolored attack. The boy dodged to the side, then leaped over to the other side of the hall as Astreal shot at him again. The boy staggered to the side and barged through a classroom door into the room. Students and the teacher looked with surprise as the boy stumbled into the room, the boy looking over to them with frustration.

"What is the meaning of this, what's going on here?" the teacher called out.

"You all need to get out of here right now!" Leon shouted before looking back to the door. He saw Jacqueline aiming her attack at him with Astreal next to her. She fired a powerful blast of magical energy at him, the boy aiming his hand and firing another right back at her. The class watched as the two multicolored beams struck each other and sparked wildly. Leon growled then kneeled down and aimed up slightly, the boy deflecting the two shots up at an angle. The shots flew over him and crashed out the window, the attacks flying out into the air before exploding into a colorful blast. The humans watched with wide eyes as Leon looked back to the witches as they walked into the room. Jacqueline glanced to the humans then held out her hand towards them. They all backed up against the far wall as the witch smirked.

"Filthy bugs." she said as her wrist glowed brightly. The class stared with shock as Astreal aimed at Leon, the boy looking at the two witches with frustration. Jacqueline fired her attack towards the class just as Astreal fired her own magical projectile at the hunter. The boy held out a hand towards the hexed witch and formed a multicolored barrier as he fired out another attack at the dark witch's projectile. Astreal's attack connected to the barrier and detonated doing no damaged to the wall as Jacqueline watched her own shot be intercepted by the hunter's attack, the two shots exploding into a colorful flash before the class. The dark witch looked with shock then over to see Leon running right at her.

"Leave them alone!" he yelled as he charged up two shots in his hands at the same time. The witch formed a barrier before her and watched as Leon fired one shot at her, the attack shattering the barrier as she dodged to the side of the powerful strike. It connected into the wall and exploded into a colorful flash as Leon aimed his other attack at the witch. Before he could fire he smacked into a wall of light and bounced back, the boy then looking over to see Astreal's red attack flying at him. He dodged down and rolled back as Astreal fired again and again at him, her shots missing and blasting apart the wall with the windows on it.

"You shall not harm my mistress." Astreal said with a glare.

"Astreal, stop!" Leon called out. Jacqueline blinked then giggled a bit as she looked to Astreal.

"Good girl Astreal, I guess I won't kill you so soon after all." she said with a smirk. Astreal smiled at the witch lovingly.

"Thank you mistress." she said softly. The dark witch giggled and looked to Leon with a dark smile, the girl holding a hand towards him and another towards the humans.

"Now then, let's see you block these both." she said as her wrists glowed brightly. Leon fired his other attack at her only for the witch to be pulled to the side by Astreal, the dark witch then firing out her two attacks at the same time. Leon held out both hands and formed his barrier, the projectile hitting it and detonating into a powerful explosion that knocked him back. As the boy was thrown out of the classroom onto the grass the humans were blasted into a fiery and colorful inferno as the witch's other attack destroyed the side of the classroom. The witches smiled wickedly before running out after the boy.

The hunter rolled onto the grass and stumbled back to his feet, the boy looking to see two witches walking out from the classroom that erupted into an inferno behind them. The floor above the destroyed classroom gave away and crashed down into the flames, screams of students being heard as they fell into the inferno. Leon watched with frustration as the witches aimed their attacks at him, the boy standing in the courtyard in front of the school. He backed up a bit as he tensed up. Astreal aimed at the boy before a black chain whipped around her arm, the girl being yanked over and down onto the ground as more chains wrapped around her waist. She looked over to see Razico staring at her with disbelief and Ceal looking at her cautiously.

"Astreal…what are you doing?" the warlock yelled out.

"Oh look, more playmates. Astreal, take care of them please. I'm going to kill the hunter personally." Jacqueline said aiming at Leon. The hexed witch growled and fired off a shot that blasted off the chains, the girl's magical wings appearing as she stood up again. She aimed her attack at the warlock as she took into the air. She fired off a blast of red light, the warlock and catalyst mage darting back as it exploded before them.

"I'd say she's trying to kills us." Ceal said flatly.

"Astreal stop! Are you crazy?" Razico yelled out.

Jacqueline giggled and fired another shot at Leon, the boy rolling to the side and returning fire. The witch's attack shot past him and out into the street, blast connecting to a passing truck and detonating into a powerful explosion. Cars screeched and slammed into one another as traffic swerved around the explosion. At the same Leon's attack shot past the witch as she dodged it barely, the attack flying back into the inferno and blasting into a large firestorm. The boy glanced to Razico and Ceal as the boys were looking between the two witches puzzled.

"Razico! We got a problem here!" He called out as he fired at the dark witch again, the girl firing her own attack at it and detonating the two into a large colorful flash. Razico looked to see Jacqueline aiming at the boy, the multicolored glow building up in her arm.

"What is going on here? Who is that?" he called out. Ceal looked to the dark witch and held out his gloved hand, the boy summoning his pet from the underworld. Several large tentacles ripped out from dark rifts in the ground around the witch, the girl looking with surprise. The limbs swiped down at her and slammed into a multicolored barrier, the magical dome around the girl holding strong as the limbs tried to crush down on her.

"Ewww, what are those things?" she said as she looked around at the dark limbs with wide eyes. Leon ran over to the two others as the witch watched the limbs slither and press down on the barrier all around her. He looked up to see Astreal firing down on them with her attack, the boy then aiming his hand out and firing a copy of her attack into the air and deflecting the girl's strike, the two powers detonating into an explosion above them.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ceal asked looking to Leon as the boy ran up to them. Leon looked back to Jacqueline's barrier that she was using as she looked at the tentacles with a disgusted expression, the dark limbs pressing against her barrier and trying to crush her. He then mimicked the barrier and raised a dome around the three casters, just in time to block the airborne witch's attack.

"What are they doing? Holy shit they're destroying the school!" Razico yelled out looking at the damaged building. Fire alarms were going off as students were heard screaming inside the building.

"Who is that anyway?" Ceal said glaring at Jacqueline. Leon looked around then to Ceal.

"I don't have time to explain everything. Ceal, get to the gymnasium, now!" he yelled out. Ceal looked at him with raised eyebrow while Razico watched Astreal fire again and again while flying above them.

"What? Why?" Ceal asked.

"What the hell is going on here? Why is Astreal attacking us, has she lost it? And who the hell is that?" Razico yelled while pointing to Jacqueline, the girl now firing her attack out and blasting away the tentacles one by one.

"Dammit man, they tore Falla to pieces in there!" Leon cried out. The two casters looked to him with surprise.

"What? Falla?" Razico asked shocked.

"They did what?" Ceal asked with a loud growl.

"Get in there, she's seriously hurt. I don't know how but…there's another Falla in there." Leon said looking to the building.

"What? Another Falla?" Ceal asked. Razico looked around speechless at seeing everything going to hell around them.

"I know it sounds crazy, but all I know is that the Falla we know was ripped apart by…herself. She tore her wings off and hacked off her leg and arm." Leon said shaking his head.

"What?" Razico yelled out. Ceal growled loudly as his hand glowed a dark black hue. The tentacles around Jacqueline started to apply even more pressure as more appeared from the ground around the dome, the witch looking with surprise as her barrier flickered a bit from the stress of all the limbs crushing down on her barrier.

"Gross, what the hell are these things?" she asked with a disgusted expression.

"Oh my god, Falla." Razico said looking to the building. Ceal glanced to the building then to the dark witch. After a pause he ran out of the barrier and towards the school, the boy dodging Astreal's attack as he darted into the building. Leon looked back to Jacqueline then to Razico.

"Um…we also have another problem." he said.

"Another problem? Falla's critically wounded, my friend is trying to shoot me to death from the sky, you idiots are destroying a human school in broad daylight, and we have another witch over there who's trying to kill us. What the hell else is going wrong here?" Razico yelled out. Leon glanced away and then towards the dark witch.

"Well…that girl over there took my key." he said simply. Razico blinked then looked over to Jacqueline as the girl turned to face them, the barrier around her standing strong as the dark limbs around her vanished. The girl glared at them as she aimed out her hand, her wrist glowing brightly again as Astreal continued to fire from above at them.

"She did what?" Razico cried out before the girl fired her multicolored blast at them. Leon shoved Razico to the side and darted the other way out of the barrier just as the shot passed through, the dome shattering instantly. The two casters looked between the witches that were aiming at them with frustration. Astreal was flying above with a cold glare in her eyes while Jacqueline smiled wickedly.

"Say bye bye." she said coldly before she fired her colorful attack at them again.

* * *

Inside a classroom in the building Apoch and Jovian were looking with caution at the hunter they had cornered in the room. A group of students and their teacher were also watching with wide eyes as the three monsters were having a standoff right in front of them. The witches were looking at the hunter carefully as he had demonstrated his true power, the boy tripling in muscle mass and summoning two unique and extremely durable swords from the magical ether. Render smirked confidently as he looked at the witches while holding his swords in a cross formation before him.

"A battlemage?" Jovian asked with a raised eyebrow. Render chuckled and nodded.

"Yep. Here, allow me to demonstrate." he said, the boy then darting towards them in a flash. Apoch swung her blade at the mage, the boy blocking her attack and spinning around her. He then swung at Jovian with his angular blade, the witch darting back into the hall before firing a multicolored blast at him. He swung his sword and knocked the attack over to the empty side of the room with one blade and held his straight sword behind him to block Apoch's swing at him, the witch pressing against his sword as the magical projectile detonated into a colorful explosion. Render glanced to the hexed witch and winked.

"Hope you're enjoying the show in there babe. Don't worry, I'll get you out of there soon." he said confidently. Apoch growled and pushed on her attack, the girl's blade sparking as his sword held strong. Inside her mind the witch was watching the mage speechless, both for his fighting ability and as that strange aura washed over her again. Even though she was trapped in her own mind, even though she was watching her body being used as Jovian's puppet, she suddenly felt like nothing could stop him. He chuckled and looked back to Jovian, the dark witch glaring at him with anger.

"Release her now, or else." he demanded. Jovian held out her hand towards him as she built up her attack, the girl growling with rage.

"Never. She belongs to me forever." she hissed. Render narrowed his eyes then pushed Apoch back, the girl stumbling back a step as Render dashed towards Jovian. The witch raised her barrier around her as she fired her attack. Render swatted the attack to the side, the blast streaking down the hall and detonating into a colorful explosion as the boy swung at the girl with his angular blade. The sword clashed against the barrier as the witch smirked at him.

"Fool, my barrier will not fall to the likes of you, you will never break though." she said as she aimed at him again. The boy smirked as he held back his straight edged sword, the blade shimmering slightly as he geared back with it.

"Hold that thought." he said, then swung his blade at the barrier. It slammed into it and sparked wildly, the barrier holding strong as the witch charged up her attack. The hall flashed a bit around them as the dark witch smiled wickedly.

"Still holding it." she said with a giggle. Render laughed then dodged to the side as he held his blade against the barrier, the boy dodging Apoch as she swung down with her sword. The hexed witch cut down onto the barrier and shattered it, the dark witch looking with shock as Render's blade then followed through with a searing flash. She dodged to the side as the blade swiped past her, then screamed loudly as the sword sliced across her face. She stumbled back as Render then swung his other blade at Apoch's sword and knocked her back, the boy then swinging again at Jovian. He struck a new barrier around the witch as she slowly looked back to him, the girl's cheek sliced from the boy's attack. Her eyes glared at the boy as they glowed brightly while she brought up her hand towards him, the glow in her wrist building up as blood trickled down her face.

"How dare you…HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed as she fired a massive blast of power towards the boy, the hunter using both swords in a cross formation to block the swirling torrent of colors. He was pushed back down the hall as his feet skidded on the ground, the boy growling as he tried to stave off the attack. Jovian screamed as she kept the power flowing, the witch's fury fueling her attack. He braced himself and swung his blades down to the side, the boy deflecting the attack past him by a slight angle. The hallway behind him blasted apart from an explosion as he glared at the dark witch before him. Apoch raced towards him with her sword, the girl swinging at him and striking towards his head. He blocked her attack with one blade, spun around her and held up his other blade and deflected a multicolored shot back towards the dark witch, the boy's feet bracing as the shot took a lot of strength to hold off. She dodged to the side and fired again, the hunter then pushing Apoch back a bit then spinning around and striking the projectile again. The shot flew back at Jovian as Render swung his other blade back and blocked Apoch's strike. The hexed witch struck at him again and again, the girl glaring at him as he smirked a bit at her while deflecting and dodging her strikes.

"Wow, you're good. When this is all over you and I should do this again. You know, when you're not a brainwashed killer. Sound like a date?" he asked playfully. The witch swung at him again, the boy deflecting her attack, pushing her back, then swinging behind him and knocking Jovian's attack right back towards her. The dark witch dodged it and fired a large blast again, the girl screaming as a large torrent of energy flew towards the hunter. He dodged to the side of Apoch's swing from behind him, stopped her attack by holding out one sword, and then shoved her to the side of the hall with his sword as the large blast flew by struck the end of the hall. The building shook wildly as the attack exploded, the hallway and surrounding classrooms blasting apart. Screams and cries of agony were heard as the upper floors of the school trembled and collapsed down onto the blast zone.

"Not good, so many humans are going to get killed if we stay here." Render said looking back to the dark witch, the boy keeping his other sword held to the side and holding Apoch against the wall. Her sword was brought up against her chest, the girl pinned as she growled at him. Inside her mind the witch was watching the fight with amazement as the hunter proved to not only be a skilled swordsman, but was able to take on Jovian and herself at the same time.

"Dammit, give me those keys or else you're going to be nothing but ash!" Jovian yelled as she fired another torrent of energy towards him, the large colorful attack streaking down the hallway towards him. The boy pushed Apoch back then darted towards the dark witch. The hexed witch watched from inside her mind with surprise as the boy then charged into the large torrent of energy, the hunter using his swords to slice down the middle of it while running towards Jovian. The power split apart and seared across the sides of the hallway as Apoch watched with surprise.

_Go Mr. Render…GO!_

"This ends here!" Render yelled out as he neared Jovian. The dark witch growled loudly as she brought her other hand to her side, the glow in her wrist building.

"Oh I don't think so, not this time!" she yelled as she dodged to the side as Render swung down towards where she was, the girl then holding out her other hand towards him point blank. He glanced to her just as the witch fired a blast of magic at him, the boy then being yanked forward by a dark tentacle grabbing him around the wrist. He was pulled forward out of the fire line just as the blast flew into the classroom of frightened students and teachers from before. The classroom exploded into a colorful and fiery explosion as Render tumbled forward and rolled to his feet, the boy looking to see Ceal standing there holding out his gloved hand. The boy glanced to Render and raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting trick." he said simply. The battlemage chuckled and smirked at him.

"Thanks for the assist, and here I thought you didn't care about me." he said playfully.

"Behind you!" Ceal called out. Render spun around and swung both blades, the boy knocking two multicolored blasts back towards Jovian as he braced from the impact. Apoch grabbed the dark witch and dodged to the side as the attacks struck the wall, the two explosions knocking the witches back against the other wall as dust flew around them. Render got into a defensive stance and glanced back to Ceal.

"I got these two, get to the gym. Falla's cut up something fierce in there by another copy of herself, as crazy as that sounds." he said urgently. Ceal narrowed his eyes and glared at the witches. He then ran down another hall as Render watched the witches get up and glare at him. Jovian growled loudly as she aimed at him again as Apoch readied her sword.

"Alright ladies, shall we continue?" the boy asked as he dashed towards them.

* * *

Inside the gymnasium a wounded chronofly was laying on the ground in extreme pain. Her wings had been ripped off, her arm sliced off, and her leg cut off by her darker self. The good version of Falla was struggling to remain conscious as she was cringing in pain, the girl gasping a bit as she had a few tears in her red eye. Next to her Kyouko was laying on the ground, the girl tied up and looking with fear at the dark chronofly that was standing before her. The dark version of Falla walked up towards her and smiled wickedly.

"Falla…don't do this…" Kyouko begged. The dark girl chuckled as she slowly sat down on the bound human, the chronofly straddling her and looking at her with a twisted smile.

"Oh Kyouko…my dear friend, I just love it when you beg. So fitting for a lowly worm." she said with a chuckle. She slowly grabbed the girl around her throat and applied pressure, the bound human choking as the other Falla shakily looked over to them with fright.

"Please, keep begging like that. Beg for mercy, or better yet, beg for death. I want to hear you grovel to your queen before I crush the life out of you." the dark girl said as she choked the human. Kyouko coughed loudly as her legs kicked behind the dark girl, the evil chronofly laughing as she watched Kyouko suffering.

"Stop…please…" the good Falla said in a strained voice. The dark Falla laughed and looked to her with a cruel smile.

"Don't worry, I'll get back to you in a moment. However our _friend_ here seems so insistent on me paying attention to her, so needy for a human worm wouldn't you agree?" she said before looking back at Kyouko with a narrowed eye. The human girl choked loudly as she kicked and thrashed in her bonds, the good version of Falla watching with fear as she couldn't move while in so much pain.

"Now then, what should I do with you, _friend_? Should I tear you apart like my worthless double here? Should I snap your neck and be done with it? Or should I break every bone you have one by one, and see how many it takes to make you beg for death? That last one does sound like so much fun, but, I'll let you pick seeing as how we're so close." the dark girl said with malice. Kyouko kicked and thrashed below the dark chronofly as she was held down and choked by the girl. The dark Falla watched her squirm in her grip as the building shook a bit with a few loud explosions. She chuckled and glanced back towards the doors to the gym.

"Sounds like everybody else is having fun out there. Won't be long before we have those keys and I'm alive once again." she said with a dark smile. She then looked down to Kyouko and leaned closer to her.

"Won't that be great, me being alive again? Aren't you happy for me Kyouko?" she asked gently. She laughed a bit at first, then wildly, the girl laughing maniacally as she strangled the human girl. The good Falla cringed as she looked at her friend, the chronofly whimpering in pain as she held her bloodied limb. The dark girl slowly regained herself and smirked at the human.

"You know, this is fun and all, but I feel like I've been rather inconsiderate with our friendship Kyouko." she said as she let go of the girl's throat. Kyouko gasped for air and looked at her with fright. The dark girl chuckled and stood up, then brought the human girl up to her feet and held her tightly by her ropes.

"You wanted to see my wings so badly before, but I only gave you a quick glimpse of them. What's worse, I never took you flying with them." she said with a dark smile. Kyouko looked at her with fear and trembled while the good Falla looked at them with a strained expression. The dark chronofly laughed a bit and held Kyouko by the throat with one hand.

"Yes, it's only fair for friends to be nice to each other after all. Haven't you ever wanted for me to take you for a ride in the sky?" she asked with a laugh. Kyouko trembled and shook her head fearfully. The dark girl laughed and leaned in closer to her.

"Sure you have, I'm sure of it. Well I'll tell you what, I'll grant you your last wish in life, and show you what it's like to fly high in the sky. High HIGH IN THE SKY!" she laughed wildly, the girl grabbing Kyouko tightly who screamed in fear. In a flash they vanished as the dark girl shifted them into time.

"Kyouko!" the good Falla cried out as she started sobbing, the girl in extreme pain and fearing the worst for her friends.

"No…no! NO!" she screamed out as she shook her head. She cried a bit as she closed her eye, the girl hearing explosions echoing out in the school. Apoch and Astreal were being used by darker versions of themselves, the witches now being used to attack Render and Leon. Kyouko was in the hands of her own dark double, the evil chronofly who ripped her wings off and incapacitated her. The school was under attack and humans were being harmed and killed all around. The girl struggled not to scream out as she lay on the ground, her body battered and mutilated, and her breathing ragged.

"No…this can't be happening." she wept softly to herself, the girl's whimpering echoing out in the large hall. She couldn't move, she couldn't shift into time, and she couldn't fly. She was grounded, wounded, and dying while the world around her was falling apart.

_Please…let this all be a horrible dream._

"Falla." Ceal's voice said to her softly. She looked to see the boy slowly walking up towards her, his eyes wider than normal as he saw the girl lying on the ground next to her severed limbs and wings. She sobbed a bit and looked at him with a teary eye.

"Ceal…" she said shakily. He looked at the girl with shock and slowly knelt down next to her. She watched him as he looked around at her severed limbs then to her.

"Ceal…she…I…" she said trembling a bit. The boy showed a worried expression then a gentle gaze as he slowly put his gloved hand on her forehead. The girl looked at him with a pleading eye as he brushed her hair back a bit. He slowly looked around then back to her with a solemn expression.

"Ceal…" she said as she closed her eye, the girl weeping a bit as she felt her body ache all over.

She opened her eye and looked with surprise as Ceal was lifting up her severed arm, the boy looking at the stump where the dark chronofly had sliced off her arm at. He held it gently with his gloved hand and held out his other. From the ground a black tentacle slowly came forth from a rift and grabbed her severed arm on the ground, the dark appendage then bringing the limb over to him. He held the separated arm to her body, the boy connecting to the two together as Falla watched with a wide eye. A glow came from his human hand, the light spreading along the girl's arm as he held the severed limb to the stump. The wound flashed a bright light, the glow swirling around as Falla watched with wonder.

"What…are you…doing?" she said softly.

Her hand flinched a bit, then moved as she once again could feel it. She gasped and watched as the boy removed his hands to reveal her arm reattached and functional again.

"Oh my…Ceal…" she breathed out.

"Explain Falla, what is going on here? And who did this to you?" the boy said as he held her severed leg down while the tentacle gently grabbed her missing limb and brought it over to him. She watched speechless as he aligned the severed limb with the leg and a glow came from both his hands, the light swirling around the wound as the leg was held against the stump. He focused his magic and mended the broken flesh and bone, the boy then removing his hands to reveal her leg again reattached and able to move.

"Ceal…" she said with amazement. He then moved down by her crushed ankle and held a hand to it, the boy looking back to her with a stern expression.

"Talk." he said firmly. The girl blinked then looked to him with wonder as a glow came from his hand, the light swirling around her ankle. Slowly the bones cracked and shifted back into place, the boy's magic mending the broken ankle back into shape. She stared at him with amazement then looked back to her ankle to see it was reformed again and feeling perfectly fine.

"Oh my god…Ceal." she said with amazement. The boy stood up and helped the girl to her feet, the girl looking at him with wonder.

"I said, talk." he said as he walked behind her. She blinked then nodded, the girl then looking down with remorse.

"I don't know how it happened, but my other self is here. The one I killed from before, she's here…she did this to me." she said with frustration.

"The one you mentioned you killed from your little time jump? Your…original self?" Ceal asked looking to her cautiously as he held out his hand. The dark tentacle gently grabbed one of the girl's wing segments and brought it over to him. The girl nodded and looked back to him with worry.

"She came back somehow, and brought two other witches with her. Ones Apoch and Astreal killed before. They're using them like puppets now to attack Render and Leon." she said worriedly. She then watched with awe as Ceal held the wing segment to her back, the glow forming around his hand and her back as he reattached the wing to the girl's body. She looked at him with astonishment as he had a solemn expression still.

"I noticed, I saw them attacking those two earlier. They do seem to be more powerful than your witch friends." he said simply. Falla looked at him then forward again with a nod.

"Yes. They're after Pandora's Box now, they want to use the wish to bring themselves back to life. I'm not sure how exactly, but they're not really alive, they're just disembodied souls. They want to be alive again and need the box to get that." she said. She glanced back to see Ceal holding another wing segment as he was looking at her back.

"Makes little sense so far, but go on." he said as he held the wing segment to her back. She nodded and watched as he used his magic to reattach her wing again.

"While those two were using my friends against Render and Leon, my other self…she tortured me. She tore me to pieces under the threat that if I made a move she would have Kyouko killed. Kyouko!" she cried out looking up. Ceal glanced to her as he held out his hand, the dark tentacle then bringing over a third wing segment to him.

"Kyouko?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he gently took hold of the wing. Falla gasped and looked back to him.

"My other self took her off somewhere, she was saying she was going to take her flying. Oh god…she's going to kill her Ceal." she said with fear. Ceal held the wing segment to the girl's back and used his magic to reattach it, the girl looking at the wings with a careful eye.

"So let me get this straight. Your other self that you killed is back from the dead, want's Pandora's Box to wish for her life again, is using two other witches that Apoch and Astreal killed before to make your friends fight each other, and is cutting people up at her leisure." he said as he examined the three attached wing segments on the girl's back. She nodded and looked back to him. The boy glanced to her as he held out his hand, the dark tentacle then bringing over the fourth wing segment.

"And on top of all that their fight is now being seen by the humans everywhere around us." he said as he grabbed the last wing segment. Falla nodded and looked down with frustration.

"Dammit, this whole day is falling apart. This is a nightmare." she said shaking her head. The boy held the last wing segment to her back and used his magic to mend the severed wing back to her body, the girl's back glowing a bit as she felt her wings again and was able to move them. The boy walked back around her as the girl looked back to her wings with wonder. He had reattached all her severed limbs and healed her body, the girl feeling as good as new again.

"Ceal…you're amazing." she said softly looking back to him. He smirked a bit then glanced to the doors.

"I'm going to go help those two hunters deal with your friends. Can't have those keys being taken after all." he said simply. He glanced back to the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"I trust this time you can handle that other you?" he asked. The girl nodded with a firm expression.

"Yeah, I'll deal with her this time. I killed her before, I can do it again." she said. She then looked down with frustration.

"This is going to be bad though, the humans are going to see all this chaos." she said. She then looked with wonder as he raised her face by her chin with his gloved hand, the boy looking at her with a calm expression.

"Then don't hold back." Ceal said. The girl looked at him with wonder as he moved his hand and brushed her hair away from her face, the girl feeling her heart pick up a bit.

"We're already exposed, no need to hold back now. Stop your other self, by any means necessary Falla." he said. The girl looked at him then smiled softly.

"I will. Thank you Ceal…for coming for me." she said. The boy nodded and smirked a bit.

"Try to stay in one piece this time, I hate seeing my girl so broken up." he said. The girl smiled confidently and nodded.

"Yes sir." she said before she vanished into time. The boy nodded then glanced back to the doors, his gloved hand glowing a black hue.

"Now then, I guess I should keep those idiots alive through all this." he said before walking back towards the two fights taking place.

* * *

Up in the sky a helicopter was flying near the high school, the pilot keeping a safe distance as explosions and strange lights were seeing searing around in the front courtyard down below. Cars and trucks were piled up in the street in front of the school as a few streaks of multicolored light struck into them, with a few vehicles blasting apart as people ran screaming away from the chaos.

"This is Channel 6 news reporting live from the scene. I'm not sure what's going on yet down there but it looks like a monster attack as strange lights and explosions are flying around everywhere!" a woman said into her microphone as a man held a camera at the side of the chopper while looking down at the chaos.

"Students and staff are being evacuated out the back of the building right now as…oh my god look at that!" the woman said as the front of the school had a massive colorful blast erupt from the second floor, the blue, red, green, and white colors flaring around as the third floor above it collapsed down.

"I've never seen anything like this, it's absolutely crazy!" the woman said shaking her head. She looked down carefully as the camera man aimed down as well. In the front courtyard four figures were seen moving around. One was a schoolgirl with long blonde hair and strange glowing wings, the girl flying in the air firing down what looked to be red blasts of light at some other moving figures. One was a man with a black cape that dodged one of the attacks before he aimed his arm up at the girl. In the air strange black chains seemed to whip around out of nowhere at the flying girl, the chains wrapping around her leg and swinging her around. She quickly shot off the chain and resumed flying around as the man dodged her attacks franticly. Next to him a boy was dodging strange multicolored lights flying at him from another girl with long blonde hair. The boy fired out the same type of light and the two powers struck and blasted into colorful explosions between the two fighters as the boy moved around quickly.

"Oh my god, they're monsters. Monsters are attacking the school!" the woman cried out.

"Some of those monsters are wearing school uniforms, holy shit, they've infiltrated our schools and are attacking from the inside!" the camera man said in shock. The woman blinked and looked up, then screamed. The camera man aimed his camera up to see someone flying at their level in the sky. A girl with butterfly wings appeared out of nowhere and was flying high above the school, the girl holding a schoolgirl who was tied up and screaming.

"Isn't this nice Kyouko? You can see so much from here." The dark Falla said laughing wildly. Kyouko screamed as her legs kicked around, the girl looking down with wide eyes as they were high over the school.

"Falla! Don't!" she cried out. The dark girl laughed and looked at her amusingly.

"Oh my dear friend, it was so good to see you again. And thank you again for helping me seem like such a good person in your friends' eyes, it really helped with my foolish sister giving me back what belongs to me." she said with a chuckle. Kyouko looked at her with fright as the dark girl smiled wickedly at her.

"I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you Kyouko, so thank you _so very_ much." she said with a dark smile.

"Stop, please." Kyouko begged as she kicked around in fear. The dark girl laughed a bit then looked at her amusingly.

"You're such a good friend Kyouko, I suppose I should be grateful you ran me over with your bike on that day. You know, when you crushed me into the pavement!" she yelled as she glared at the girl. Falla laughed then looked over towards the helicopter with a dark smile, the humans watching with shock.

"Hey, make sure you get her good side. You know, before she hits the ground." she said before she let Kyouko drop. The human crew screamed as the schoolgirl shrieked loudly, the girl plummeting down toward the school as the dark chronofly laughed wildly.

"Oh my god!" the woman in the chopper said as the camera followed the human girl's fall. She screamed and spiraled around as she fell down towards the roof of the school, the girl yelling out loudly as she saw the ground fast approaching.

"Farewell, _friend_." the dark Falla said with malice as she watched the human girl close in on the roof of the school with her fatal fall. Kyouko screamed as she was about to hit the ground…then vanished. The dark Falla blinked then looked with surprise.

"What…how? HOW?" she yelled out as she saw something. The camera man and reporter were looking with surprise as well as the chopper flew in place.

Kyouko blinked then looked to see the good Falla holding her, the chronofly having grabbed her and stopped her fatal fall at the last moment.

"Fa…Falla?" Kyouko said in shock. The chronofly had her wings fluttering behind her gently as she set the human down, then sliced off her ropes with a clean cut with her chrono magic. Kyouko looked at her with shock as the good Falla smiled a bit at her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Are you ok?" she asked. Kyouko blinked then looked at her with amazement.

"Falla…you're…ok? But…your wings. Your body…how?" she said in shock. Falla smiled a bit then looked up at her darker self, the evil chronofly looking with disbelief and rage.

"How…how the hell are YOU STANDING AGAIN?" she yelled out with fury.

"Did…did you get that? She's alive, she was saved somehow." the woman reporter said in disbelief. The camera man just nodded a bit as he kept the device aimed at the human girl that somehow survived a fatal fall from high up in the sky.

Kyouko looked at her friend with amazement then up at the dark chronofly.

"Falla…" she said fearfully as she backed up.

"Kyouko, get out of here. I'll deal with her." the good Falla said with a narrowed eye as she clenched her fists in anger. The dark double in the sky shook with anger as a pulse rippled out from her.

"It's not possible…you can't be standing again…how…HOW?" she screamed in rage.

Kyouko backed up a bit towards the fence on the edge of the roof then stumbled against it as the building shook wildly. The fence gave away and she started to fall over the edge before the good Falla grabbed her and held her back, the two looking to seeing the building shaking below them. Down on the ground level the fighting monsters looked over to see another large colorful blast detonate from the second floor of the building, the walls and glass from the classroom exploding as a figure shot out from it. Render leapt out into the air and landed down on the ground, the boy looking up to seeing Apoch diving down towards him with her blade. He held up his straight edged sword and blocked the strike, the witch flipping over onto the ground behind him and spinning around with another strike. He deflected the strike, spun around and swept the girl's legs out from under her. She dropped down as Render looked back up to see Jovian aiming her attack at them.

"DAMN YOU!" she yelled she fired a powerful torrent of swirling colors at him, the boy blocking the strike with both swords as his legs braced from the impact. As he stood there trying to hold off the dark witch's assault Apoch got up behind him and geared back her sword, the girl swinging towards him before a black chain wrapped around her arm and threw her over onto the ground. She looked to see Razico holding his arm out towards her and looking at Render with wide eyes.

"What the hell happened to him?" he called out with surprise. Kyouko and the good Falla just looked at Render with wide eyes, the girls also equally surprised about his noticeable muscle increase. Apoch sliced off the chain and dashed towards Razico with her blade, the warlock casting out more chains to bind her. She sliced them away quickly then lunged towards the warlock, then was grabbed around the waist and arms by a few dark tentacles. The girl thrashed around and then looked over to see Ceal standing nearby with his gloved hand aimed at her. He then glanced up to see Astreal firing at him again. Leon held out a hand and fired her own magic back up and deflected the shot, then looked towards the massive amount of magical energy striking at Render. His eyes flickered white a bit then he looked to Jacqueline, the boy holding out his hand and focusing his magic. He then fired out a multicolored torrent of energy towards Jacqueline, the witch looking with surprise at seeing Jovian's massive strike flying at her. She moved to dodge to the side, but stopped suddenly as a tentacle grabbed her ankle, the girl looking to it with shock.

"Take it bitch." Ceal said coldly. The witch thrashed and staggered to the side, then screamed in pain as her right arm was seared off in a flash by the attack. She tumbled to the ground screaming as Jovian looked over with shock.

"AHHHH!" Jacqueline screamed as the beam flew past her and blasted into a powerful explosion in the school.

"NO!" Jovian screamed out as her own attack wavered. Render growled then swung his blades to the side, the attack striking down into the ground behind him and blasting into a bright colorful explosion. Jacqueline looked at her stump of an arm with fright then over to Leon, the boy running up to her as his arm was glowing bright.

"Anything you can do…" he called out as ran up to her, the boy holding his hand to her face point blank. She tried to bring up her own hand, but was stopped as a black tentacle grabbed it and held it down. The witch's eyes went wide as Jovian watched in shock. Everybody looked over to seeing his wrist glowing brightly in her face, the boy glaring at her with anger.

"I can do better." he said coldly.

BLAM!

The boy fired out another copy of Jovian's massive torrent of energy, the bright blue, green, red, and white colors engulfing the upper half of the dark witch instantly. A high pitched scream was heard briefly before her upper body was annihilated by the beam in a flash.

"SISTER!" Jovian screamed in horror. A massive colorful explosion erupted at the side of the school as Leon stood there with a cold glare in his eyes. The lower half of the body dropped to the ground and twitched, then flickered red briefly. The remains then shifted into black dust and faded away as her soul lost all its life. The dust shifted away revealing the key to Pandora's Box lying on the ground. Up above the humans and chronoflies were looking down at the sight as well. The dark Falla growled a bit at seeing the evil sister taken down then glanced to Astreal, the girl suddenly tumbling down unconscious as her wings vanished. Razico looked up then stumbled around with his arms held out, the man catching the girl and crashing to the ground with a thud. He groaned a bit and then looked to see the witch unconscious in his arms.

"Astreal? Astreal are you ok?" he asked. He stood up and held the girl as the boys looked over to her. Kyouko and the good Falla looked at their unconscious friend with worry then over to Jovian, the witch screaming as she jumped down onto the ground and glared at Leon. A bright colorful dome appeared around her, the barrier crackling with power as she glared at Leon, the boy picking up the key to the box and putting it back in his pocket.

"YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!" she screamed as she focused her power into her hand again, the witch firing off a powerful shot of swirling colors towards him. The mage fired the attack right back, the beams colliding and sparking wildly as the ground below them was scorched. Render looked to the dome surrounding the dark witch then to his friend. The dark witch brought up her other hand to her arm and the attack intensified, the colors brightening as the beam swirled around violently towards the boy. Leon held his attack with one hand and brought up his other hand to his side, the wrist glowing brightly as well. He glanced to his friend and nodded, the battlemage nodding then gearing back with both his swords. Leon yelled out and fired another large torrent of magical energy with his other hand, towards Render as the group watched with surprise.

"What are you doing?" Razico yelled out.

"Don't kill him!" Kyouko cried out.

The second beam flew at the battlemage, the boy then swinging both his swords together with all his might. The beam struck the blades and flashed brightly, then bounced back towards the side of the Jovian's barrier. The witch looked with surprise as the attack flew at her side, then screamed as the attack connected to the barrier with a bright flash. The dome and beams exploded into a powerful flash and explosions as dust blasted around the area violently. Apoch continued to thrash in her bonds as Ceal held her with his pet, the boy watching the dust cloud carefully. Razico watched cautiously as he held Astreal, the girl groaning a bit as she was starting to come to again. Kyouko and the good Falla watched with worry while the dark Falla watched with frustration. The human news crew watched the sight with wide eyes and open mouths as they were rendered speechless.

Leon coughed a bit as he staggered back from the smoke, the boy a bit weak from using so much energy. He then looked with surprise as Jovian leapt out from the cloud and kicked him back, the boy tumbling down onto the ground as the witch growled at him. Her body was smoking a bit as her clothing was burned, the girl's eyes glowing brightly as she was furious. He aimed out his hand and fired a multicolored blast again, the witch firing off one as well that deflected it and exploded the two in the air. She then ran up to the mage through the colorful flash and jumped down on him, the girl holding her hands down to his face with fury as her wrists glowed brightly. Her legs held down his arms at his sides as she aimed down on the boy's head with both her hands.

"COPY THIS YOU ASSHOLE!" she screamed as the boy stared with wide eyes at her girl, her hands glowing brightly with a multicolored light.

CRUNCH!

Apoch thrashed a bit while screaming loudly, then fell limp in the grip of the dark limbs. The group was looking with wide eyes at the sight as the dark Falla growled in frustration. Astreal slowly came to and looked around in a daze, the girl then looking around with surprise as she looked to Razico.

"Mr. Razico! What…what happened?" she said looking around. She then looked over and gasped.

She saw Leon on the ground with Jovian straddling his arms down, the girl's hands aimed at his face as he stared at her with surprise.

And she also saw her head, which had an angular blade carved into her skull from above. The dark witch's eyes were wide and looking down in shock as blood trickled down her face, the sword protruding out between her eyes as it had carved down through her skull. She twitched a bit as her arms fell limp at her sides, the girl being held up by the blade that was struck down into her head. Astreal looked to seeing Render standing behind the dark witch, the battlemage then lifting up his sword and the girl with it. Leon scooted back and stood up slowly as Render geared back his other blade.

"This is for Apoch you bitch." he said coldly. He yanked his angular blade up into the air out of her skull then swung his straight edge blade down and sliced the girl into two, the two halves dropping down to the ground with a thump as the battlemage glared at the remains. The body flickered red and slowly faded away into a black dust, the witch's soul now lifeless and dissolving permanently. Astreal slowly stood back on her feet as the group was looking at the remains of the fallen dark sister. Leon looked to his friend and smirked.

"I had it under control you know." he said. Render laughed a bit and nodded.

"Oh yeah, you had her just where you wanted her." he said with a smirk. They then both looked over to Ceal, the boy looking up with a glare. Everybody then looked up to seeing a chronofly flying in the air, the girl scowling at the group.

"Whatever, I don't need those two to do this. I'll get my wish yet…but first." she said looking back down to her other self. Kyouko and the good Falla looked up at the dark double, the human showing fear while her friend was glaring at her evil self.

"Falla." Kyouko said softly. The good chronofly nodded and got ready to launch up into the air.

"This time, you're going to stay dead." the good Falla said as she flew up towards her double, the girl shifting into time. The dark double shifted as well and flew down towards her, the girl glaring at her other self.

"I won't fall to a mere mistake in this world, you're going to pay for what you did to me!" she yelled as she geared back her hand, the girl trailing behind torn space as she closed in on her opponent. The good Falla looked at her with a narrowed eye and held her hand back in a chopping stance as well.

"The only mistake here is you. You're the nightmare, you're the monster here! And this time, you're going to fall for good!" she yelled as they raced towards each other with their attacks held back, the girls trailing behind torn space in the air as they closed in on one another. Everybody was frozen in place below them, everybody standing still in the moment of time. The witch sisters had been freed from their captivity, their dark counterparts now dead and gone forever as the hunters had struck them down. Kyouko was still alive, the girl looking up to where the girls shifted into time with worry. The good version of Falla was alive and whole again thanks to her boyfriend, the catalyst mage having given her back not only her mind but her body. The girl focused her chrono magic as she closed in on her evil double, the girl ready to once again strike down the dark chronofly with all her might. Humans were already seeing the battle taking place, their presence during this commotion was already known. There wasn't any reason to hold back any longer, no reason to hide, nothing to stop her from using her all to kill her darker self.

As they closed in and geared back to strike the good version of Falla glared at her double with rage.

"Now…" she said before they swung towards each other with their chrono infused attacks, the attacks streaking torn space behind their swipes.

"Fade away into time forever!"


	37. The End Of Fallacy

Moka was standing by the cliffside watching the red sea, the vampire waiting for the next bus into the human world along with her friends. She was trying to remain focused, the girl still missing her mate that was separated from her inside of Paradise. Still, she had a goal to complete, to prevent any further conflicts from occurring in the human world and keep the two worlds heading in the right direction for peace. The group knew Falla would be a prime target for the sirens' old master, and needed to recover her and bring her back into the monster world as fast as possible. The vampire had her arms crossed as her pink hair flowed gently behind her, the girl hoping that when her mate came back out from his isolation he wasn't stepping into another war.

Next to her Mizore and Dark were watching the tunnel nearby for any sign of the bus. The shadow demon had his music playing as always while Mizore held his hand gently, the girl gently rolling her lollipop around in her mouth as she showed no real expression. However they too were focused on the task of bringing the chronofly back to the monster world quickly to avoid another war from breaking out. The snow maiden had a wedding to plan now, and couldn't be bothered with such matters as dealing with monsters and humans trying to kill each other while some mysterious monster from another world threated to kill everybody. Dark was also hoping to avoid another war in the human world, although he knew a confrontation with this mysterious monster couldn't be avoided, and it would only be a matter of time before he showed himself.

Nearby Kurumu and Rason were looking up at the sky, the two holding hands as well while the bond flowed through them. Kurumu always felt more relaxed when holding onto her Destined One, however she was still very worried about what was happening. A potential war could be breaking out any moment, Falla was in danger, and she was growing more worried about Luna. The same with Rason, both of them were hoping their chronofly friend was alright up in heaven, and if she had any idea that she would be a target by this mysterious monster. The angel prayed that the chronofly remained up in heaven until this was sorted out, the boy hating the idea of what would happen to her if she were to be captured now. Luna and Falla's fates were clear as they were endangered monsters of great power, and the angel would rather die than let the girls suffer such horrors.

Yukari and Ahakon were standing by the road watching the tunnel with worried eyes. They had known that this fight with the sirens' old master was coming up, but still were a bit nervous that it was coming up sooner than they hoped. Not only that but the threat that the human world might once again be turned against the monster race was causing more panic, as the group now had to hurry and find Falla before this mysterious monster did. As Ahakon looked down in thought about the eventual fight against this monster Yukari glanced to the side. Ran was looking down at the ground as well, the girl trying to remain calm and focused about coming with the group. She wasn't combat oriented like the others, the sirens having only been used to recruit/charm monsters for their old master's army, never having to actually go out to combat themselves. Still, she wanted to remain by Ahakon's side, and refused to let him go into the human world alone if there was a chance that her old master might show up. No matter what, she promised she would not let her hero be taken away by anything.

"I hope we get there in time." Ahakon said worriedly.

"Me too. Now that we know Falla could be in danger like this, time's dragging on waiting for the bus." Yukari said looking at the tunnel with concern. Moka glanced to them then forward again.

"We just have to hope she's ok. Like the headmaster said before there hasn't been any reports of problems in the monster world, and nothing regarding Falla's location either. If we're lucky the sirens' old master doesn't know about her yet." she said hopefully.

"I hope Luna stays up in heaven for now, she'll be walking right into danger if she comes back now." Kurumu said worriedly. She wasn't saying that just to keep the chronofly away from her angel, the succubus truly wanted her friend to remain safe. And heaven seemed about as safe is it could get right now.

"We'll get this sorted out before she returns, both she and Falla won't be taken by this creep." Rason said with a nod. He glanced to Ran as the siren was looking down at the ground worriedly.

"Ran, it's not too late you know. You can go back and stay with your sister if you want." he said. The siren shook her head and looked to him with a determined expression.

"I'm not leaving, you guys might need me if his charmed army shows up. Besides, this is my fight too." she said. The girl looked down with frustration as the group glanced to her.

"That bastard used my sisters for horrible things in the past. I'm the eldest sister, I can't just sit idly by and wait for him to come back for them. I want to stop him as much as you all do if not more." she said with a focused expression. She growled a bit and looked out towards the red sea.

"That monster…keeping my sisters in the darkness…using us…treating us like his pawns. I won't let anyone else be used by him, never." she said. The group looked to her as she narrowed her eyes at the red sea, the siren clenching her fists a bit. Moka looked at the girl with a curious eye as the siren walked up to the cliffside.

"I won't let my hero or my friends suffer that fate. I won't…I won't!" she yelled out, the girl's voice sending out a pulse wave in front of her. The ground at her feet cracked a bit as dust flew off in a spiral forward in front of her. The group looked at her curiously, Dark and Mizore included, as the siren looked down again.

"I know I'm not a fighter like you all…but I don't care. This is my war too…and I intend to stand with you." she said firmly. Moka smiled a bit at the girl and rested her hand on her shoulder. Ran looked to her as the vampire smiled.

"We're glad to have you with us." she said. Ran nodded then looked at the red sea again as the group looked at her curiously. Yukari looked at the siren with wonder as Ahakon watched the blue haired girl stand there. She was always so quiet and shy before, yet now she seemed to be showing a bit more confidence with what was coming their way.

"Me too." Ahakon said. The siren looked back to him with surprise as the mage smiled at her.

"It helps to know we have a siren on our side with this." he said rubbing the back of his head.

"Ahakon…" Ran said with a slight blush. Yukari smirked and looked away.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. With her with us his charmed army isn't such a big threat after all." she said simply. She blinked then looked over to see Ran hugging Ahakon, the boy's face buried in her bosom as she was smiling blissfully with closed eyes.

"Thank you Ahakon, I promise you'll be safe with me here, I won't let anything get near you. I'll be your personal guard my hero, you're as safe as can be. I won't let you down, I swear it." she said happily. The group just watched the girl hug the boy tightly, the mage squirming a bit and whimpering something before slowly falling limp in her arms.

"Oh my god…is _that _what I've been doing to you?" Kurumu said with wide eyes as she looked to Rason. The boy just nodded with a weak expression as he watched Ahakon go limp in the siren's grip. Yukari's eyes were wide, her jaw was dropped, and her wand was starting to spark a bit. The group looked to her then to the siren who was still going in her loving tangent, the girl unaware she knocked out her hero while upsetting his girlfriend.

"Um…Ran?" Moka asked worriedly. Mizore glanced to Yukari with a raised eyebrow.

"Too late." she said softly.

From the cliffside a bright flash followed by an explosion was seen, with dust flying up around the area. As it settled the group saw Ahakon lying on the ground face first, the boy twitching a bit as smoke was coming up from the ground around him. Off to the side a small crevice was carved through the ground which led to Ran, the siren face down in the ground and also twitching as her body was smoking slightly. The group looked at her then to Yukari, the witch having her wand extended out with a glare and bared teeth as she had just fired her powerful attack at the siren.

"Didn't want to use your washtubs?" Dark asked with a raised eyebrow. Yukari merely glanced to him while holding her stance. Dark looked to Ahakon and shrugged.

"He probably wouldn't have been hit then, but whatever." he said simply. Yukari jumped a bit and looked to Ahakon, the mage who was also hit by the attack. Luckily for him he was already unconscious from the siren's affection and was mostly shielded by her body and breasts.

"Oh no, Ahakon! I'm sorry, I just wanted her to stop, I didn't mean to hit you too. Ahakon!" she cried out as she ran over to him and started shaking his body. Ran slowly got up with a dazed expression and coughed out smoke.

"Ok…I may have had that coming…sorry." she said weakly before dropping back down. The group looked to the unconscious siren then over to Yukari who was shaking Ahakon franticly.

"Well, we haven't even left yet, and already we have two down. Off to a good start." Rason said flatly. Suddenly his world went black.

"I'm so sorry Rason, I never knew that was what I was putting you through! Oh my lord, you must think I'm horrible, I'm so sorry! I never meant to treat you like that, I just wanted to show you my love. I just wanted you to know I love you Rason, please believe me! I love you!" Kurumu cried out with tears coming out of her eyes, the girl once again hugging her boyfriend as she usually did.

"Kurumu." Moka said with a face palm. The succubus looked over to her and sniffled. Moka merely pointed to Rason with her other hand and shook her head. Kurumu looked down, then screamed as she saw she once again knocked her angel out.

"Three down." Mizore said as Kurumu started shaking Rason franticly, the girl apologizing while crying. Dark nodded then glanced to the tunnel.

"That bus better arrive soon, we're dropping like flies here." he said flatly. Moka sighed and looked to the tunnel as well.

"I just hope Falla's ok still. We have to get to her quickly, if this monster attacks in the human world while looking for her who knows how bad it will get." she said softly.

* * *

Sirens were heard in the streets of a human city as police cars and fire trucks were racing through the area. Ambulances were right behind them as they were responding to a crisis happening at one of the local high schools. At the front of the large group of rescue workers a police car was driving through the streets as fast as it could.

"All units be advised there are students and staff still inside, keep the area around the school sealed off from the public and evacuate those still inside with caution." a voice over the radio said. The driver picked up the handset as his partner was looking ahead, the man seeing smoke rising over a few buildings before them.

"This is Unit 4, we're almost at the scene. We'll block off the surrounding roads and evacuate those still inside the building." he called out.

"Roger that Unit 4, use extreme caution, this is reported to be a monster attack. HDA forces are on their way, do not engage any monsters you see, keep your distance until backup arrives." the voice over the radio said. The cops looked to each other with surprise.

"Wait, did I just hear…" one of them said.

"A monster attack?" the other said as they looked ahead. They saw the school up ahead, along with a large pileup of damaged and burning cars and trucks in front of the building. The school seemed to have suffered serious damage as part of the front of the building was collapsed in while fires were blazing around several classrooms. As they got near a bright multicolored blast rippled out in the sky above followed by a deafening thunderclap, the humans looking up to see a massive tear in space that ripped through the air above the school. A fast moving and blurred cosmos was seen through the rift as it arched and tore around erratically above the building.

"What the hell is that?" one of the cops cried out as the police car slammed on the brakes. It swerved to a stop near the school as other police cars and fire trucks came to a swift stop behind them. All eyes were looking up at the large tear in time, the anomaly slowly closing as it crackled violently.

"Holy shit…" one of the cops said with wide eyes. The other shakily grabbed the handset and started to tremble.

"Tell the HDA to get down here now, hurry!" he cried out.

In a flash the ground alongside their car tore apart violently, the street seeming to tear apart as a large crevice appeared out of nowhere. The cop car flipped over and crashed down upside down as the humans screamed loudly. The group of cars and trucks behind them were tossed to either side of the street as the tear sliced through the ground erratically then shot off to the side, then straight up the side of a building. Glass from windows and concrete from the walls shot out and flew about as an erratic tear seemed to slice along the structure instantly, the large gash appearing out of nowhere in the blink of an eye.

Inside the shifted moment of time the dark Falla was holding onto her double's wrists, the two girls spiraling around as they glared at each other. They flew up along the building before the good Falla broke free and swiped at her double, the tear in space from her attack slicing out and ripping through the side of the building as the dark girl flew up to avoid it. The good Falla darted up and swiped again, then spiraled around her opponent's own attack. The two swiped and dodged as they flew higher, both of them spiraling around each other as they kept their assault up. Glass and parts of the wall sliced apart as the girls exchanged attacks with ferocity, the girls carving an erratic line up the building with their attempts to kill each other.

"Dammit just die already, JUST DIE YOU FUCKING MISTAKE!" the dark chronofly yelled as she swiped at her double again. The good Falla dodged above it then kicked the dark double, the girl crashing back through a window and into an office. There were cubicles set up around the large room, with people sitting in desks working on computers or on paperwork. The glass from the window froze in place as the dark chronofly rolled into the room then jumped up, the girl looking to seeing her double flying in with a strike trailing torn space behind her.

"You're the mistake, and no matter what I'll kill you once and for all!" she screamed as she swung her attack at her double. The dark girl dodged back and then swiped again, the two tears flying around and slicing apart cubicle walls and sending papers and debris flying around. Everything froze in place as the girls continued their duel, both chronoflies wishing to put an end to each other once and for all.

"How the fuck are you standing again anyway? It's not possible!" the dark girl yelled out as she swung at her double again.

"My boyfriend is a skilled catalyst mage, he gave me another chance to end this nightmare. And I won't let him down!" the good Falla yelled as she swiped at her foe. The dark chronofly dodged under another attack, grabbed her double's hand, then swung her around. She tossed the girl down the room towards a hallway, the girl spiraling around before reorienting herself with her wings. She looked back to see her double flying at her again, the good Falla flipping over so her feet skidded against the wall as she spun around to face her opponent. The dark chronofly swung at her, the good version then jumping off from the wall and flipping over to land on the other. The dark girl's attack slashed by and tore apart the wall completely, the evil double then looking to seeing the other Falla shooting off from the wall towards her. She tackled her through the newly formed hole in the wall and the girls tumbled into another office. It had a large rectangular conference desk, several people in chairs all around it looking at a slide show presentation, and there were no windows as there were just paintings around the walls. The dark girl tossed her double off of her and onto the conference table, the girl rolling across it knocking over laptops and cups. She came to a stop and looked back to see her double jumping up into the air towards her.

"FADE AWAY ALREADY!" the dark girl yelled as she slashed down with both hands. The good Falla rolled back as the strike seared down and tore apart the table violently. The dark girl looked with a murderous glare through the haze of her attack to see her double standing back up on the table then charging her.

"You're going to pay for what you've done!" the good Falla screamed as she swung her attack at her double. The dark girl dodged back then flew up, the girl flipping over and landing feet first on the ceiling. She then lunged toward her double with both hands swiping forward. The good Falla darted and rolled forward over the destroyed section of the table, then spun around and kicked her double in the gut. She coughed out and tumbled in the air, the girl crashing into the wall before dodging to the side to avoid the good Falla's strike. The attack ripped the wall apart showing the hall of cubicles as the dark girl jumped back up and swung at her again. The two darted back and forth while attacking each other, the wall near them being torn apart by their strikes. The good Falla grabbed her double's arm then tossed her over into the large room of cubicles, the dark chronofly tumbling through an empty one before stumbling back to her feet and running towards a window. She slashed through it and took off into the air as the good Falla followed after, the office floor behind them frozen in a state of chaos with debris and glass remaining still in midair. The dark girl dived down alongside the building and turned to face her double, the good Falla flying down towards her with fury in her eye.

"You're not getting away from me, you're going to pay the price for what you did!" she screamed as she held her hand back, the girl trailing torn space behind her. The dark Falla smirked and held her hand out to the side too.

"For what I did? You mean, what _you_ did. Don't forget, we're the same person. The blood on my hands is the very same that's on YOURS!" she yelled as she swiped out to the side, the girl's attack destroying windows and walls beside her. The debris and glass exploded out in front of the good Falla, the girl swiping forward and destroying all the debris with a wide arc of her attack. She flew down towards her double, the evil girl banking off and flying low over the human streets. She laughed and darted down while swiping alongside a large fire truck. The vehicle exploded and spiraled around a bit before freezing in place, the good Falla following closely behind and spiraling underneath the flaming truck. The dark chronofly laughed manically as she swiped another car along its side followed by another, the girl launching the destroyed vehicles into the air behind her. The good Falla banked around one then flew under another, the girl growling with rage at her double's careless killing of the humans nearby.

"I didn't kill my father out of insanity! I didn't send my little sister to her grave! It was you! You were the one that murdered my family, you were the one that destroyed our kingdom!" the good Falla yelled as they banked around an intersection, the girls weaving between cars that were frozen in place.

"Hahahaha, no no my dear double, that was you as well. Deny it all you want, but their blood is on your hands. We're the same, you and I. We're both bloody MURDERERS!" the dark chronofly yelled as she swiped by the front of another large truck, the vehicle spiraling around as the tear destroyed its side and tore apart the human driving it. The good Falla darted under the flaming vehicle and closed in on her double, the dark girl swiping another car and sending it into a flaming spiral before it froze into place. The good Falla flew around it and swiped at her double, the dark chronofly dodging down and swinging back at her. The two rifts seared past the girls and tore apart two more cars, the vehicles being shredded up by the chrono wave before freezing into place.

"You sent Complica to her death, you killed my father, you ruined my life!" the good Falla yelled as she swung her attack at her double again, the dark girl dodging to the side as the searing wave of torn space flew past her. The girl flew down a road between two lanes of cars, the evil chronofly holding out both hands to her sides and streaking a large rift alongside multiple vehicles on both sides of her. They all slashed apart and spun around wildly before freezing in place, the fires and glass from the wreckages spreading out into the air as the good Falla flew down low near the road. She soared under the frozen wreckages as the dark chronofly glanced back to her. In a flash the dark double swiped down and blasted up a crevice in the ground, the girl flying over it as the good Falla watched with surprise. She darted up and shielded her face with her arms, the girl flying though bits of glass and metal along with fires frozen in time. She flew up through the debris and flames which billowed up around her like a swirling cloud over the frozen wreckages and looked to see her double flying at her again with another attack. The dark girl swung at her again, then another time as the good Falla darted back over the frozen flames and remains of the cars below.

"Oh how sad, still in denial? Face facts, you killed them all. You sent that little brat to the afterlife without a care in the world. You threw that worthless king into the tear without a second thought. You think you're different than I am? You think you're special just because you hit your head? Wrong!" the dark girl yelled as she swung around at her opponent. She grabbed her double's wrists and held the girl in place as they hovered above the frozen chaos from their duel.

"You're just like me girl. After all, you _are_ me." the dark girl said with a cold smile. The good Falla screamed and shook her head.

"NO! I'm not like you, I'm nothing like you!" she yelled as she broke free from her double's grip and swung at her again. The dark chronofly flipped back over the tear as the good Falla growled loudly at her, her magic sending out a ripple in the air around her.

"I'm not a murderer! I'm not a heartless killer! And I don't give a damn about some stupid crown!" she yelled out. The dark girl scoffed at her as the good Falla glared at her.

"You were the one that never should have been created, you're the mistake in this timeline." she said with hatred. She trembled with rage then flew towards her double with fire in her eye.

"This is for my family!" she yelled as she swiped towards her double. The dark girl darted back and flew down the street with her double following closely behind. As they flew between more cars down the street the dark chronofly swiped her hand at the front end of another car, sending it spiraling into the air behind her erupting into flames. It froze in place as the good Falla flew under it by a hair, the girl then banking around another flaming vehicle that was tossed into the air by her opponent.

"HAHAHAHA, CATCH THIS!" the dark Falla laughed wildly as she flew down by a car and slashed across its lower front side, the vehicle spiraling around as it burst into flame before freezing in place right before the other Falla. She gasped and banked off to the side, the girl seeing another car spiraling up and freezing into place in front of her. She tried to bank to the side again but slammed into the windshield of the car, the girl screaming as she tumbled down to the ground. In a flash she shifted out, the girl rolling onto the ground then looking with shock as a few destroyed cars were spiraling down towards her. She screamed and rolled to the side as a flaming vehicle crashed down near her, the girl hearing several loud explosions from the destroyed cars and trucks behind her along with the sounds of screams and crashing from the streets and the nearby building that suddenly tore apart along its side. Broken glass and fire flew about over the girl as she screamed in a panic, the girl holding her hands over her head as she lay on the street. She quickly shifted back into time and looked up to see the dark Falla flying down towards her with her hand held back. She laughed wildly as she slashed towards the good Falla, the girl gasping and dodging to the side. The tear through space sliced apart the ground behind her, the girl stumbling a bit before taking off into the air. The ground around the dark Falla tore apart as a few cars were thrown away by a searing wave, the vehicles being cut up before igniting. As they froze back into place the dark girl took off after her double with a wild laugh.

"NO NO NO! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME!" the girl screamed as she flew towards her other self. The good Falla darted up into the air and struck back towards her double, the wave of torn space flying by as the evil girl dodged to the side and flew past her. She swiped near the good Falla, the girl ducking under it and taking off after her foe. The two flew around, banking around each other's strikes while spiraling around in a helix formation.

"You will fall, you shall fade away into time, just like you should have from the start!" the dark girl yelled as she swung towards her double again. The good Falla dodged the attack by a hair and swiped at her double again, the tear streaking by as the evil chronofly banked back and around the strike.

"I won't let you come back, you'll never come back to life you monster!" the good Falla yelled as they soared around in the air. They flew over the school as the dark Falla swung her attack again, the searing rift streaking past the good Falla who dodged downward. She flew down towards the school as she faced behind her, the girl swiping towards her double. The dark girl dodged over the searing rift and flew down, the girl grabbing her good double by the throat and dive bombing down towards the roof.

"Time to splatter your good-for-nothing brains all over the building!" the dark girl yelled as she glared at her double. The good Falla grabbed her double's arms as she coughed and choked, the girl looking down to seeing the roof fast approaching. She then kicked her darker self in the gut, the girl coughing as she let go a bit. The good Falla swiped at her, the dark girl banking off to the side and spiraling down towards the roof of the building. The good Falla reoriented back up and slowed her decent, then looked to see Kyouko standing frozen on the roof, the girl looking up towards where she saw the giant rift in the sky. The good chronofly then looked over to see her dark double striking down into the roof with an attack, the girl shooting down into the school as the ground below her was annihilated by her chrono magic.

"Oh crap, Kyouko!" the good Falla screamed as she dove down towards her friend. She flew down and grabbed the girl by the hand, the two flying off to the side as the ground below Kyouko was blasted upward with a chrono strike. The dark double shot up through the broken floor as the good Falla looked back to her.

"Where are you going? WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" the dark Falla screamed as she flew after them. The good Falla watched her close in, then darted up to avoid another strike from her double. She held Kyouko close to her with an arm around her waist and flew up as the dark girl chased them. Kyouko blinked then looked with surprise at the chronofly holding her.

"Falla? What…what the hell is going on?" she cried out looking around. She only remembered standing on the roof one minute, watching a large strange explosion in the air, then suddenly being carried by Falla high up in the sky again. She screamed and looked around, then down to see another chronofly chasing after them with a glare.

"What…who…" she said looking to the girl holding her.

"Don't worry Kyouko, I got you, just hold on!" the good Falla said as she dove off to the side as her double chased after her. Kyouko looked around to seeing the city below standing still then over to the other Falla.

"What is going on here?" she cried out. The good Falla banked around and headed towards the school at high speed as her double chased after her.

"I'm going to set you down by the others, hang on!" the good Falla shouted out as she dove down towards the group of monsters in the front of the building. She dove down towards them as Kyouko looked around with wide eyes. Before they could get close to the ground the good Falla was grabbed by the leg, the girls looking back to seeing the dark Falla holding onto her with a wicked smile.

"You two aren't going ANYWHERE!" she yelled as she swung them around, then threw them towards the building. The girls screamed as they crashed through a second story window into an empty classroom, the girls tumbling through desks and chairs before smacking into the wall and slumping down. Glass and broken furniture froze in place as the girls groaned and slowly looked up. The dark Falla swooped in and dove towards them with her hand held back, the girl trailing torn space behind her.

"You two can die together!" she yelled as she swung towards them. The good Falla dodged to the side while holding Kyouko around the waist, the human girl watching as the wave of torn space flew past them and sliced apart the wall violently.

"Holy shit." she squeaked out with wide eyes. The good Falla stumbled to her feet with Kyouko as the dark chronofly laughed wildly, the girl looking at them with a crazed eye as she held back her hand.

"How fitting…I get to kill you both AT THE SAME TIME!" she screamed as she darted forward and swung at the girls. The good Falla pushed Kyouko back, then pulled her off to the side as the dark girl swiped at them constantly. The girls backed up towards the broken windows as the evil chronofly laughed manically at them. The good Falla glanced back towards where the others were frozen in time then to Kyouko.

"I'll handle her Kyouko, get to the others." she said as she tried to push the girl back. Kyouko held onto her hand with a tight grip as she watched the evil chronofly laugh. The good Falla shook her head a bit then looked back to her urgently.

"Kyouko, let go. You need to get away, I'll keep her from getting to you." she said quickly. Kyouko just stared with unblinking eyes as the dark chronofly lunged at them with another attack. The good Falla pushed the human girl off to the side and looked back to see the dark girl swiping just past them, the tear in space searing out the broken window in a wide arc. The good chronofly swung out at her but her wrist was quickly grabbed, the dark girl chuckling as she held the girl tightly. The good Falla looked with a wide eye as she tried to pull free from Kyouko's grip.

"Kyouko, let go! Let go!" she cried out.

"Looks like she's scared to death, the poor thing. I hope she at least screams for me when I peel her apart." the dark Falla said as she geared back with her other hand to strike. The good Falla tried yanking on her hand but the human girl kept a tight grip, the girl staring at the dark chronofly with wide eyes.

_Make this stop…_

The image of the thugs in her neighborhood that beat her up in the playground flashed before her mind, the girl being their target after the dark Falla led them towards her.

_No more…_

The image of her being tied down to the bed after Jovian abducted her flashed before her, the girl seeing the dark witch smiling down at her wickedly as she prepared to molest the girl.

_Enough…_

The image of her being thrown out the window of the hotel, the girl falling towards the ground at high speed before being saved by Astreal at the last second replayed before her eyes.

_Why won't this end?_

The image of the dark sisters again abusing her, making her satisfy them while torturing her flashed before her eyes.

_I'm always being picked on…always being targeted…_

The image of the dark Falla tearing apart her friend replayed again, the evil chronofly using the human girl's life as a way to keep the good Falla from fighting back.

_I'm always captured…I'm always abused…I'm always used against my friends…_

The image of her being held up in the sky by the dark chronofly, the girl who pretended to be her friend merely to worm her way into everybody else's trust.

_I'm tired of being the helpless human…the damsel in distress…_

The image of her being dropped down towards the school while the dark chronofly laughed, the girl screaming as she raced towards the ground in a fatal fall…only to be saved once again by her friend.

_I'm not going to take this anymore…I'm not going to be used any more…_

"Say goodbye." the dark Falla said as she swung her attack towards her double.

"NO!" Kyouko screamed as she lunged forward and tackled the dark chronofly down to the ground, the good Falla watching with surprise. The human girl kept the thrashing chronofly pinned down and sent a punch to her face.

"You lied to me, you used me!" she screamed. She struck again, the girl knocking a tooth out of the dark girl.

"I thought you were my friend! I trusted you!" she yelled as she struck the girl again, the attack knocking some blood out of the girl's mouth. The good Falla watched with a wide eye as the human girl relentlessly beat on the dark chronofly. Kyouko couldn't take it anymore. She had been deceived again and again, used to put her friends and family in danger, and was always having to be saved by somebody from an evil monster. She felt her anger towards this monster rise after seeing the pain she caused, not only to herself but to her friends.

"You damn monster! You'll pay for this! You'll pay!" she screamed as she punched the girl again and again, the dark chronofly's legs thrashing about as she was beaten down by the human girl. The dark Falla growled then grabbed the girl's hands, the girl rolling them around on the floor as Kyouko kept her grip on the girl.

"You miserable little insect! I'll tear you apart for that!" the chronofly yelled as they tumbled around on the ground. The good Falla just watched with surprise as her human friend was attacking her darker self with fury, the girl staying in the shifted moment by holding onto the evil chronofly.

"Fuck you!" Kyouko yelled as she slammed her knee into the girl's gut. The dark Falla coughed out violently as the human struck her again, and again, and again.

"YOU! DAMN! MONSTER!" she yelled as she kicked the chronofly in the gut repeatedly.

"Kyouko." the good Falla said softly in wonder. The evil girl coughed out blood and looked with frustration at the human girl. Kyouko geared back to kick her again before the dark girl kicked her off of her, the human tumbling back and shifting out of the moment.

"You…wretched…little…" the dark Falla hissed as she slowly got up. She then looked to see the other Falla lunging towards her with a swipe. The dark chronofly ducked under it, only to be promptly kicked by her double. She stumbled back then slashed towards her double with a fierce swipe, the girl sending a wave of distorted space towards the good Falla. The girl dodged back and grabbed Kyouko by the hand, the human girl shifting back into the moment and stumbling back a bit onto her rear then looking with surprise at seeing the dark Falla glaring at them with fury. Kyouko growled and got up on her feet, the girl holding onto the good Falla's hand tightly.

"Well I'll be, a _human_ just kicked your ass. Or should I say, _our_ ass." the good Falla said with a smirk. Kyouko just showed a focused expression as the dark chronofly growled loudly.

"You two…are HISTORY!" the dark Falla yelled as she raced towards them. Kyouko lunged forward with a punch, the girl sending out a small tear of torn space in front of her. The dark Falla dodged back as the good Falla darted up into the air, the girl lifting Kyouko up and spinning her around in a circle back down towards the evil double. The human girl kicked out towards her with a searing trail of torn space, the dark chronofly looking with surprise before quickly swiping towards them as well. The two tears connected and flashed brightly, the room lighting up before a thunderclap echoed out.

* * *

Outside the school the group was looking up at the dark version of Falla with discontent. Razico and Astreal were looking at the chronofly carefully as Apoch was laying on the ground, the girl unconscious after being freed from Jovian's control. Render and Leon were looking up at the dark chronofly with narrowed eyes, the battlemage holding his two swords tightly as the mimic mage watched the butterfly girl carefully. Ceal was looking at the chronofly with a careful eye, the boy wondering if it was his girlfriend, or the evil copy.

"Is that…Falla?" Razico asked cautiously.

"It's her, but not the Ms. Falla we know. That monster is her old evil self, she tore the real Ms. Falla to pieces inside the school." Astreal said with a pained expression.

"Falla's fine now, relax." Ceal said simply. The group looked to him as Apoch started to stir a bit.

"What? What do you mean?" Razico asked with surprise.

Suddenly a large explosion and a massive tear erupted high in the sky above the school. The group looked up to see the blurry cosmos inside the tear as the rift arched into the air erratically. The helicopter in the sky swerved a bit away from the blast as the humans were watching with wide eyes.

"What in the world is that?" Render said with wide eyes.

Before anybody could say a word suddenly the streets nearby tore apart, with police cars and fire trucks being tossed around as the road sliced apart violently in a flash. Sounds of crashes and explosions raced out into the city along with alarms and screams of panic.

"What the hell is going on here?" Leon asked looking around. They heard several large explosions and saw several cars bursting into flames quickly down at an intersection. Screams and sirens echoed out as the nearby roads seemed to be thrown into chaos in a matter of seconds. A few flaming cars and trucks were seen flying by in one of the far away streets as the group looked around puzzled.

"What…what's happening?" Astreal asked worriedly.

Nearby the recuse workers of the human city were looking with wide eyes as several of their cars and trucks had been tossed around by a mysterious force, with a few of them now upside down or laying on top of each other.

"What…was that?" a man cried out from inside his overturned fire truck.

"A gas line exploding? Terrorists?" another man yelled out as he crawled out of his police car, the vehicle having its front end crushed in and twisted up. The humans were looking around with surprise at seeing the city nearby seeming to fall into chaos instantly, with a tall office building being torn up on one side violently while a few streets had cars and trucks erupting into fireballs and being thrown around like a tornado had hit them.

"Holy shit…the entire city is falling apart." a policeman said with wide eyes.

"Is this…is this a monster attack?" another policeman said worriedly. The rescue workers all looked to each other with concern at that remark.

"Well, we did hear reports of monsters being sighted nearby." a fireman said fearfully.

"And this school…that's where those monster kids were going isn't it?" a paramedic said looking to the building that looked like an earthquake hit it. Suddenly a room on the second floor seemed to explode violently, with a large tear of torn space erupting and blasting apart the upper and lower floors from the room. The humans watched with shock as the rift seared to the side and annihilated more of the school.

"Oh my god…what the hell is going on here?" a policeman cried out hiding behind his overturned car. He then looked over into the vehicle as a voice was coming from his radio. He crawled back into it as the other humans watched with wide eyes, all of them looking around at the chaos that was consuming the city.

"Um…what do we do now?" a fireman said fearfully.

"Like hell I know, we're not getting paid enough for this shit!" another fireman cried out.

The policeman took his radio and listened in to the other end as he held a hand to his ear.

"C'mon, we need to get those kids out of there, we have our orders. Get the students and staff to safety and…block off this area at once!" a policeman shouted out.

"Oh man, we're going to need backup, it looks like the city is falling apart now." another policeman said looking back to the destroyed streets nearby. The policeman inside his car scrambled back out of his overturned vehicle quickly.

"Hey, new orders from the top, we need to get the hell out of here right now!" he yelled out.

"What? But we can't just leave those kids like this, that place is falling apart." a fireman said looking to the school.

"This area is a hot zone now, we just got the call in from the higher-ups. The HDA is sending in combat units, this is a monster attack!" the policeman called out. The rescue workers looked at him with surprise then to the school.

"It is? Monsters are doing this?" a fireman said with shock.

"What, I thought they were on our side now. What the hell?" a paramedic cried out.

"Holy shit, they're attacking the entire city!" a fireman said looking back to the chaos nearby.

"Everybody pull back, we are under orders to section off this area one block around the entire school, keep everybody away! This place is now a hot zone for HDA soldiers! I repeat, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE NOW!" the policeman called out. Other rescue workers started running back away from the school in haste. Some grabbed guns and shotguns from their overturned cars, other's got their vehicles moving again and sent them into reverse quickly. A few called out into their radios calling in for backup and support with the crisis, and to alert all units to stay away from the high school.

The group was watching as a classroom next to them had exploded violently, all eyes looking to see the large rift in time destroying more of the heavily damaged school. The roof seemed to explode a bit as well with more dust and debris shooting out.

"What the hell is that anyway?" Render called out.

Suddenly girl appeared out of thin air and flew down towards them in a tumble, the butterfly girl crashing into the ground and rolling over to the group. Everybody looked to seeing Falla lying there, the girl groaning a bit as she tried to move.

"Falla?" Razico asked with surprise.

Apoch started to slowly get up, then jumped up with a gasp.

"What…what's going on?" she said quickly. She then looked over to seeing the group looking down at Falla. The witch shakily got up before the building near her started to rumble. The group looked back to see the front wall of the building collapsing and crashing down towards the girl. The witch screamed as she backed up, the girl watching the massive amount of concrete and debris raining down towards her.

"NO!" Render yelled as the wall crashed down, the ground around the impact shooting up dust and debris as the group watched with shock.

"Apoch!" Razico yelled out.

"Sister!" Astreal cried out.

"Yes?" Apoch asked from behind them. The group looked to seeing Falla standing there, the girl smiling weakly at them as she held the surprised witch. The group blinked then looked down to seeing another Falla lying on the ground. Slowly the girl shifted a bit and slowly sat up with a strained expression.

"Two Falla's?" Razico said with shock. Apoch looked to the chronofly that had saved her at the last second then down to the other Falla, the girl slowly standing back up holding her head. The group looked between the two with wide eyes as Ceal merely glanced to each one with a cautious expression.

"How…but..." Razico said in disbelief.

"Wait…our Falla was cut to pieces inside the gym. How…are they both whole?" Leon said cautiously.

"I told you she was fine now." Ceal said simply. The group looked to him with surprise as the two Falla's looked to each other. The one near Apoch growled and held a hand out to shield the witch as the one in the middle of the group glared at her.

"Why don't you just die already?" they both shouted at each other. In a flash they vanished as tears and slices appeared around the area instantly. The group looked around quickly as they caught glimpses of the two girls wrestling around before vanishing again.

"What…what is going on here?" Razico said in surprise.

"Better question, how is the Falla we know back together again?" Render said looking to Ceal. The group looked to him before the two Falla's appeared in the middle of the group, both of them holding onto the other's hands. The group backed up as the girls growled and pushed against each other, their wings fluttering a bit behind them.

"Which one…is the real one?" Apoch said as she formed her sword. Astreal aimed her attack at them, the girl aiming from one to the other with frustration as her wrist glowed brightly.

"I don't know, I can't tell them apart." she said with worry. Razico tensed up as Render and Leon watched the two girls cautiously. Ceal watched them carefully, each girl looking to be the exact same. The two Falla's struggled a bit before one of them pushed the other to the side, then tackled her down. They rolled around a bit until one ended up holding the other in a headlock. She started to flutter her wings before the other snapped at them with her mouth, the other chronofly then retracting them back completely and looking over to Astreal with a strained expression.

"Astreal…shoot her." she said in a weak voice, the witch looking between the two worriedly.

"No, I'm the real Falla, she's the evil me!" the other yelled out. The one in the headlock growled and grabbed the other by the neck, then flipped her over onto the ground, the girl then trying to strangle the chronofly as she was holding the girl down by the neck upside down. The other's wings started to flutter at first, then retracted as the chronofly on top started to bash on them with her knee.

"Apoch, kill her! Quick!" the chronofly on top yelled out. Apoch held her blade at the ready and looked between the two with worry.

"No…kill her! She's the imposter!" the other coughed out as she tried to break free from the stranglehold. The witch looked between the two and shook her head.

"I can't…I can't tell them apart!" Apoch cried out.

"Me either, which one is the real Ms. Falla?" Astreal said shifting her aim from one girl to the other.

"I still don't get it, how is the real Falla back together like that? We saw her get torn apart by her double." Render said with puzzlement. The two Falla's tumbled around a bit before stumbling back to their feet, the girls then instantly appearing together holding onto each other's arms as they tried to wrestle each other down. One of the Falla's glanced to Ceal quickly.

"He did it, he put me back together." she said. The group looked to her as the other chronofly growled loudly.

"No, he put me back together! You fucking liar!" she yelled as they stumbled around, each girl trying to strangle the other. The group looked at them puzzled then to Ceal, the boy showing a dull expression as the two girls struggled to take each other down.

"Shut your mouth you fake, he's my boyfriend. He's a catalyst mage, he's the one that healed me after _you_ tore me to pieces in there!" the first Falla yelled out.

"He healed _me_, you're just saying that because I told you earlier! I'm his girlfriend, I am!" the second Falla shouted out.

"No, I'm saying it because I'm the real Falla!" the first one barked out.

"Don't listen to her Ceal, I'm the real Falla!" the second cried out.

"No, I am!" the first yelled as they kept trying to push each other down.

"A catalyst mage?" Leon said looking to Ceal with a raised eyebrow. The boy nodded and snapped his fingers with his gloved hand. Suddenly black tentacles appeared around the two chronoflies, the girls looking with surprise as a dark limb wrapped around each of their necks and wrists. They looked over to Ceal with a wide eye as the boy just watched them, the girls being held apart from each other as the necro monster below them held on tightly. Each tentacle tightened around the girls' throats, each chronofly looking at the boy with a gasp as he narrowed his eyes at them.

"Now then, it's time we put an end to this little game." the boy said coldly.

From nearby in a tall building two gleams were seen from high up in the tower. Inside an empty office room two men in tactical gear were holding sniper rifles, the two scanning the area around the school. Their scopes slowly panned around the area then stopped as they saw a group of figures in front of the school. One was a man in dark clothing with a cape, and near him were what looked to be students of the school.

"Sir, this Hawk 1, we have a visual on them. There's more than three that were reported, but they do appear to be wearing school uniforms though." one of the men said into his headpiece.

"All but one, but they're definitely monsters." the second said as his scope saw the glowing blade in a girl's hand, a glowing light coming from another girl's hand, the two large swords in another boy's grip, and how two schoolgirls were being held in place by strange dark limbs coming up from the ground.

"This is HDA command. Can you be certain that they are the ones causing this? We need confirmation." a man's voice said into their headpieces. The two snipers watched the group carefully.

"They have two schoolgirls detained by…some strange things coming from the ground. One of the group's members is holding a sword…of light, and another's hand is glowing brightly." one of the snipers said cautiously.

"There is a man with them, doesn't appear to be a teacher. Black cape, dark hair, he fits the description of the call we received in the area earlier. That and the strange dark limbs coming from the ground, these are the same monsters alright." the second sniper said with a nod.

"Have you seen them kill anyone?" the voice asked quickly.

"No sir, not yet. They're just standing there…talking." the first sniper said.

"Should we intervene? They have two girls in their grip down there." the second said as he kept his finger on the trigger.

"No, we cannot act without visual proof. The city is in ruins but no word yet on what has caused it. If we kill them now and it wasn't their doing we're finished." the voice said with frustration.

"But sir, we can't just do nothing, they have two of our students down there. They look like they're going to execute them." the first sniper said with concern.

"If they spill the blood of an innocent human, that will be all the cause the government will need to reject the peace treaty with the monster race. Watch them carefully to see how they act. If they let those students go, send in a squad to detain and arrest them. If they kill them however, you are authorized to use lethal force." the voice said sternly.

"There are others with them, I'm not sure if they're human or not." the second sniper said looking at Render and Leon.

"That kid's got two freakin' swords, how is that normal?" the first sniper said in disbelief.

"So, it doesn't mean he's a monster. He could just be some punk otaku on steroids or something." the second sniper said flatly.

"Don't risk shooting anyone unless you're sure they're a monster. We cannot harm our own kind here." the voice said sternly.

"Yes sir." the soldiers said as they kept their scopes on the group down below.

Down by the school the group was looking at the two Falla's with caution, both girls staring at Ceal with worry. They were held tightly around the necks and wrists, the dark necro monster from down below keeping them detained. The others were looking at them cautiously as they couldn't tell the two apart at all.

"Ceal…don't…" one of the Falla's begged.

"Kill her Ceal, she ripped me to pieces in there." the other chronofly pleaded.

"No, don't listen to her. I'm your girl, it's me Ceal, your Falla." the first girl begged.

"No, I'm your girl. Don't let her trick you." the second said worriedly. Ceal looked between the two and shook his head.

"I'm not up for playing 20 questions right now, we'll settle this with one simple test." he said. Everybody looked to him as he glanced from one girl to the other. Both chronoflies watched him worriedly as they were bound tightly by the necro demon from below.

"How are you going to tell them apart?" Leon asked.

"Simple, I'm going to say something, and they'd better do it." Ceal said simply. The two chronoflies glanced to each other then back to him. Apoch and Astreal kept their guard up as Razico looked between the two copies of the chronofly carefully.

"Falla…" Ceal said simply. Both girls looked to him with a hopeful eye as he glanced away.

"Jump for me."

The group watched the chronoflies carefully as Ceal looked back to them with a raised eyebrow. One of the Falla's smiled brightly, then hopped a bit into the air. She smiled at the boy, then looked to her double who didn't move an inch. The double smirked at her and shook her head.

"Wrong." she said. The other Falla looked at her confused, then choked loudly as the tentacle around her neck tightened more. More dark limbs appeared from the ground and held her hands behind her back as her legs were ensnared tightly. The group looked at her with surprise as the other Falla was released from the dark necro monster's grip.

"What the…I did what you asked of me!" the bound girl choked out as she was brought down to her knees. The other Falla giggled, then walked over to Ceal.

"He meant jump through time. Something my boyfriend has ordered me to do before." she said proudly. The group looked at her with surprise then to the other Falla, the girl growling and glaring at her double with rage.

"Neither of you could do it since you were bound, but I knew the fake Falla would take that command literally just as my girl did at first." Ceal said simply.

"She's the fake?" Leon asked cautiously as the group tensed up. Ceal glanced to the girl next to him and nodded, the chronofly smiling softly at him.

"Yes, my girl knows how to listen." he said simply. The real Falla nodded and smiled a bit then looked back to her double with a glare.

"Ms. Falla?" Apoch and Astreal asked worriedly at the standing chronofly. The girl looked to them and smiled in relief, the chronofly then nodding gently at them. The witches smiled a bit and nodded as they saw their real friend standing there, then looked down to the double with anger.

"Amazing, Ceal…put you back together? How?" Render said in wonder. The group looked to the catalyst mage as he kept his glare on the dark Falla. The boy walked up towards her as the girl glared at him as well.

"You're the one that was responsible for Falla's downfall in her life. You're the one that brought her such pain from your horrible acts." he said with a dark tone. The girl growled as she thrashed a bit in her bonds.

"If you're expecting me to say sorry, or to beg for mercy, fuck off." she snapped at him.

"How did you come back? How did you and those witches come back from being dead?" the real Falla asked with anger as she walked up next to her boyfriend. The dark girl growled and glared at her with a narrowed eye. She then smiled wickedly.

"We were brought back to come get you, to bring you to your new home." she said with a hiss. The group looked to the good Falla cautiously as she showed a bit of puzzlement.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Like I said bitch, we were brought back to come here for you. To take you alive so you could-...well, it doesn't matter. I'd rather have skinned you alive and crushed the life out of you more than have you be captured in one piece." the dark double said with discontent.

"Ms. Jovian and Ms. Jacqueline were brought here with you…to kidnap Ms. Falla?" Apoch said looking at the good Falla.

"Yes, however we thought it would be more fun to simply kill you. You know, since you KILLED US!" the dark girl yelled out. She was then grabbed by the jaw with Ceal's gloved hand and turned to look up at him, the boy glaring at her.

"You had the nerve to tear off my girl's wings, to cut her apart. It's because of your existence that her race is gone. It's because of you that this nightmare came to be." he said with malice. The bound chronofly showed a bit of fear as she trembled in his grip.

"I said, fuck off." she hissed. She cringed as he applied pressure to her jaw, the boy looking at her with cold eyes.

"And it's because of you…that she is scarred today." he said with anger. The group looked at him curiously as the boy held his other hand up towards the evil chronofly, the girl looking at it with a wide eye.

"What…are you doing?" she said shakily.

"An eye for an eye." he said coldly. The group then watched as he used his hand and dug his fingers in around her eye. The girl screamed in pain as everybody watched with surprise. He held her head tightly as she screamed and thrashed about in her bonds, blood dripping from her face as the boy glared at her. He then yanked his hand back, the boy having torn out the chronofly's eye. She shrieked in pain and shook her head as the group watched the boy with wide eyes. He held the eye in his normal hand and glanced back to the dark chronofly, the girl cringing as she tried to control her screams.

"It was because of your foolish ambitions that Falla lost her eye in a duel with her sister. It was because of you that she came to be without her eye. You took it from her." he said coldly. The group looked at him with wonder then to the wounded chronofly, the girl having no eyes now as she screamed and thrashed about.

Up in the building the snipers were watching the scene with careful eyes.

"Holy shit, that boy just ripped out her eye!" one of them said with shock.

"Dammit, we need to act now." the other said as he kept his finger on the trigger.

"You cannot fire unless it's confirmed that a monster is doing the killing. Was it?" the voice said into their earpieces.

"No, it looks to be a normal male student. But for all we know he could be one of them." one of the snipers said.

"But until we do know for a fact we cannot act now. If he's a human then this isn't an act of war by the monster race. Until you're sure it's a monster doing the killing you cannot fire." the voice said sternly.

"Yes sir." the two soldiers said as they readied their rifles.

Down by the remains of the high school the group was looking at Ceal with wonder. The dark chronofly was crying out weakly as she thrashed in her bonds, the girl unable to see anything now as she had lost both of her eyes. The good Falla looked at her boyfriend with amazement then smiled softly at him.

"Ceal…you're the greatest." she said.

"Yeah, nothing expresses one's devotion to somebody more than ripping out someone else's eye." Render said with a shrug.

"Seems to me like she had it coming." Leon said with a glance at the wounded chronofly.

"She deserves worse." the witch sisters said in unison. Razico nodded as he watched the wounded chronofly suffering then looked over to the good Falla. She was smiling lovingly at her boyfriend, then watched as the boy walked up to her with a solemn expression.

"Ceal?" she asked curiously. The group looked at him as the boy just stood there in front of his girlfriend. He slowly reached up and grabbed her eye patch, the girl quickly grabbing his arm with a worried expression. He paused as she shook her head, then the boy nodded. After a moment the girl showed remorse and let go, the boy then removing her eye patch. It was scarred badly, with the eyelids not having closed properly and showing her wounded eye socket.

"Don't look there." she said remorsefully as she held a hand over it.

"Falla. Put your hand down." he said simply. The girl hesitated then slowly lowered her hand. The group looked at the girl's wound with remorse as Ceal gently held the girl around the waist.

"Ceal…what are you doing?" she asked. The boy glanced to Render as the group was watching him closely.

"This is what a catalyst mage can do." he said. Then the group watched as he held his other hand with the removed eye in it up to her face and pushed his hand against her wound. The hand and side of her head glowed as she opened her mouth, the girl looking like she was screaming as she went wide eyed. Her legs gave out and the boy held her up, the girl gasping a bit as she held onto his arms tightly.

"Ceal…what…what are you doing?" she said shakily.

"Don't resist me Falla." he said simply. The girl trembled a bit then slowly lowered her hands.

"Yes…sir." she said as she felt lightheaded. All she could see was a blinding light as a strange sensation raced through her head.

"What are you doing to her?" Razico asked in surprise. The others just watched with wonder as Falla twitched a bit and seemed to be in a daze, the girl's eye slowly closing as she fell limp in his grasp. After a moment the boy slowly kneeled down with her, the girl groaning as the light around her head faded.

Up in the building the two snipers were watching them carefully.

"What the hell is he doing to her?" one of the men asked. The other merely shrugged as they both kept their scopes aimed at the group.

The group watched as Ceal held the chronofly gently, the girl slowly opening her eye. She blinked and looked at Ceal with wonder as he removed his other hand. Everybody stared with shock and gasped as Ceal slowly stood up and helped Falla stand. The girl stared at her boyfriend with surprise, then slowly raised her hand up to cover her right eye.

She saw her boyfriend clearly with her new left eye, the girl trembling with amazement as she removed her hand and showed everybody her two red eyes.

"Oh my god…" Razico said with shock.

"Ceal…" Falla breathed out in disbelief. She blinked a few times and looked down, the girl waving a hand in front of her left eye and seeing it perfectly.

"Ms. Falla…your eye…" Apoch said as she dissolved her sword.

"Oh my lord…you have your eye back." Astreal said in shock as she lowered her arm. Render and Leon looked at the girl with wonder then to the wounded chronofly.

"How…how did you…" Render said looking back to Ceal. The boy smirked and glanced to the two hunters.

"Now you know." he said simply.

"Ceal…I can't believe…you actually…oh my god…Ceal!" Falla cried out as she leapt into a hug with the boy, the girl crying a bit out of joy. She had her eye restored, the catalyst mage having transferred the part from her other self into her body. Although the eye was still 'dead' as the evil chronofly wasn't technically alive, the boy was able to use the eye as a construct and fully regenerate it with his own necro magic.

"Ceal…you're the best!" Falla cheered before she pulled him into a kiss, the girl holding onto him tightly. He closed his eyes and held her around the waist gently, the group looking at the couple with wonder.

"I don't believe it…he actually gave Falla…her eye back." Razico said in disbelief.

"How did he do that?" Render asked confused.

"A catalyst mage, I've heard of those before." Leon said carefully. The group looked to him as Falla and Ceal broke their kiss, the girl looking at him with loving eyes, two red eyes in fact, as the boy gazed into hers with a calm expression.

"They can mend and repair any wound or broken bone with their magic. It's said that they can even exchange existing organic matter with what they find from another living being." Leon said with a bit of wonder. The group looked to Ceal as he glanced to them. Falla kept staring at the boy with loving eyes before she looked over to the sound of her double screaming, the girl still bound by the necro demon from the underworld.

"When I get free from this…when I get my hands on you…you're all going to pay!" she screamed out. The group looked at her with discontent as she thrashed about in her bonds. The good Falla glared at her then looked to see somebody walking past her towards the dark double. The group watched as somebody walked up towards the screaming chronofly, a schoolgirl holding a baseball bat in her hands.

Up in the building the two snipers were watching carefully as a new figure appeared in the group.

"Who is that?" one of them asked.

Down by the school the dark Falla was screaming and thrashing around in her bonds as everybody was looking at somebody who had a bat in her hands.

"You…" Kyouko said with hatred. She was glaring at the dark girl as her clothing was a bit burned. After the clash of the chrono magics blasted the room apart Kyouko was tossed back out into the hallway from the explosion, the girl growling and looking to seeing both Falla's gone. She then ran down the halls towards the stairs, the girl running quickly as she had fire in her eyes. She wasn't going to run and hide anymore, not after this monster came here and caused her friends all this pain. As she ran down a hall she saw a storeroom that was blown apart, the girl spotting a baseball bat lying on the ground inside.

"You…" she said as she raised the bat up, the group looking at her with surprise as the dark Falla shakily looked up to the voice.

"Ky…Kyouko?" she said shakily. The group looked at her carefully then to the dark chronofly with glares. Kyouko tightened her grip on the bat as she raised it up over her head.

"You…BITCH!" she yelled as she swung down, the bat striking the chronofly in the head and crushing in her skull with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered out into the air as the chronofly's body twitched, then fell limp in the grip of the dark tentacles. Kyouko screamed then geared back again, the girl striking the body with her bat and smashing in the skull more.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" she screamed again as she started smashing the head more and more. The group just watched with wide eyes as the human went postal on the chronofly's corpse.

Up in the building the two snipers were watching a schoolgirl with a bat mercilessly strike another girl who was bound by some dark appendages.

"Um…" one of them said slowly.

"I think she's human." the second said eyeing Kyouko closely.

"She's pissed off, that's what she is." the first sniper said simply.

The group watched as the dark tentacles let go of the bound chronofly's body and vanished back into the ground, the remains of the dark girl dropping down and being beaten constantly by Kyouko who had fire in her eyes.

"You tried to kill me! You tried to kill Falla! You bitch! You bitch! You fucking bitch!" she yelled out with rage as she swung her bat down on the corpse repeatedly.

"Ms…Kyouko?" Apoch asked softly.

"I've never seen her so…angry before." Astreal said with wide eyes. The others just watched as Kyouko got a few more good hits in before she stopped, the girl breathing heavily as she glared at the battered remains of the dark chronofly. The body flickered a reddish light then slowly shifted away into a black dust, the group watching as the soul of the dark chronofly faded away. Falla blinked and waved her hand in front of her new eye, the girl still having her eye after Ceal transferred it to her.

"Fucking die already." Kyouko spat out at the remains. She breathed out and looked back to the group with a weak smile, then stared wide eyed at Falla.

"Falla…you…your eye." she said in disbelief. Falla nodded and looked to Ceal with a loving expression.

"My boyfriend gave it to me, he's simply the best." she said softly. Ceal merely shrugged with no expression. Kyouko looked at the two with shock then smiled a bit.

"Oh my god…Falla…it looks…it looks great." she said walking up to her. She looked at the chronofly's new eye with amazement then looked to Ceal with wonder.

"How…how did you do that? That's…unreal." she said in disbelief.

"What was unreal was watching you go to town on that bitch's corpse with your bat." Render said with a chuckle. The group looked to him as he shrugged with a smirk.

"Don't get me wrong, that was pretty cool how you just used her head like a watermelon for your rage release, I'm just saying I didn't think you had it in you. Nice one." he said. Kyouko looked at him with wonder and a small blush, the girl seeing all the muscle the boy had now.

"And what…happened to you?" she asked softly. The boy chuckled and spun his swords around once, the boy then moving his hands up along the blades as a light shimmered brightly. The group watched as the swords vanished back into the magical ether as his hands ran along them, the boy then laughing a bit as he dusted off his hands.

"Just got a little pumped for battle is all." he said with a nod. He then breathed out and held his hands together. A greenish light formed in his hands and then swirled around his body, the boy being obscured by a blinding flash. As it cleared the group saw him back in his normal form, with a lot less muscle but still smiling arrogantly. He stretched out a bit and held his arms back behind his head with a casual smile.

"It's just what I do." he said.

Up in the building the snipers were looking with surprise at seeing the boy reclaim his swords and muscle mass with strange lights.

"What the…did you see that?" one of the sniper said.

"Yeah, he's a monster too." the other said as they narrowed their eyes a bit.

Down at the school the group was looking at Render with wonder.

"What…are you?" Astreal asked.

"He's a battlemage." Apoch said softly, the girl still staring at him with wonder. The boy chuckled and nodded, then glanced to Apoch.

"Glad to see you're back to normal now too." he said with a wink. She blushed a bit and nodded slowly in response. Leon glanced to Apoch then looked over to Astreal.

"Are you ok?" he asked. The girl jumped a bit then looked down with remorse.

"Yes…thank you." she said softly.

"Ok, what the hell is going on here? What was with those two witches over there earlier? And with…another Falla being back from the dead? Not to mention with you getting muscular like that and you taking body parts from others, what the hell is with that? And have you all forgotten how you just destroyed a human high school?" Razico cried out. The group blinked then looked around as sirens were still heard in the distance.

"Oh yeah…" Render said rubbing the back of his head.

"Not what we wanted to do, trust us." Leon said simply.

"Those bitches started it." Kyouko said with discontent.

"Falla, did you have to take your fight all over the city?" Ceal asked looking around at the damaged roads and vehicles. The group looked to the chronofly as she smiled weakly while rubbing the back of her head.

"Well…we just sort of ended up moving around. I tried to take her down every step of the way but…I'm too good of a fighter." she said with a weak laugh.

"Wait, you mean all that happened out there in the city…was from you two fighting?" Razico said looking back to Falla with surprise. The girl laughed weakly then looked down with remorse, the girl nodding slowly.

"Sorry." she said softly. Razico looked at the girl with disbelief then back to the city.

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how bad this is going to make us look?" he cried out.

"Wow…how did you do all that?" Kyouko asked with wonder.

"Hey, it's not like I wanted her to come here after me in the first place, I didn't want this." Falla said with annoyance.

"You threw the city into chaos, look at this mess!" Razico yelled out. Falla looked around worriedly then glanced to Ceal.

"Sorry, I tried to stop her." she said softly. The boy merely shrugged, he didn't seem to care that his girlfriend and her evil double's fight caused so much havoc across the city.

"Well this is going to be bad." Leon said looking around worriedly. Render nodded and looked around with concern. Apoch and Astreal however were looking at the boys with wonder still. Apoch was still in awe about Render's ability to fight, and how he was so charming to her even when she was being used as a killing machine against him. She saw that strange aura of confidence again as he bravely fought against Jovian, and how he even flirted with her playfully as she was forced to try to kill him. Astreal was still amazed how Leon managed to copy the evil witch sisters' attacks, and finally bring an end to Jacqueline and her oppressive hold over the witch. He even showed his caring side as he refrained from attacking her as Jacqueline used her as a shield, and she saw how he tried to save anybody he could by fighting with his all against the evil witch.

"Bad? This is a freaking nightmare! Look at this mess, this is going to make monsters everywhere look horrible!" Razico cried out.

"They don't know Falla did this hunter, they have no proof of that." Ceal said plainly. Razico looked at him with disbelief as Falla smiled nervously.

"That is true I suppose. Hell, I'm still confused as to what exactly she did here." Render said looking to the city as he scratched his head. Leon nodded as he looked at the chronofly with a curious eye.

Up in the building the two snipers were watching the group carefully. One of the snipers held a finger to his earpiece as he kept watching through his scope.

"Sir, there may be monsters down there, but I don't think they caused the chaos in the city. Three of them just lowered their weapons…or lights…whatever they had, and they are all just talking now. One of the students is alive and talking with them freely while the other…well she was killed by what appeared to be another student arriving at the scene." he said.

"So there was a fatality?" the voice said in the earpiece.

"Yes, however it wasn't done by any otherworldly means. A schoolgirl used a bat on her. I can't tell if she's a monster or not, but I couldn't see any monsters actually killing anybody down there." the sniper said.

"The ones that were showing off their weapons put them away. Send in the combat squad to detain them and bring them all in for questioning. We'll provided cover from here if they resist." the second sniper said.

"No, kill them now!" another voice yelled from the earpieces. The snipers glanced to each other curiously.

"Sir?" one of them asked slowly.

"This is Jenner Rythmore, I'm in charge of the HDA and I'm ordering you to put an end to those monsters right now!" Jenner yelled out.

"But sir, we haven't seen proof that they are responsible for this disturbance." one of the men said looking back to the group through his scope.

"Don't question my orders soldier. This whole event isn't normal by any means. A city thrown into chaos in seconds, strange monster sightings reported earlier in the day, and now you're seeing those same monsters by a school that was destroyed. A school that staff was also reporting strange activity in, a school that is now in ruins with students and faculty dead inside. These monsters have drawn our blood today, they've attacked from within our own city walls under the guise of trust and coexistence. Well that ends today, we will not be fooled by their deception any longer. Now, I'm giving you an order, kill them now!" Jenner yelled out. The snipers looked to each other then back to the group down below.

The group was looking around at the sight of smoke and haze in the city streets as a few crashes and sirens were still going off.

"Oh man, what do we do now?" Render said shaking his head.

The snipers took careful aim as two of their targets were in sight.

"The city might not be blamed for us, but people sure as hell saw us fighting in the school. With what happened here, a monster attack is likely going to be assumed." Leon said looking back to the building.

The two men steadied their rifles as they narrowed their eyes.

"I can't believe this is happening. First you idiots plan on destroying the world with Pandora's Box, and now the human world is going to go to war against us once again." Razico said with frustration.

The snipers readied their fingers on their triggers as they calmed their breathing.

"Hey, for the last time they're not going to destroy the world with that box. Ceal's opened the box before along with his ancestors and the world's still spinning." Falla said with discontent. The witch sisters looked at her worriedly then to Render and Leon.

The two men looked at their targets carefully, both knowing that taking this course of action may be uncalled for, but had to obey their orders nonetheless.

"Honestly, after all they've done to help us, after how they fought to help keep Apoch and Astreal free, and how Ceal gave me not only my mind back, but my body. My entire body, after my double carved me up inside the school he put me back together again. He even gave me my eye back! After all this you're still going to say they can't be trusted?" Falla cried out. Razico looked at her cautiously then to Ceal. Falla shook her head with discontent then looked over to Apoch and Astreal.

"Are you against us still as well? Do you really think they're going to destroy the world? Don't you trust them at all after what they did to help save you?" she asked. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then to Render and Leon.

"Well…" Apoch said softly.

"We…" Astreal said with hesitation.

BANG! BANG!

Two gunshots echoed out in the sky as two rounds were fired from a nearby building. A high pitched whistle sound was heard before blood splattered out into the air from two direct hits. Kyouko looked with wide eyes then screamed out, her voice echoing out along with Falla's as the group watched with shock at the sight.

Two figures wavered then dropped down to their knees.

"No!" Kyouko screamed out.

Two figures that had a bullet go through their hearts at high speed.

"No!" Falla cried out in horror.

Two figures that shakily looked up at the group with fright and disbelief.

"No!" Razico yelled out.

The witch sisters, Apoch and Astreal.


	38. A Witch's Heart

Akua was looking out the window of her hotel room at the human city below, the vampire watching as cars were driving through the streets as people walked around minding their own business. She and her sister had been offered a hotel room in the human city during their stay, the two daughters of the great lord there on business with peace talks and negotiations along with their father. She watched the humans outside going about their day then walked over to a table in their room, the vampire sitting down and reading a letter she had opened before. Kahlua walked into their room as she was drying her hair, the blonde haired vampire having spent an hour in the bathtub with an herbal bath and two hours cleaning and conditioning her hair. Inside their room they had two beds and all the high class accommodations for V.I.P.'s of their status. Akua read through the letter again with a small smile as Kahlua finished drying her hair.

"How many times are you going to read that anyway?" she asked curiously. Akua merely shrugged as she kept reading the paper. Kahlua giggled then walked over to her sister and sat down at the table as well.

"You must have memorized it by now, you always read it every day." she said with a shrug. Akua smiled softly and nodded.

"It always puts a smile on my face." she said softly. It was a letter she received one day from the boy she saved during the fight with Alucard, the boy that was hoping that she would keep the 'bad monsters' out of the human world like he knew vampires would do. He wrote how he was grateful to have a beautiful vampire as his guardian angel and how he hoped to see her again someday.

"You know he's a bit young for you right?" Kahlua giggled. Akua smirked and glanced to her.

"I have noticed that, yes." she said simply. She looked back to the letter and shrugged a bit.

"Of course I would likely remain at this physical age for quite some time as he would grow up…" she said quietly. Kahlua looked at her with a bit of surprise as Akua glanced to her and smiled weakly.

"Not that I'm considering that…of course." she said with a small laugh. Kahlua smiled amusingly at her and shook her head as Akua went back to reading the letter.

"Still, it's reassuring to hear how he has faith in us. I know many humans out there do, but with the HDA and the growing protests of us being here, it really helps to have his vote of confidence in us." she said softly.

"He has confidence in you." Kahlua said standing up and walking back towards the washroom to examine her hair. Akua smiled a bit and nodded.

"And I won't let him down." she said putting the letter down. She blinked then looked up thoughtfully.

"I wonder if he would still be interested in me when he grows up." she said quietly.

"I heard that." Kahlua called out to her. Akua twitched a bit and rubbed the back of her head with a forced smile.

"I was kidding." she said playfully. She looked down with a small blush then shook her head to clear her thoughts. Kahlua shook her head amusingly as she examined herself in the mirror, the vampire wearing her usual outfit and making sure her hair looked as perfect as always to her. After a moment she walked back out into the room and looked to the window.

"Shall we head out now? We're supposed to be meeting father at the-" Kahlua started before the door to their room burst open. The two looked to see several armed soldiers running in, all of them then pointing their rifles at the girls.

"Don't move!" one of the soldiers shouted out.

"Hands up, now!" another ordered out. Akua and Kahlua backed up a bit as they held their hands up defensively.

"What is the meaning of this?" Akua demanded.

"Hey, what did we do?" Kahlua said worriedly.

"You two are under arrest!" a soldier shouted out.

"What? Are you crazy?" Akua said with surprise.

"What's going on here? Why are we in trouble?" Kahlua said shaking her head. Two soldiers walked up to them and grabbed their hands, spun them around and handcuffed the two girls behind their backs.

"Your little ruse is over with, you're coming with us." one of soldiers said as they pushed the two vampires out while the other men held their guns on them.

"Ruse? What are you talking about?" Akua said shaking her head.

"What's the big idea? We're on your side." Kahlua said looking around at the armed men. Akua looked around confused then glanced to the letter on the table, the vampire showing a worried expression as she and her sister were quickly led out of the room at gunpoint. They were walked out of the hotel and down to the street where several armored trucks were parked with soldiers standing around. The letters HDA were on the sides of the trucks and on armbands of the soldiers. A few men were holding back a large group of spectators and news reporters on either side of the entrance to the hotel. Camera flashes were going off as people were shouting and asking questions, the two vampires looking around bewildered as they were led into a stretch limo quickly. They were pushed into the backseat where two other soldiers were holding their guns on them with narrowed eyes. Next to the girls their father was looking at the soldiers with discontent, his arms crossed before him as he drummed his fingers on his arm with annoyance.

"Father." Akua said looking to the dark lord. The man looked to his daughters then glanced to the soldiers again.

"What is the meaning of this? Explain why you are threatening not only me but my daughters as well." he said sternly.

A man in a black business suit got into the back of the limo and sat between the two soldiers. The door closed and the vehicle took off down the road followed by its escorts.

"Father what is going on here? Why are they doing this?" Akua asked cautiously.

"We didn't do anything bad, I promise. We were being good this time." Kahlua whined.

"Well? I want an answer as to why you are pointing those damned things at us." Issa asked with discontent. The man in the black suit looked at them with a dull glare. He then looked to the T.V. at the side of the cabin and turned it on. The three vampires looked at then showed a bit of surprise.

"This is why." the man said looking back to the monsters with a glare. The channel was showing a news report about a city that suddenly was thrown into chaos, with multiple streets being demolished, traffic and pedestrians annihilated, an office building torn apart, and a certain school that was barely standing still.

"What is this?" Akua asked.

"This, my dear monster, is what happens when we trust you to live among us." the man said crossing his arms with discontent.

"What? But we didn't do that." Kahlua said shaking her head. Issa kept looking at the image on the screen carefully. The man in black shook his head and brought out a folder, then pulled out three papers with pictures on them. He handed them to the dark lord and sat back with a raised eyebrow.

"Look familiar?" he asked. The dark lord looked at them and nodded. Akua and Kahlua leaned over and saw the papers were the transfer documents regarding three students at the human high school.

"Apoch. Astreal. Falla." Akua said in wonder.

"What do they have to do with this?" Kahlua asked curiously. The man looked back to the T.V. as did the vampires. The footage of the destroyed city cycled through a few different sources, then showed one that a helicopter news crew captured on tape. The vampires jumped a bit as they saw Falla flying there, the girl smiling wickedly at the camera as she had a female student in her grip.

"Hey, make sure you get her good side. You know, before she hits the ground." she said before she let the student drop with a high pitched scream. The camera shifted down quickly to show the girl plummeting down towards the destroyed school, then back up to see the butterfly girl laughing with a cold smile.

"Oh my god, was that Kyouko?" Akua said in disbelief.

"Falla…she didn't…" Kahlua said shaking her head with a worry. Issa narrowed his eyes a bit at the image then looked down to the transfer papers of the three monster girls.

"The school and surrounding city that those girls were sent to, to live peacefully with us, has been torn apart and left in a state of crisis. We have reports of many wounded and dead in the area, not to mention the fact that students and staff of that school have been killed, all because of monsters doing as they please down there!" the man in black yelled out. The vampires looked at him with surprise then to the T.V. again. It showed blurry videos of strange lights and explosions coming from the school, the footage likely taken by a cell phone or some low quality camera. The vampires watched as the school partially collapsed in the front as more explosions were seen tearing apart the building before the person filming it ran off screaming.

"It can't be…they wouldn't…" Akua said in disbelief.

"We caught them on video! Your monster friend sent a schoolgirl falling to her death for fun! A city is in ruins now with people scared and wounded! All because you monsters came here!" the man in black yelled out. Issa growled a bit and shook his head.

"This isn't right. The three that were sent to your school are peaceful monsters, and were even a select few from the group that stopped Alucard. I don't believe what your media is reporting." he said firmly.

"He's right, Falla…couldn't do that. And…oh my god, I think that was Kyouko. She was her friend." Akua said looking at the T.V. in disbelief.

"Her friend? I'd hate to see what she does to her enemies." the man in black said with discontent.

"This can't be right, our friends would never do all this. This has to be some mistake." Kahlua pleaded.

"The only mistake here is mankind actually thinking that we could coexist with monsters." the man in black said with a glare.

"Now hold on a minute, my father is right, this can't be correct. Our friends would never do this, they wanted peace in this world just as much as anybody. That…that report can't be right." Akua said looking down in disbelief. She wanted to believe that her friends would never do such a thing, but the video of Falla dropping that girl who looked like Kyouko out of the sky like that with a cruel expression was hard to defend against.

"We need to find those girls and find out what is going on here. We'll deal with our own kind causing problems in your world, but this is by no means an act of war. We'll get to the bottom of this incident." Issa said firmly.

"Like hell you will. You don't get it do you? Monsters are running around wild in our world, killing and destroying all that they please, all because we let you damned things in here! Well no more, this isn't your problem to deal with, it's ours. This is our world, and we're going to make sure that shit like this doesn't happen again." the man in black said sternly.

"What are you saying?" Akua asked. The man growled and glared at her.

"I'm saying that the time for talking is over monster. This has been an act of war against mankind, and we're not going to allow a repeat incident." he said sternly.

"An act of war? Wait, we're not at war. This isn't our doing." Kahlua pleaded.

"It may look like a monster attack, but I assure you that this isn't our fault or doing. Allow us to handle this situation, we're not wishing to start another war." Issa said. The man in black shook his head and leaned back in his seat.

"First you say Alucard wasn't your doing, then you claim that this isn't your fault either. Just how stupid do you think we are?" he said with discontent.

"We're here for peace human, that's why we've been talking with your government all this time. That's why I'm even here in your world to begin with. We have no intention of throwing that away after waiting so long. This incident is just as much a thorn in my side as it is in yours, and I intend to handle it. We're not going to allow our hard work for peace to be broken just because a few rogue monsters thought they could get away with this." Issa said sternly. The man in black shook his head at him.

"No, they aren't going to get away with it. We've already sent in a squad to handle the situation." he said. The vampires looked at him cautiously.

"What? Wait, what do you mean by 'handle' it?" Akua asked worriedly. The man glanced to her with narrowed eyes.

"I mean handle it. Those monsters doing this are not going to be tolerated. We've been dealing with your kind hiding amongst our world, lurking around and lying about who you were, but this, this isn't something that we're going to take lightly. This is an act of war Mr. Shuzen. Those monsters have drawn our blood. And we're not going to allow the killing of our people to continue." he said looking to the dark lord.

"But…are you saying…" Kahlua said nervously. The man nodded and glanced to the T.V. as the picture showed Falla laughing wildly in the air.

"I'm saying you three are going to be detained until we can figure out what to do with you, and those monsters attacking our city are going to be put down for good." he said with discontent. The vampires jumped a bit and looked at him with surprise.

"What? You're going to kill them?" Kahlua cried out.

"You can't, those are our friends!" Akua yelled out.

"What makes you think you have the authority to issue such an order as executing our young monsters like this?" Issa said with anger. The man in black looked to him with a scowl.

"The order wasn't mine to make, it came from the head of the HDA, who is now in complete control of the situation." he said.

"You mean Jenner Rythmore?" Issa said with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, although even if he didn't agree to taking up arms I'm sure the government would have done so regardless. Seeing a school with innocent students being attacked by your kind is more than enough to raise the flag of war." the man in black said with discontent.

"You're making a foolish mistake here. If you kill one of our kind in your world, that will not sit well with any of the dark lords, me included. It is you that will be throwing away our chances of peace." Issa said with narrowed eyes. The man looked at him with discontent and shook his head.

"No, your kind has already done that monster. We've gotten the approval of the government to handle this as we see fit. The time for negotiations is over Mr. Shuzen. We trusted you with our lives in this world, and this is the thanks we get. Well that ends today, if it's war you monsters want, it's a war you're going to get." he said sternly.

* * *

The world was a hazy white as all that could be heard was a high pitched ringing sound. A searing pain in the chest was felt as breathing became ragged and strained. Slowly the eyes focused as the world came back into view from a blurry mess to a slightly focused visual.

"Uhh…" Apoch groaned weakly, the girl's eyes half opened as she felt her body ache all over.

"Sis…ter…" Astreal said with blood dripping from her mouth, the witch's vision blurry still as she tried to think straight again. Her vision slowly cleared to see Kyouko looking down at them with fright.

"Apoch! Astreal!" she cried out, her voice sounding muffled and out of focus. Falla rushed over to her side and looked down at the witches as well, the chronofly's two eyes showing shock at something.

"Oh my god, can you two hear me?" she cried out in a muffled voice. Dust and debris blasted around nearby as an explosion was heard, the two girls looking back towards something then down at the witches.

"Ms…Fal…la?" Apoch said wearily.

"I can't…breathe…" Astreal said as she trembled.

Gunfire and explosions echoed out nearby, the witch sisters' hearing muffled slightly as their bodies felt heavy and weak. A searing pain was felt in the chest, the sensation fading in and out as the girls struggled to regain their senses. They could feel that they were sitting against a wall on the ground, the girls slowly looking around as they struggled to breathe. They were inside one of the classrooms of the school, with desks and chairs knocked around as the wall with the windows was broken apart. The sisters were against the far wall near the door as their vision was blurry, their eyes struggling to focus again. Kyouko and Falla were saying something to them but their voices were too faded.

"What…happened?" Apoch coughed out, the girl's mouth dripping with blood. She wearily looked around as her eyes couldn't focus properly.

"I…don't…feel…good." Astreal said weakly. Kyouko and Falla cried out something then looked back towards the opening in the wall, the witch sisters' vision blurring a bit as they coughed. They heard a muffled voice, then Apoch looked to seeing Razico shaking her ankle with a worried expression.

"Hey-...are you-…hey!" his voice said, the girl only hearing four words clearly. She blinked then slowly looked to him as her vision slowly cleared up.

"Mr…Razico?" she said weakly. He smiled with a bit of relief as the witch blinked a few times. She coughed out a bit of blood again and looked to her side. Between her and her sister Ceal was kneeling down beside them, the boy holding onto each of their hands tightly. He was looking between the two as the witches slowly came to their senses.

"Mr…Ceal? What…what happened?" Astreal said weakly.

"Apoch, Astreal! Can you hear us?" Kyouko said worriedly, the girl kneeling down next to Apoch and looking at them with fright. The witches shook their heads a bit and cringed as their bodies ached.

"What…what's going on?" Astreal said weakly.

"They're alive. I don't believe it. They're still alive after that." Razico said in amazement.

"It's a miracle. Ceal you're the best." Falla said looking to her boyfriend.

"So I've been told." the boy said flatly. The witches slowly looked to him then down to his hands that were holding theirs.

"What…are you doing?" Apoch asked wearily. She blinked then slowly looked down to her chest, the girl staring at something as her eyes widened. She started to tremble as her expression turned to fright. Astreal looked down, blinked, then started shaking as she was looking with shock at something.

"Keeping you two alive." Ceal said as he glanced to their chests. The girls had blood coming out from a wound in their chests, a wound where a bullet tore through and destroyed their hearts.

"What…what…what is this?" Apoch said in fright as she started to shake. She looked at the hole in her chest then to Falla with fear.

"Oh my god…oh my god!" Astreal cried out before she coughed out blood. Nearby gunfire and explosions echoed out, the witches looking around with fright.

"What's going on?" they cried out in unison.

"You two were shot outside. We saw the bullets go right through your hearts." Kyouko said looking at the hole in Apoch's chest. The witches looked at their wounds then to Ceal.

"What…but…how…" Apoch said shakily.

"Ceal grabbed you both when you dropped, he's using his magic to keep you alive." Falla said with a bit of relief. The witches looked at the catalyst mage with surprise then to their hands.

"We raced you in here as fast as we could. There are humans shooting at us out there, they're trying to kill us all." Razico said looking back to the opening in the classroom. The sisters looked around in shock then down to their wounds.

"How…how are we still alive?" Astreal said in disbelief. The girls had no hearts, no blood flowing, yet were still alive.

"I'm using my magic to keep you stable for now. As long as I hold onto you you'll be with us in the world of the living. However if I let go you will die instantly." Ceal said glancing between the witches. They looked to him with surprise.

"You…saved us?" Apoch said in shock. Ceal merely nodded.

"Why?" Astreal asked.

"Because I can't have my girlfriend grief-stricken when we go to open Pandora's Box, I need her focused. That and I figured those two other hunters would appreciate me keeping you two alive." Ceal said casually. Falla looked at him with a small smile briefly, the chronofly knowing he was using any excuse he could to seem like he didn't care. The sisters looked at him with wonder then around.

"But…where are…" Astreal said before more gunfire and shouting was heard outside.

"They're out there trying to keep the humans at bay. When they saw you two drop out there, they lost it." Kyouko said looking back to the opening.

"What?" the sisters said in surprise. Falla nodded and looked at them with worry.

"They're keeping them distracted until we could get you two back on your feet. But we have to get out of here now, more human soldiers are showing up out there." she said urgently.

"Can you heal them Ceal? Like you did with Falla?" Razico asked. Ceal shook his head, the group looking at him with surprise.

"No? What do you mean no? You put Falla back together when she was cut apart into pieces before. You even gave her back her eye, why can't you help them?" Kyouko asked.

From the opening Leon and Render darted into the room and ducked behind the wall, gunfire and dust flying around from a grenade blast echoing outside. The group looked to see them keeping pressed against the wall, with Render in his combat form again with his two swords while Leon was showing signs of frustration.

"It's times like this I wish I could mimic a simple bullet." Leon growled.

"It's times like this I wish you could learn just a simple offensive spell for yourself. Seriously man, if you don't face a caster in a fight you're helpless." Render said with a cautious expression. The boys looked over to see the sisters looking at them with wonder.

"Apoch. Astreal. You're ok!" Render said with a smile.

"Amazing, you saved them Ceal." Leon said in wonder.

"Mr. Render." Apoch said softly, the witch seeing the battlemage in fighting form once again. He gave off a strange aura again, the witch feeling like everything was going to be alright as long as he was near her.

"Mr. Leon." Astreal said shakily, the witch coughing out blood before looking at the boy with worried eyes. The two boys ran over to the group as gunfire pelted the wall behind them.

"It's a miracle, he's healed you two." Render said in wonder. He then looked to Apoch's chest and jumped a bit.

"What? But…her wound. It's still there." he said in surprise. Leon looked at Astreal's wound then to Ceal.

"Can't you heal them up?" he asked. Again Ceal shook his head as more explosions kicked up dust outside.

"Why not? I thought catalyst mages could heal wounds like this." Razico said shaking his head.

"I cannot create organic matter from nothing hunter. Their hearts aren't damaged, they're gone. There's nothing for me to mend in there." Ceal said looking at Apoch's wound. The sisters' hearts were completely destroyed by the high velocity round that tore through them, the hole being a large cut through their bodies.

"What? But…how are they still alive then? Monsters need hearts to live." Render said confused.

"I'm using my magic to keep their bodies stable for now, but it will only last as long as I hold onto them. Once I let go they will die." Ceal said glancing to the battlemage.

"Die? But…isn't there any way to save them?" Leon asked.

"Ceal there has to be something you can do." Falla said fearfully.

"Sorry, but I cannot create new hearts for them out of thin air. I only managed to give you your eye back as the matter from your double gave me the proper construct for it. I could close up their veins and arteries, but I cannot create a working heart out of nothing." Ceal said shaking his head. The sisters looked at him with fear then down to their fatal wounds.

"You mean…" Apoch said shakily.

"We're…going to die." Astreal said with a tremble.

"Dammit they can't die like this man, there has to be a way." Render said with frustration. Leon looked at Astreal's wound then to the girl, the boy remembering how Selena was struck down in front of him by a bullet as well.

"Please Ceal, don't let them die like this." he said gently. Astreal looked at him with pleading eyes as the mimic mage shook his head slowly.

"Not like this…not like this." he said looking back to Ceal.

"I can't do anything more, I just told you." Ceal said glancing to him.

"I'm begging you!" Leon yelled out. The group looked to him as Astreal looked at the boy with wonder.

"I can't watch another girl die before me like this. I already had to watch my last girlfriend die before me from a bullet, I can't bear to watch Astreal suffer the same fate. What can we do to help them? Tell me!" the boy yelled out in frustration.

"Mr. Leon…" Astreal said quietly.

"They need hearts right? How about if we get two from those assholes shooting at us out there?" Render said with a glare back towards the opening. Falla growled a bit and looked back to the opening as well.

"I'll rip them out of those that shot you two. Fair's fair." she said with anger.

"That won't work." Ceal said. The group looked to him as he shook his head.

"What? Why not?" Render asked.

"For starters we're not murderers here, we can't go killing more humans, we look bad enough as it is." Razico said with frustration as he ran over to the opening, the warlock firing out a blast of fire to keep the humans at bay before he dodged back behind the wall as more gunfire riddled the wall from outside.

"You're kidding right? They tried to kill us! We're not the bad guys here, we didn't do anything wrong." Falla said sternly.

"You and your double annihilated a few blocks of the city nearby." Ceal said flatly. Falla twitched at that then looked down with remorse.

"I was careful not to harm anyone though." she said weakly. Ceal nodded then looked back to the sisters.

"I'm sure you were, however the reason we cannot use those humans for their hearts is because they won't be compatible with these two." he said.

"Not compatible? Why not?" Leon asked urgently.

"Because these two are summoned beings." Ceal said looking at the sisters. Kyouko and the two hunters looked at them with surprise as Razico glanced back to them.

"Summoned?" Render asked. The sisters looked at the boys and nodded slowly.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Kyouko asked.

"They weren't born into this world, they were created with magic." Leon said looking at Astreal with wonder. The witch looked at him with remorse and nodded.

"They were?" Kyouko asked.

"How did you know that Ceal?" Razico asked cautiously.

"It's the only reason I'm able to keep them alive hunter. Had your heart been taken out earlier I couldn't have done this to help you. My magic is only stabilizing their magical essences, keeping them from dissolving entirely. It's only because they are made of magic itself that I'm able to keep them alive like this." Ceal said looking at the sisters carefully. Kyouko looked at the witches with wonder as the two girls looked down with remorse.

"Wow, you're made of magic?" Render said in awe. Apoch nodded and glanced up to him. The boy looked at the girl then smiled softly.

"I knew you were special, but I never figured that kind of special." he said gently. The witch looked at him with wonder as he smiled a little bit at her.

Leon looked at Astreal worriedly then to her wound.

"Then…how can we help them?" he asked. Ceal looked between the two sisters carefully.

"What were you created with?" he asked. The sisters looked at him puzzled.

"What? Created with?" Apoch asked.

"We have little time right now, don't waste more of it by repeating what I say. What were you two created with?" Ceal asked sternly. The sisters looked at him curiously then to each other.

"Um…" Apoch said softly.

"We don't know." Astreal said looking back to the boy. He rolled his eyes then glanced between the two girls again.

"Great. Then where's your summoning spell? It would say what you two were created with." he said. The sisters showed worry and shook their heads.

"It's gone." Apoch said softly.

"It was burned a while ago." Astreal said worriedly. Ceal just looked at them with a dull expression then over to Leon.

"Well, say your last goodbyes to them now while you can." he said flatly. The sisters jumped a bit then started to cry softly. Render and Leon looked at them with pained expressions as Kyouko and Falla showed sorrow. Razico looked down with remorse as gunfire continued to riddle the wall and outside ground while dust flew around.

"No…this can't be how it ends for them." Leon said looking at the sisters. Render lowered his head with closed eyes as the sisters wept softly. He then looked to see Apoch looking at him with teary eyes. Astreal looked to Leon with watery eyes as they both trembled.

"We have to get out of here, I can't keep them held off like this for long." Razico said as he fired out a blast of fire around the broken wall, the warlock ducking back as an explosion blasted outside. Render and Leon looked to him then back to the sisters.

"Go…save yourselves." Apoch said with a few tears dropping from her face.

"Thank you…for trying to save us." Astreal said with sorrow as she looked at Leon.

"Apoch…I…" Render said with a soft voice. The witch looked at him and showed a saddened smile.

"I'm sorry…for not trusting you before Render." she said softly. She blinked then looked at the boy with a soft expression as she realized she said his name perfectly. He looked at her with a bit of wonder as Astreal looked at Leon with a saddened smile.

"I'm sorry too Leon, really. Please…don't hate me." she said. Leon looked at her with a bit of wonder as she too said his name perfectly. Kyouko and Falla looked at them worriedly as more gunfire echoed outside.

"Guys, we need to get going. What's the plan here?" Razico said as he fired out a lightning blast out of the opening.

"No…we can't leave them like this. We can't do that." Kyouko said shaking her head with sorrow. Falla looked at her friends with grief then down as she tried not to cry. She blinked then looked down in thought. Her eyes darted around a bit then looked to the sisters.

"Wait, you said my eye worked because it was matter that you could use, right?" she said as she looked to Ceal. The boy nodded and glanced to her.

"Yes. Your point?" he asked. The group looked to Falla as she eyed the sisters carefully.

"So what kind of matter would work for giving them new hearts?" she asked quickly. The group looked to Ceal as he glanced to the wounds on the sisters' chests.

"They're made of magic. I would need hearts exactly like what they had before otherwise their magic will reject them. A critical organ such as that needs to be identical to the original or else it will fail." he said.

"So we need hearts just like what they had? Exactly like what they had?" Render asked worriedly. Ceal merely nodded.

"Dammit, if only those two other witches were here, we could rip theirs out." Leon said with frustration. Falla glanced around then looked to Ceal.

"Do they have to be alive?" she asked quickly. Ceal looked back to her with a raised eyebrow.

"No, as long as it's the same matter type I can regenerate it to a proper form, just as I did with your eye. What are you getting at here?" he asked. Falla looked at the sisters with wonder then glanced to the opening.

"Falla?" Kyouko asked.

"If you have an idea spit it out quickly, they're getting closer out there." Razico said with frustration as he fired out another blast of lightning outside. Falla looked to the sisters carefully then nodded with determined expression.

"We need to go back to Yokai Academy." she said.

"What? To where?" Leon asked.

"What are you talking about Falla?" Razico said looking to the chronofly. Falla glanced to him then to the sisters.

"We need to get them back there, I know how we can give them new hearts." she said.

"You do?" Render asked curiously.

"How?" the witch sisters asked in unison.

"Because the Apoch and Astreal of this time are buried there, and their matter is identical to you two in every way. Ceal can use their remains to forge you new hearts." Falla said with a determined smile. The group looked at her with puzzlement.

"Um…that just raises more questions." Leon said shaking his head.

"The Apoch and Astreal of this time? Buried there? Remains? What are you talking about?" Render said with bewilderment.

"Wait, she's right. The Apoch and Astreal of this time are still buried there. Their bodies were made of the same magic as you two, their matter would be compatible with you." Razico said with a hopeful smile. Ceal glanced to him then to Falla.

"I'm not sure where to begin on questioning that proposition." he said flatly. The witch sisters looked to each other then to Falla.

"Hey, that's right. You told me before that you're not from this timeline. But...could that really work?" Kyouko said looking to Falla. The chronofly looked to her boyfriend with hopeful eyes.

"Please tell me that could work." she said urgently. Ceal looked at the girl then to the witch sisters.

"Am I hearing correctly that you two are buried right now at this Yokai Academy?" he asked flatly. The sisters nodded as Render and Leon looked at them puzzled. Ceal looked at the girls for a moment then shrugged.

"After what I've seen today with dead monsters coming back to life I suppose I can go with that story. Although a little clarification on the way there wouldn't hurt." he said glancing to Falla. The girl nodded eagerly then looked to the sisters.

"We need to get them to Yokai Academy, it's our only chance of saving their lives." she said quickly. Render and Leon looked to each other then back to the sisters.

"Fine, whatever it takes. But, on the way, could you girls explain what exactly Falla is talking about? It's one thing to be summoned beings, but…you being buried right now raises a few little questions." Render said with a weak smile. The sisters nodded with soft smiles then cringed in pain. Leon and Render ran over to them as Razico fired out another attack of fire outside to keep the human soldiers at bay. Render dissolved his blades and returned to his normal form, the boy recalling his magic as a green light flashed around him briefly. He then slowly helped Apoch stand up as Leon helped Astreal, the two boys holding the girls gently by the arms as Ceal held onto their hands tightly.

"How come you don't stay in your stronger form?" Kyouko asked.

"It's a drain on my power to use that enchantment on myself. Unless I'm going to be fighting it's best for me to keep my power in reserve for when I need it." Render said as he held onto Apoch's arm securely. The witch looked at him with wonder, the girl still feeling a faint aura coming from him. She was missing her heart, could die at any second, the group was being attacked by human soldiers, and yet she felt that with him near her everything would be ok still.

_Render…how are you doing that?_

Astreal looked to Leon worriedly then to his locket that was dangling around his neck. It was a gift from his previous girlfriend, the treasure hunter Selena who was also gunned down in front of the boy. She showed a remorseful expression then looked to the boy again.

_Leon…I'm sorry for your loss._

"Alright, I'm all for this plan of yours. Just one question, how are we getting there?" Razico said as he peered around the broken wall. Outside in the street and damaged courtyard soldiers were advancing, all of them holding their rifles towards the broken wall as more trucks were arriving with reinforcements. Falla and Kyouko looked out towards the opening then back to the others. Ceal was standing between the witch sisters holding their hands, each girl being supported by the two treasure hunters as the two boys watched them worriedly.

"We need to get a ride out of this place." Render said looking to the opening.

"We can't run out there like this, they're in critical condition." Leon said shaking his head.

"I don't think I can run like this." Apoch said wearily, the witch barely able to move in her condition.

"Me either." Astreal said as she relied on Leon for support.

"Well we can't stay here, what do we do?" Kyouko cried out. Ceal glanced to Falla then to Razico.

"Falla, be a dear and escort the hunter here to a suitable vehicle." He said simply. The group looked to him as Falla smiled a bit.

"Sure thing Ceal." She said.

"Wait, what?" Razico said confused.

"I can't drive like this hunter, and we need something with more room than their broken down car." Ceal said flatly.

"Hey, it's not…well, yeah, you're right it's a piece of junk." Render said in defeat. Leon rolled his eyes then looked to Ceal.

"Just how do you expect them to go out there without getting killed?" he asked. Ceal smirked a bit and looked to Falla, the girl nodding and looking to Razico with a confident smile. The warlock chuckled and glanced outside at the surrounding area.

"With all those soldiers out there, they would have had to have some form of transport. Something with enough room for all of us I'm sure." He said with a nod.

"Something that would be tough enough to get us out of here safely." Falla said with a confident smile.

"But…how are you…" Render said confused. Falla giggled and glanced to him.

"Be right back you guys." she said, then she and Razico vanished instantly. Kyouko looked around with wide eyes then back to the others.

"How exactly does she keep doing that?" Leon asked. Kyouko looked around then smiled a bit.

"Well, she is the queen of time after all." She said with a giggle. Render and Leon looked to her with wide eyes as Ceal merely raised an eyebrow.

"What? A queen? She's a _queen_?" Render said with surprise.

"Of…time?" Leon said looking towards the opening. Apoch and Astreal glanced to each other then looked away, neither of them wanting to correct Kyouko right now. Ceal looked at Kyouko curiously for a moment then over to the opening.

Outside the building Falla was holding Razico's hand as the two were running through the courtyard. Everything was stopped around them, from the fires to the flowing dust in the breeze to the armed soldiers that were aiming at the destroyed classroom still. They ran past the frozen humans as they looked around quickly. Off by the side roads multiple trucks and SUV's were parked along with police cars and fire trucks. The trucks and SUV's were all a dark color with the letters HDA written on the side in red.

"Think of one those will do?" Falla said glancing to her friend.

"Yeah, but can you keep us shifted while I'm driving?" Razico asked. Falla blinked and looked around worriedly.

"Um…I don't know. I've never…shifted something like that before. I'm not sure if I can keep us shifted while you're driving, or for how long." She said with caution.

"Then we'll need something that can withstand a few hundred bullets." The warlock said looking around carefully.

Inside the building the group was keeping off to the side as bullets still tore up the broken wall in the classroom. The witch sisters were breathing heavily as they struggled to remain standing, the girls looking to the two boys that were holding them by their arms. The three boys were watching the opening carefully as Kyouko had her bat held tightly in her hands, the girl showing worry and a forced tough expression as she stood before her friends.

"Don't worry guys, I'll make sure to keep them away from you." She said shakily.

"A human with a baseball bat, our worries are over." Ceal said flatly. The girl twitched at that and trembled a bit. She didn't want to run away anymore or be a helpless bystander with her friends, but standing up to armed soldiers with a mere baseball bat wasn't doing wonders for her confidence.

"Sorry I don't have magic like you guys do, I'm doing what I can here." She said worriedly.

"Thank you Ms. Kyouko." Apoch said softly. Kyouko looked back to see the witch sisters smiling softly at her.

"Yes, thank you for trying to help us." Astreal said weakly. The human girl smiled a bit and nodded.

"Can't you use your necro magic to fend off those guys out there?" Render asked Ceal. The boy shook his head and glanced to Apoch, the girl holding onto his arm that had his gloved hand.

"I'm using all my power right now to keep your witches alive hunter. If I don't focus on keeping them stable they will die." He said. The witch looked at him worriedly then to his gloved hand.

"Thank you Mr. Ceal…for helping us." She said softly.

"I'm not saving you because I care witch." The boy said looking ahead. The girl looked to him as he glanced to Render.

"I'm saving you for them." Ceal finished. Apoch looked to Render as the boy glanced to her with a curious eye. Leon looked at Ceal's gloved hand then down with concern.

"So you're as helpless as we are right now." He said.

"No, I'm as helpless as your other friend here. You however don't seem to be able to do anything against human weaponry. You're as helpless as the human here holding a baseball bat." Ceal said glancing to the boy. Leon growled a bit and looked away. Astreal looked at him worriedly as the boy showed a bit of frustration at that remark.

"Thank you Leon, for trying to save me." She said. The boy looked to her curiously as she smiled a bit.

"Um…isn't that _Mr._ to you?" he asked with a small smile. The girl blinked then smiled a bit with a weak giggle.

Suddenly they heard an engine revving outside as shouts and gunfire echoed out. The group looked to the broken wall as tires were heard screeching outside. Ceal backed up a bit, the witches and two boys doing the same as Kyouko looked back to them.

"Get back girl." Ceal said simply as he watched the opening. Kyouko jumped a bit then scrambled back before something crashed through the broken wall. It was a large truck that had the letters HDA painted in red on the side. The vehicle had armor plating on the sides as it was backed into the room a bit. It had several large tires that crushed down the rubble below it as gunfire rattled around on the sides of the vehicle outside. From the back a door opened to show Falla quickly waving at them.

"Get in, hurry!" she called out. The group ran over to it and Kyouko hopped in. Inside the back were seats along both sides of the truck, with holding bins above with combat gear and boxes. At the front Razico was seen at the driver's seat as he watched bullets crack the windshield a bit.

"Hurry up!" he yelled out. The group boarded the vehicle, with Ceal holding onto the sisters' hands as Render and Leon helped them in gently. Render and Leon then sat down with Kyouko across from Ceal and the witches, the catalyst mage sitting between them as they held onto his hands and arms weakly. Falla closed the door behind them then sat down next to Kyouko.

"Get us out of here!" she cried out. Razico floored the gas pedal and the vehicle took off. Soldiers fired at the moving armored truck as it raced out of the courtyard and into the streets. A few trucks and SUV's pulled out after them as the vehicle raced down a human street. Cars honked and swerved away as Razico drove at high speed, the warlock watching in the side mirror as he was being chased by the other HDA forces. In the back the group was looking at the sisters with worry as the truck swerved around an intersection. The two girls were breathing raggedly as they clung to the mage for dear life. They each looked at him as he merely stared at Falla with a dull expression.

"Falla, remember what I said to you before, about not wanting any distractions in my quest?" he said flatly. The group looked to her as she smiled weakly.

"Well…it's not like I had any control over this." She said softly.

The truck swerved around again as Razico growled with frustration.

"I don't think they're just going to let us go you guys, I can't shake them off our tail." He called back. Falla looked to the back door then raced over to it. She opened it as the group looked to her in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Kyouko cried out. Falla smirked and glanced back to her. She hopped out of the truck as she shifted into time, the girl's wings extending out as she flew over towards the frozen vehicles of the HDA forces. She flew down and swiped down at the ground, the girl carving up the road with a few powerful strikes of her chrono magic. The chronofly tore up the road a bit then flew back into the truck with her friends, the girl retracting her wings as she held onto the sides of the truck. She shifted back as the group watched with surprise at the sight of the road being torn up instantly behind her, the trucks and SUV's of the HDA then tumbling through the ravaged road and crashing into each other. Falla giggled and closed the door, the girl then sitting back down next to Kyouko.

"Just taking care of it." She said proudly. Razico smirked as he glanced back to his friends as Render and Leon looked at her with wonder.

"How do you keep doing that?" Render asked with awe.

"I can't even see you using any magic, in fact I can't even see you doing anything." Leon said with wonder.

"That was incredible Falla, you're one badass queen if I ever saw one." Kyouko said with a bright smile. The chronofly blinked at that then slowly looked to Ceal worriedly. The boy raised an eyebrow to her again.

"Queen huh?" he asked. Falla trembled a bit then glanced to Kyouko again. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then to Falla with worry.

"Um…" Falla said nervously with a weak smile.

"Holy shit, you're royalty?" Render said in surprise.

"I never would have guessed." Leon said with a bit of wonder. Kyouko looked at Falla curiously as the chronofly rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Well…" she said softly.

"Odd, when you told me about your past last night I don't recall that little detail, in fact I remember you saying something completely different." Ceal said plainly. The group looked to him as Razico glanced back to them. Kyouko looked at him with surprise then to Falla. The chronofly laughed weakly then looked down with worry.

"Falla? What's he talking about?" Kyouko asked. Falla glanced to her then to Apoch and Astreal. The witch sisters nodded slowly in agreement, the chronofly then sighing in defeat.

"Kyouko…there's something I need to tell you." She said softly.

"Oh my god…you mean…" Kyouko said with wide eyes. Falla looked to her and nodded.

"Yeah, it's true." She said quietly. Kyouko looked at her with shock then to Ceal.

"You mean…you _did_ sleep with him last night?" she cried out. Razico swerved a bit in surprise then looked back to see everybody staring at Ceal with wide eyes.

"What?" Razico yelled out.

"Is that why you didn't come home last night?" Apoch asked with surprise.

"Oh my, Ms. Falla." Astreal said looking at the chronofly with wide eyes.

"You really did sleep with him? After just meeting him? Really?" Render said regaining himself.

"We thought that was just the evil side of you saying things, didn't know she was telling the truth about that." Leon said looking at Falla with a raised eyebrow. The chronofly looked around confused then shook her head.

"What? No no, I didn't sleep with him. I mean, yes, I slept at his place, but not in the same bed. Nothing dirty happened, really." she pleaded. Kyouko looked at her with a bit of relief as the witch sisters looked at Ceal curiously.

"Oh, I see. Then…what are you talking about?" Kyouko asked curiously. The chronofly looked at her worriedly. There was no more putting it off, she had to tell the truth. She just hoped that Kyouko wouldn't be too mad at her for lying about it.

"You see…I'm not…a queen." She said softly. Kyouko looked at her with a bit of surprise as the others watched her.

"What? But…I thought…" Kyouko said with puzzlement. Falla shook her head and looked down. She explained that Luna was the real queen, how she was next in the family line to inherit the crown. How her darker self had tried to kill her to claim the kingdom for herself, and how their duel escalated to the destruction of their race. After the tale was told Kyouko, Render, and Leon were looking at Falla with wonder.

"So…Luna is the real queen?" Kyouko asked. Falla nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah, she's the rightful heir to our fallen kingdom. I'm sorry Kyouko, I didn't mean to continue that ruse my darker self started with you, it's just…I didn't want you to think…that I was trying to be deceitful like her. I didn't want you to hate me for what she said to you." Falla said with remorse. Kyouko looked at her then smiled a bit.

"Hey, it's alright. You're still my friend, and one hell of a cool monster too." She said. Falla looked to her with a gentle smile as Kyouko nodded.

"I don't hate you for saying that. I'm just glad you're my friend Falla. Besides, that means you're a princess at least, that's still cool right?" She said with a smile. Falla smiled at her and nodded a bit, the girl relieved her friend still stood by her side after that lie.

"Man, your other self was a real bitch. I mean yes, she did turn the human race against us again and yes she nearly got us all killed a little while ago, but man, what a bitch." Render said shaking his head. Leon nodded in agreement to that then looked at the chronofly curiously.

"Still, never figured you to be the royalty type, especially after how your other self was behaving." He said with a bit of wonder. The girl shrugged and smiled a bit then looked to Kyouko.

"Yeah, too bad she picked the wrong human to mess with." she said with a giggle. Kyouko smiled proudly at that and nodded.

"Not bad for a commoner, right?" she said with a laugh. Falla laughed a bit and nodded as Kyouko giggled. She wasn't a monster, didn't have any real strength or magic to use in a fight, yet she did finally put an end to the evil chronofly's existence. The girl looked around to see the group of monsters smiling at her, except for Ceal who wasn't showing any expression.

"Well, now that that's sorted out, care to explain how these two are buried at this school of yours while at the same time holding onto me right now?" he asked flatly. The group looked to him then to the sisters, the two girls looking down with weak expressions.

"Yeah, I was kind of curious about that still." Render said scratching his head. The sisters glanced to each other then looked to the boys. They started to explain how they along with Falla were not from this timeline, with each passing sentence only raising more confusion with the three hunters. As they explained how there were two sets of sisters in this world, with one pair being dead from before and the other alive thanks to Luna and her chrono magic, Razico glanced back to them then forward with a cautious expression. He was concerned about his friends as they were hanging onto life just barely, but was growing more concerned about what they had just set into motion.

_This is going to be bad…we may have just started up the monster human war all over again._

The truck traveled down the road at high speed toward the tunnel that would take them into the monster world. Razico was watching the surroundings carefully as he hoped they gave the HDA the slip. In the back of the truck Ceal was holding onto the witch sisters' hands, the two girls breathing heavily as their bodies ached from being near death. Across from them the others were watching them with worried expressions.

"How are you two holding up?" Leon asked.

"It hurts to breathe…" Astreal said weakly.

"My body feels so weak." Apoch said wearily.

"That's because they're hardly alive. It's only because of my magic that your essences haven't vanished completely." Ceal said simply. The sisters looked to him and smiled softly.

"Thank you Mr. Ceal…for doing this for us." Apoch said softly. The boy just glanced up.

"I'm not doing this to be nice to you." He said flatly.

"Yes you are." Falla said softly. The group looked to her as she smiled at her boyfriend.

"You moved quickly and grabbed them while we were still in shock from seeing them get shot. You saved them without anybody ever asking you to or even expecting you to." She said softly. Ceal just looked at her with a dull expression as all eyes looked back to him.

"You don't have to pretend anymore, I already know you're a great guy inside. You don't have to hide it." Falla said kindly. Ceal growled a bit and looked back up.

"I only did this to keep those two focused on Pandora's Box." He said flatly. Render and Leon looked at him with a bit of wonder then smiled a bit.

"I guess you're not such a bad guy after all." Leon said simply as he crossed his arms before him.

"Yeah, I suppose I should take back all the horrible and unspeakable things I've said about you behind your back." Render said with a smirk. Again Ceal growled with annoyance as Falla giggled a bit. She knew her boyfriend had a heart inside of him, however it seemed he didn't want anybody else seeing it.

"Thank you Mr. Ceal." Apoch said gratefully. The boy rolled his eyes and looked back up.

"Whatever." He said flatly.

"Is there anything we can do to make up for this?" Astreal asked worriedly. Ceal blinked then shrugged.

"My nose itches." He said casually. Astreal blinked then smiled a bit as she scratched his nose. The group laughed a bit as Ceal glanced to the witch.

"You're welcome." the girl said looking at him with a small smile. He didn't say a word and just looked back up again.

"You're so cute when you act like that Ceal. You know we would have helped you open Pandora's Box regardless of what happened to us. Admit it, you wanted to save them." Falla said with a smile. Ceal looked to her with a dull expression as she smiled at him, the girl's two eyes staring at her new boyfriend. She blinked then looked over to see Kyouko looking down with worry.

"Kyouko?" she asked. The human girl glanced to her then to the witch sisters, both of them showing worry as well. Falla looked around then sighed a bit.

"You're all still worried about that aren't you?" she asked softly. The witch sisters glanced to each other then looked to Ceal with concern.

"C'mon you guys, you can't be serious here. He's saving you two, how can you not trust him still?" Falla said in disbelief.

"About that…" Razico said as he kept his eyes on the road. The group looked to him as he showed a dull expression, the warlock hesitating with something as he drove the truck down the empty road.

"You said you've opened it before?" He said glancing back to Ceal. The boy merely nodded in response. Razico looked forward with a growl then glanced back to him.

"Do you swear on your life…on Ruby's life that the world will not end if you open it?" he asked sternly. Everybody looked to Ceal as he nodded again.

"I've dealt with what lies within the box before, without my necro magic at the time. The world will not end hunter." He said calmly. Razico nodded then looked down a bit.

"I owe you kid, for helping us like this." He said reluctantly. Apoch and Astreal looked at him then to the two boys across from them.

"Nothing bad will happen?" Apoch asked softly.

"There really is no danger?" Astreal asked worriedly. Kyouko looked around at the group then to Falla.

"Is it…really safe?" she asked nervously. Falla glanced to her boyfriend. She knew the little detail about how only the four that opened the box would be able to kill what comes out. Which meant that if all four hunters fell to the monsters inside then the world would truly be destroyed. However with her magic and his necro magic, combined with Render and Leon's ability to fight well, she felt that they could handle whatever came from the relic.

"Yeah, with us opening it, it's safe." She said with a nod. Kyouko and the witch sisters looked at her with worry then to Render and Leon.

"I promise we'll be alright, you're not going to be dying anytime soon." Render said with a smile. Apoch just looked at him with a bit of wonder, then nodded slowly.

"If you say so Render." She said softly. Astreal looked at her sister with a bit of surprise as the raven haired witch stared at Render with a gentle gaze.

"He did it to you again didn't he? He used that aura of his." She said looking to Render. The boy showed a puzzled expression and tilted his head.

"What are you two talking about? What aura?" he asked.

"No." Apoch said softly. The group looked to her as she shook her head.

"It's not that…it's…" she said, the girl looking at the boy curiously. After a moment she nodded.

"I trust him." She said. Astreal looked at her with wonder then to Leon. The boy glanced from his friend to her then looked down a bit.

"I know you have your worries about the box being opened. So do I." he said gently. The group looked to him as he held his locket with a gentle gaze, the boy looking down as the truck bounced a bit in the back.

"But I made a promise to somebody special to me. Whatever may be inside the box, be it jewels or power, or even death itself, I'm going to open it. Not for glory or riches, or even fame. I'm doing it for her." He said softly.

"Leon…" Astreal said softly. Falla looked at the two sisters curiously, the chronofly noticing that they were saying the boys' names perfectly fine. The witch sisters looked down with remorse as the group watched them.

"I know we lied to you before, that we tricked you. It's true, we were scared the world really would be ending if you opened it." Apoch said softly. She looked to Kyouko and shook her head.

"What my other self said before, that Ms. Kyouko was the one that came up with the movie night idea, it wasn't true. I was the one that came up with it, it was all my idea." She said softly. She sniffled then looked to Render.

"But…I do mean it. I trust you Render, if you say it'll be ok…then it'll be ok." She said with a soft smile.

"You said my name correctly again." The boy said curiously. The witch blinked then looked down with a timid smile.

"Leon, I won't stop you from doing what you think is right. If the world really won't end with you opening it…then you should continue with your quest. I know it's important to you, that you have your reasons. I won't try to stop you anymore, I promise." Astreal said softly. Leon looked at her with a bit of wonder and nodded slowly.

"How…are you guys saying their names like that?" Falla asked curiously.

"Render…did you mean what you said to my other self before?" Apoch asked softly. The boy looked at her curiously as Falla showed puzzlement at the witch sisters' sudden ability to say their names properly.

"What I said before?" Render asked. Apoch nodded with a timid expression.

"About…another date?" she asked softly. The group looked to him as he jumped a bit.

"Wait, you mean with sword fighting? Or…a movie?" he asked nervously. The witch nodded.

"Anything…just…could I get another chance? You know, now that I'm not a brainwashed killer." she asked with a slight smile. Render looked at her with wonder as Astreal smiled gently at her sister. She then looked over to Leon.

"I understand you don't fully trust me, I can't blame you. But allow me the chance to make it right. I'll help you open the box, if that's what you truly desire." She said. The group looked to her as she smiled gently.

"I can be your sword Leon, I'll be the source of magic you can copy in battle. I'll show you that…I want to be there for you." She said hopefully. The boy looked at her with wonder at that as she smiled softly at him.

"Seriously, have you two been practicing or something?" Falla asked curiously.

The truck entered the tunnel into the monster world. Only the front windshield and windows in the front of the truck had any sources of light from outside as streaks of colors raced by while traveling through the gateway. In the back the group saw Ceal holding onto the sisters' hands, and saw a faint glow coming from his hands that traveled along the arms of the girls and around their bodies in faint wisps. They also saw the girls looking at the two boys with hopeful eyes.

"Please." they said in unison. Render and Leon looked at them with wonder as Kyouko watched the light trail from Ceal's magic flow around them. Falla looked at them with a bit of wonder then to the two boys curiously.

"Well…" Render said slowly. Leon looked at Astreal for a moment then nodded.

"Alright, one more chance." he said. She smiled and nodded eagerly as Apoch watched Render worriedly. The boy paused then smiled a bit at her.

"I guess so. It was kind of fun dancing with you earlier." he said with a wink. The girl jumped a bit then smiled softly. Falla smiled at the boys then looked to Kyouko, the girl looking down in thought. She glanced to Falla then nodded slowly.

"If…you really think it's safe." She said.

"It is Kyouko, the world won't be ending anytime soon." Falla said reassuringly.

"I'm not so sure about that." Razico said cautiously. The group looked to him as he shook his head.

"Still going to try to stop us hunter?" Ceal asked plainly. The warlock shook his head as he glanced back to them.

"No, I won't try to stop you. Like I said, I owe you for helping us like this. If the box is really safe, and you're positive it won't destroy all life on earth, then I won't get in your way." He said.

"Then what's the problem?" Falla asked. Razico looked back ahead and showed a bit of concern.

"The problem is that the human world and the monster world might be going to war now. Never mind Pandora's Box destroying everything, we may have just set into motion something far worse." He said gravely. The group looked to each other then down. They had stopped the evil souls from hell from taking the keys and killing them off, however during the conflict the school and surrounding areas of the city were thrown into chaos, with humans everywhere blaming monsters for the attack. The humans even open fired on them and forced the group to run away.

"What have we done?" Falla said softly.

"But it's not like we're the bad guys here, those other monsters were, the ones that came back from the dead." Kyouko said worriedly.

"Something tells me the humans aren't too interested in that farfetched story, you know, based on how they were trying to kill us first." Render said shaking his head.

"We let the monster world down, we destroyed any chance for peace between the two worlds." Apoch said softly.

"We were being manipulated though, we didn't purposely try to start a war." Astreal said worriedly.

"No, we didn't. But it looks as though we may have." Leon said with a solemn expression.

"So…what do we do now?" Falla said with worry.

"For starters we get these two healed up with new hearts." Render said looking to Apoch. She nodded slowly as she looked at the boy with wonder.

"And then?" Kyouko asked.

"And then…we panic." Leon said, the boy looking at Astreal who was showing a worried expression. Ceal glanced around at the group then up with a dull expression. Razico nodded a bit and watched the lights fly by outside, the warlock fearing what would happen next.

_Ruby…I hope we still have a future together._

As they drove down the road several streaks of light and flashes flew by, the truck making it's way towards the monster world on the other side of the gateway. While the truck traveled down the road a flash of white light raced past, just as another vehicle drove past them going in the opposite direction. Razico continued driving towards the school, the warlock unaware that he had passed a school bus from the academy. Inside the bus a group of monsters were seated as they were heading towards the human world, all of them also unaware that another vehicle passed by behind the obscuring flash of light. At the front of the bus Moka was watching the strange lights rippling around ahead of them, the vampire trying to remain focused on their task. In the seat behind her Yukari and Ahakon were sitting down, the young casters looking out the window at the flashing lights as well. Across from them Ran was seated, the siren glancing to the young mage timidly before looking back out the window at the strange sights. Behind her Mizore and Dark were seated, with the demon listening to his music while the snow maiden was looking out the window with a blank expression. And across from them sitting behind the young casters were Rason and Kurumu, the angel watching the lights outside his window as Kurumu was resting on his arm and relaxing with the feel of their bond.

"How long until we get there?" Ran asked.

"Hopefully not much longer." Yukari said, the witch trying to put the incident of the siren suffocating her boyfriend with her breasts behind her.

"I hope Falla's alright." Ahakon said worriedly.

"Relax, I'm sure she's fine. After all, what are the chances that this creep attacked _just_ as we realized he would be after her?" Rason said with a shrug. Kurumu nodded and held onto her angel's arm tightly, the girl trying to remain calm now that they were being forced to deal with the sirens' old master. She blinked then looked around.

"Should we have gotten Kokoa and Gin for this?" she asked.

"Oh, I forgot about them actually." Yukari said looking around.

"I'm sure they'll be just fine back at the academy. If all goes well we'll be back before school lets out anyway, we'll see them then." Rason said calmly.

"They'll be fine. Not like anything's going to happen at the school with Rin there." Mizore said softly as she kept watching the moving lights outside the bus. Moka nodded as she watched the lights ahead of the bus, the vampire getting a bad feeling about all this.

"We're coming for you Falla, please be ok still."


	39. A Whole Lot Worse

Inside Sun's home the siren and Marin were sitting on the couch watching the T.V. with wide eyes. They had met up at the siren's home that morning to organize their ideas for what to do when Sun's friends arrived from Yokai Academy, only to end up watching a very frightening news report.

"Oh my god…" Marin said holding her hands over her mouth. Sun looked at the report with extreme worry as they saw the chaos unfolding in a human city, with reports saying monsters were responsible. The videos of the school being demolished as well as images taken around the destroyed city were shown as Sun shook her head with disbelief.

"We have received word that monsters have attacked from within the school and have caused massive damage to surrounding areas. We are still getting rough reports from local authorities, but we can confirm there have been dozens of fatalities and many more wounded in the surrounding areas. We have no report yet on how many if any of the students at the high school have been harmed, however based on these images we are fearful of the actual body count." a woman reporter said as the videos switched around. There was one clip taken by a man filming his girlfriend smiling at him in the city on a sidewalk when suddenly the entire street was annihilated with cars bursting into flame and flying around wildly. Screams of panic and agony echoed out as wreckages and glass were sent flying around into nearby buildings, other cars, and over onto the girlfriend and man filming the event. There was another video taken from a security camera in an office building showing a floor being torn apart in a flash as walls and cubicles were demolished instantly, the humans on the floor being thrown around as their workspace was destroyed in the blink of an eye. Another video clip played showing a high school and colorful bursts of light firing around the front of it, followed by the front side of the building collapsing down on itself. The video zoomed in slightly to see several figures moving around in the front courtyard, with one having glowing wings and another firing off bursts of light from her hands. The video then changed to the dark Falla taunting the camera before dropping Kyouko, the girl's scream echoing out as the chronofly laughed with a dark smile.

"This…can't be happening." Marin said shaking her head.

From the doorway Sandra walked in holding some boxes, the girl walking into the living room with a dull expression.

"Ok, I got the stuff you wanted, though I have to say this is still a stupid idea." she said putting the boxes down on the ground and looking through one of them. She blinked then looked to see Sun and Marin still watching the T.V. with shock.

"Hey, what's wrong with you two?" she asked raising an eyebrow. She looked to the T.V. then jumped in surprise.

"As you can see monsters have attacked our world and have gone on a killing spree. Local authorities are working with HDA officials to contain the situation and to stop the rampaging monsters before more casualties occur." the woman reporter said with a solemn expression. Sandra's jaw dropped a bit as she walked over and sat down on the couch with the other two.

"What…what the hell is going on?" she said.

"There was a monster attack…they destroyed an entire school and part of a city." Marin said with fear. Sun just stared at the screen with wide eyes, the girl shocked at what she just witnessed.

"The surrounding areas are on high alert as HDA officials are arriving on the scene. We have no word yet from any of the government leaders or those of the monster world regarding this malicious attack on us." the woman reporter said.

From the stairs Arial hopped down playfully, the girl dressed in her usual outfit as her frosted wings shimmered behind her. The snow angel had her lollipop in her mouth still and wasn't wearing her headphones as her player was out of battery life still. She walked into the living room then looked around at everybody curiously.

"Hey, what are you all doing?" she asked. She then looked to the T.V. curiously as a man in a black suit was addressing the camera from inside an office. He was seated at his desk with windows being seen behind him.

"I am Jenner Rythmore, head of the HDA for our world. What you have just seen is what we have all feared ever since we allowed those of the darker world to come into our realm. A monster attack has been confirmed, an attack that was unprovoked and uncalled for. My heart goes out to the families of those that have been affected by this tragedy." he said in a solemn tone.

"What? A monster attack?" Arial said in surprise as she ran over to the other girls.

"We allowed those of the darker world here under the guise that they were simply misunderstood, that they were actually gentle creatures who claimed to have saved us from a worldwide crisis. However we were mistaken in thinking that there could be any form of coexistence between us, we were fooled into thinking that they could be our allies, our friends." Jenner said with discontent. Arial looked at her friends with shock then to the T.V. again.

* * *

In the living room of Mr. and Mrs. Shirayuki the snow people were watching the report as well, the two parents listening with disbelief as they sat on their couch together.

"The dark lords of the monster world had promised us peace, unity, and true coexistence with our kind. They promised that they would be our allies and that monsters truly wished for equality between our races. They have lied to us." Jenner said with hatred.

"Oh my…" Tsurura said as she covered her mouth with her hand.

* * *

In the living room of Tsukune's home Mr. and Mrs. Aono were watching the report with wide eyes, the humans shocked at what they were hearing on the news.

"We have been deceived people, we have been tricked. We have been lied to from the start. This whole 'Alucard' incident that occurred was only their first attempt to wipe us out. Since it failed they used it to feign the interest of peace with us. They merely pretended to be our allies so they could get closer to us, worm their way into our world, and take it from us!" Jenner said with anger.

"What? No, that's not true. It's not!" Mrs. Aono cried out.

"Where's Tsukune? Why isn't he punching this guy like he did with that Alucard thing?" the father said shaking his head.

* * *

In the living room of a human family a young boy was looking at the report with his mother, the boy unable to believe that monsters would be attacking when his guardian vampire promised that such things wouldn't happen.

"That is why the HDA has taken control of this situation. We have addressed the state of this world with the governments, our leaders who had the foolish notion of trusting these things in the first place and wising for peace with them. Well that is no longer being considered I'm thankful to say, the human race will not tolerate such deception, and will not allow such an attack on our people to go without consequence!" Jenner said with fury. The little boy shook his head with a few tears forming then looked back to his mother.

"Mom…what's he talking about? Did monsters really attack us again?" he asked.

"I…I don't know dear." the mother said with worry.

* * *

In a lounge inside a large high class hotel Ms. Kurono was watching the report on a T.V. screen along with dozens of other people who were monsters in disguise, all of them staring in shock.

"This has been an act of war against humanity! They have spilled our blood, they have killed our innocent children! This is what they have been planning from the start, what they have wanted from the beginning! To kill us all!" Jenner shouted out.

"What? Where the hell is he getting that from? We've never wanted such a thing!" Ageha shouted out as the monsters around the room started shouting in disbelief at the T.V.

"That is why we, the human race, are officially declining to the concept of a coexistence treaty. If it's war the monster race wants, it's a war they shall receive." Jenner said in anger.

"War?" Ageha said with a gasp.

* * *

Inside the teacher's lounge at Yokai Academy two teachers were watching the report on the T.V. as well. Ms. Nekonome and Ms. Ririko were looking with shock as the human declared that peace was no longer an option with the human world.

"Oh no…meow…" the cat demon said fearfully.

"No…this isn't happening." Ms. Ririko said shaking her head.

"We are deploying all HDA members and soldiers in active duty. If you are a monster and you think you can hide from us you are gravely mistaken. All monsters are hereby ordered to lay down their arms to the HDA. Those that surrender shall be taken alive, however those that try to hide or run from us shall be terminated like the spies they are. You had your chance for peace, now we shall show you once again why we are the dominant race, and that this is _our_ world." Jenner said with hatred.

* * *

A bus exited the tunnel from the monster world and drove down the road towards a human city. Inside Moka was looking ahead at the area where Falla and the witch sisters would be, the vampire hoping to get to them before the sirens' old master came looking for them. Sitting behind her the others were looking around at the sight of the nearby human city, all of them noticing something right away.

"Um…guys? That's a lot of smoke." Rason said as they saw pillars of black smoke coming from inside the city.

"Oh no…oh no…don't tell me." Kurumu said covering her mouth with her hand.

"No way…you don't think…" Ahakon said shaking his head.

"Maybe it was just an accident…it doesn't necessarily mean a monster attack." Yukari said nervously.

"That's a lot of smoke for just a simple accident." Mizore said softly.

"Get us to the high school right away, hurry!" Moka cried out.

**"Heh heh, sure thing miss. Hold on."** the bus driver said before he stepped on the gas pedal, the bus speeding down the road quickly as the group grew more worried about the safety of their friend. The bus drove down the streets and pulled into a road, the vehicle quickly stopping as ahead of them the area was blocked off by police cars and fire trucks. Behind the rescue workers the street was a disaster, with the road carved up, flaming wreckages littering the road and smashed into adjacent buildings, and people running around screaming.

"Oh no…" Rason said under his breath.

"Maybe…it wasn't a monster attack. We don't know…right?" Yukari said nervously.

"Whatever it was, it did a lot of damage." Ran said worriedly. Moka looked around with fright and shook her head.

"Get us to that school, now!" she cried out.

**"Well we're not going through here, that's for sure."** the driver said as he backed the bus up, then took off down another road. The vehicle traveled down the road and again turned onto another street, the bus coming to a quick stop as this way was also blocked off. A nearby building had the side of it torn up badly as the street below was filled with wreckages and ambulances.

"Maybe…it wasn't…" Yukari said worriedly.

"Open your eyes Yukari, this place is a warzone!" Kurumu cried out.

"Oh my god, what the hell did we miss?" Rason said looking around at the chaos.

"Didn't you hear me? Get us to that school right now!" Moka cried out at the driver.

**"You don't need to shout, I heard you the first time. Not my fault this place is blocked off." **the driver said with a shrug. Moka looked around with worry and frustration as Dark glanced around, the demon looking for any sign of what may have caused this.

"I don't care if it's blocked off this way, just…do something!" Moka shouted out. The driver backed up again and took off down another street. As they did they saw police cars and ambulances driving around franticly while the sidewalks were filled with spectators. Other trucks were driving around that had HDA painted on the sides.

"HDA…isn't that the group Akua warned us about?" Ahakon said looking to Moka. The vampire nodded with worry.

"Yeah, the Human Defense Agency. They're against monsters being allowed into this world. Wait…oh no, if they're here…" she said, the vampire then gasping and looking to her friends.

"A monster attack." Mizore said looking around carefully.

"We're too late." Rason said with worry. Kurumu held a hand over her mouth as she clung to his arm while Ahakon and Yukari looked around with fearful eyes.

"The whole city is in chaos, monsters tore apart everything just to get to Falla?" Moka said looking around worriedly.

"Seems like a bit much to grab a helpless chronofly." Dark said simply, the boy looking around carefully. Mizore glanced to him and saw he was still wearing his earbuds.

_He hasn't taken them off yet, maybe this isn't so bad yet._

After a pause the boy removed the earbuds and put them in his pocket, the snow girl then showing a worried expression.

_Correction, we're in trouble._

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Falla was such an easy target why would the entire city be attacked? That's just overkill." Dark asked cautiously.

"Maybe she tried to run. Maybe Apoch and Astreal tried to get her to safety." Yukari said nervously.

"Dark's right, this is too much just to grab her. The damage is too widespread, something else happened here." Mizore said looking around.

"Would your old master have done this just to kidnap her?" Rason said looking at Ran. The girl looked around at the city and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I mean…I'm sure he would have the resources to stage an attack, but if she really was so helpless I don't know if he would have bothered to send so many after her. He wouldn't be against killing those he deems below him however, and I'm sure humans are on the bottom of that list." she said worriedly.

"We need to find Falla fast and get her the hell out of here." Ahakon said looking around worriedly.

The bus turned down another road and drove along as more HDA trucks were seen passing by. The group looked around worriedly, all of them wondering just how bad things really had gotten in the human world. The vehicle drove down the road then came to another roadblock with policemen waving their arms at them. The driver glanced to Moka as the vampire looked around worriedly.

"The entire area is closed off? What happened here?" she asked worriedly. The bus turned around and drove back, then down another road.

"Every road leading towards the school is blocked off, that's not a good sign. I'm getting a bad feeling about our friends." Rason said worriedly.

"Oh man, what if they were attacked? What if they were captured? Oh no, Falla!" Kurumu cried out, the succubus knowing what dark fate would be awaiting the chronofly if she were to be taken alive.

"What do we do now? She might already be captured by this guy." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"We need to get to that school now and find out, hopefully she's still here." Rason said looking around the city with frustration.

"Every road we tried going down so far is blocked, how are we going to get to the school?" Kurumu said with worry.

"Turn down this road." Dark called out. The driver did as the group looked to him, then forward to see another roadblock ahead with police barricades and two cars stationed on both sides.

"No good, it's blocked off." Yukari said shaking her head.

"That won't stop us." Dark said. The group looked to him as the driver glanced back to him with glowing eyes and a smirk.

**"You're not going to ask me to do what I think you're going to ask me to do, are you?"** he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you, get us to that school now." Dark said with narrowed eyes. The driver chuckled and floored the gas, the group sitting down quickly as they looked ahead with wide eyes.

"We can't do this, we're going to cause a scene man!" Rason cried out.

"What difference does it make? The city's already in panic mode, we need to get to Falla now before it's too late." Mizore said as she held onto the seat in front of her, the snow maiden agreeing with her fiancé's direct approach to the problem.

"He's right, get us to that school no matter what!" Moka shouted out.

The bus driver floored it towards the roadblock, with a few policemen waving their arms and watching with surprise as the vehicle raced towards them. The humans jumped aside as the bus crashed through the barricades and drove down the road at high speed.

"What the hell?" an officer cried out as they stumbled back to their feet.

"This is Unit 19, some lunatic just broke through the barricade here, he's driving into the red zone!" another officer yelled out into his radio.

The bus raced down the road past two HDA trucks, the officers looking with surprise at the vehicle then to each other.

"What the hell is that guy doing? This area is off limits!" one of them yelled out as they got into their trucks. They took off after the bus as the group looked around with worry. The bus drove down the road and turned around the corner, the group looking with shock at seeing the destroyed school ahead of them. Fire trucks were putting out a few fires while HDA trucks were parked everywhere around it. A few ambulances were seen around the area as paramedics were bringing out the wounded on stretchers. There was a news crew trying to film the scene while a policeman was trying to block them off.

"Oh…my…god…" Moka said with fright.

"The school…it's…it's been destroyed." Kurumu said in shock.

"He found her…the bastard must have come for her." Rason said with frustration.

"Oh no…Falla!" Yukari cried out.

The bus pulled up in front of the courtyard as policeman and HDA soldiers watched with surprise. From the vehicle Moka raced out and looked with horror at the ruined building.

"Oh my god, no!" she cried out as the others ran out of the bus too. Two HDA trucks raced up and pulled over by the group as other officials ran over to them.

"Hey you can't be here, this is a restricted area!" one of them shouted out.

"Get those students out of here, this school is closed down." another said sternly.

"No, we're too late." Rason said with devastation. Kurumu started crying and held onto his arm worriedly as Dark and Mizore looked at the damaged building with surprise. Ahakon, Yukari, and Ran looked at the destroyed area with sorrow as the siren held her hands over her mouth.

"He must have come for her already." Yukari said softly.

HDA soldiers and police officers ran over to them as Moka shook her head with wide eyes.

"You kids can't be here, this is a restricted area." one of the police officers said. Moka broke down crying and then ran over to him, the girl looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, we're looking for our friends, they went to this school. You have to tell me, what happened here?" she cried out. The officer looked at her with a bit of sympathy and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but this place fell under a monster attack a while ago. We're still evacuating the wounded and trying to assess the severity of the situation. Maybe your friends are still ok, but I'm afraid I don't know for sure." he said. Moka looked at him with fright then toward the ruined building.

"Are all of you students of this school? Your outfits look different." an HDA soldier said looking around at the group. He looked to Yukari and paused, the man eyeing the girl in the witches outfit carefully.

"Our friends were the monsters going to this school. Are they here? Are they ok?" Kurumu asked franticly. All the humans looked to her with surprise then to the group.

"What? Monsters?" an HDA soldier said cautiously.

"Sir, these kids look familiar." the soldier watching Yukari said cautiously. Dark glanced around and saw all the HDA soldiers watching them with a keen eye while keeping their rifles at their sides, their hands slowly moving towards the weapons.

"Yes, we came here to make sure they were ok. They were the three monsters that came to this school to live here in this world." Moka said worriedly.

"Are they ok? Where are they?" Rason asked.

"Sir, these kids…they look like the ones that fought that giant destroyer a while ago." a soldier said with narrowed eyes. Dark glanced around cautiously as Mizore looked to him, the snow girl seeing something was wrong.

"Your friends…were those three monsters that went here?" the policeman said cautiously. Moka nodded and looked around worriedly.

"Yes, we came to bring the home with us. What happened here? Please tell me." she pleaded as she looked back to him.

"Bring them…home?" the man said with narrowed eyes. Dark looked around quickly as Mizore saw the humans grab their guns. In a flash all the officers around them backed up as the soldiers aimed their guns at the group. They all looked around with surprise as they were surrounded by armed soldiers.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ahakon asked nervously.

"Sir, they're monsters too. They were the ones that fought that giant destroyer before, I'm sure of it now." a soldier said sternly.

"Yeah, that was us, what's going on here? Why are you aiming those things at us?" Kurumu said nervously.

"We're on your side, what's the big idea here?" Yukari said worriedly.

"Our side? Don't make me laugh monster." one of the soldiers said with anger. Dark looked around cautiously as Mizore tensed up.

"All of you, hands behind your heads now!" a soldier yelled out.

"What? What's going on here?" Ran asked worriedly.

"Hey c'mon, we're sorry for breaking through your roadblock, but we needed to make sure our friends were ok. It was an emergency." Rason said nervously.

"I said hands behind your heads now!" the man yelled out again as all the soldiers aimed at the group. Dark growled and slowly put his hands behind his head, the group then slowly doing the same.

"What are you doing? What's going on here?" Moka said in surprise.

"You monsters have a lot of nerve coming here again after what you did." a soldier said with a growl.

"What? After what we did? But we just got here." Ahakon said shaking his head.

"Sir, should we execute them?" a soldier said with narrowed eyes. The group jumped a bit and looked around worriedly as all the soldiers kept a steady aim on them.

"What? Execute?" Ran said with fright.

"I need to call headquarters about this, I think they'll find it very interesting that the fabled heroes of the monster world conveniently showed up in the city that their friends destroyed." a soldier said as he walked back towards a truck.

"What? That our friends destroyed?" Kurumu cried out.

"What are you talking about, we never destroyed anything! Where are our friends? What happened here?" Rason said looking around.

"Nobody move or else we'll fire. Hands behind your heads and keep quiet!" a soldier barked out. The group glanced to each other with shock then toward the humans that had them detained with assault rifles. Moka looked around with wide eyes then towards the destroyed school.

_What…what the hell happened here?_

* * *

In the monster world parked by a scarecrow on the cliffside an HDA truck was seen, the vehicle having bullet marks and a few blown tires as it had just come from the human world. Razico hopped out from the driver's seat then ran around to the back of the truck where Falla and Kyouko got off, the human still holding onto her bloody baseball bat she used to finish off the dark chronofly in the human world. Behind them Render hopped out then gently helped Apoch climb out, the witch holding onto Ceal's hand for dear life. The catalyst mage then followed, and then Astreal slowly got off the truck as well while holding onto the boy's hand, the witch being assisted by Leon who watched her carefully.

"Easy, careful." Falla said worriedly as she watched her friends slowly get off the truck. Apoch and Astreal wavered slightly as they were being supported by Render and Leon, the two boys watching them worriedly as Ceal glanced around.

"Where are they buried?" he asked plainly.

"This way…towards the academy." Apoch said wearily as she and Astreal slowly started walking forward. The three boys guided them along as Kyouko and Falla followed closely behind. Razico watched them walk towards the path that led into the rotting forest then looked up.

"Something tells me this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets a whole lot better." He said quietly. He then followed after his friends with a worried expression.

The group was walking down the beaten path as the witch sisters were breathing raggedly. Render and Leon watched them carefully as the girls looked like they were exhausted. Their eyes were having trouble focusing, their movements were shaky and slow, and they clung to the boys' arms weakly.

"You're going to be ok, Ceal's gonna patch you girls up." Render said gently.

"Just hold on, we won't let you go." Leon said as he looked around at the woods. The girls looked to the boys with weary eyes, their vision blurring slightly before clearing up again.

"Thank you…" they said under their breath.

"This isn't how I envisioned visiting this place again." Falla said looking around at the familiar surroundings. She had gone to this school just as long as Tsukune and the gang during her timeline and had come to know the area very well.

"Me either. Last time I was here I had to watch the world almost come to an end then too. My luck hasn't changed since then apparently." Kyouko said looking around, the girl holding her bat tightly with her hand still.

"Wait, what?" Falla asked with surprise. Kyouko nodded and glanced to her as the group looked to her curiously.

"I'll explain later, I'd rather not talk about it right now." She said softly. The group nodded and looked at her curiously as they wondered just how many times the world has nearly come to an end recently.

"I wasn't planning on returning here without completing my job first." Razico said looking ahead with a cautious expression.

"Your job?" Kyouko asked. The warlock nodded and glanced to her.

"I was supposed to find and retrieve Pandora's Box, and have it locked away here so nobody could open it." He said. He then looked to the three other boys as the group was looking at him.

"Seems you've failed hunter." Ceal said plainly before looking ahead. Razico just gave him a dull stare before looking back forward.

"You gave it a good try though, you get an E for effort." Render said glancing to the warlock with a smirk. Razico rolled his eyes and looked around.

"We'll talk about that later, first things first, where are you two buried here?" he asked.

"Closer to the academy…on the right side." Astreal said as she stumbled a bit. She was caught and held up by Leon, the witch looking to him with weary eyes as he held her arm securely.

"Careful, one step at a time." He said gently. She nodded a bit and continued walking while looking at the boy with a bit of wonder.

Falla glanced to Kyouko as the human was still peering around carefully.

"Kyouko, you don't need that bat. You're safe here." She said with a small smile.

"Last time I was here the entire student body tried to kill me along with one of your teachers, I think I'll hang onto it just in case." the human girl said cautiously.

"Somehow I don't think that thing would help you much here though." Falla said with a weak smile. Kyouko held the bat tightly as she tapped it in her other hand.

"Hey, I just killed the darker you with this thing, I can handle myself." She said proudly.

"Yeah, after Ceal bound her down, ripped out her only eye, and left her defenseless for you to attack." Render said with a raised eyebrow. Kyouko twitched a bit then continued walking with a firm expression.

"I wonder how everybody will react to seeing me like this." Falla said as she looked down with both her eyes.

"I believe they'll be a little more surprised to see us like this." Astreal said looking down towards her missing heart.

"I would hope so, I would like to think our wellbeing took precedence over Falla's eye." Apoch said softly.

"It's still early, everybody's in class still. We should get these two fixed up then report to the headmaster about what happened in the human world. He needs to know what happened…and what we're in for." Razico said looking around. Ceal stopped with the two witches, the group then looking to him curiously.

"Ceal, what is it?" Falla asked.

"Not everybody hunter." The boy said glancing at something. The group looked off to the side to see a figure walking through the woods. It was Kokoa, the girl dressed in her usual outfit along with a red cape and hood. She was walking through the woods looking around worriedly as the group watched in silence.

"Oh dear…I think I'm lost." Kokoa said nervously as she stopped by a tree and looked around.

"What is she talking about? And what is she doing out here, school's still in session." Falla said puzzled.

"Friend of yours?" Leon asked.

"Yes, that's Ms. Kokoa." Astreal said watching the redhead look around worriedly, the vampire not seeing the group as she seemed scared of something. Render nodded then glanced to the side.

"Um…what about him?" he asked. The group looked over to see a large werewolf creeping through the trees towards the girl, the monster having only his pants on as he eyed the vampire with a lustful stare.

"A werewolf? Wait…is that…Gin?" Falla asked looking at the wolf carefully.

"What are they doing out here?" Razico asked. The group watched the werewolf creep up near the vampire, the girl looking around timidly as she backed up against a tree. She was breathing softly as she glanced around, the vampire facing away from the group as the werewolf was sneaking up behind her. She blinked then slowly looked behind her as the wolf walked around the tree and up to her. She backed up against the tree nervously as the beast chuckled.

"Well well well, what do we have here? Are you lost little girl?" he said in a dark voice.

"What the hell are they doing?" Falla said raising an eyebrow.

"Yes…I was on my way to my grandmother's house…Mr. Wolf." Kokoa said timidly.

"Grandmother's house?" Razico said looking at Falla confused. The chronofly shrugged with bewilderment.

"Oh ho ho, how sweet. What's your name little girl?" the wolf asked.

"Little red riding hood." Kokoa said timidly.

"Little red riding hood?" Kyouko said confused.

"I thought her name was Kokoa." Render said curiously.

"It is. What are they talking about?" Astreal said confused.

"Are they in an acting class now?" Apoch asked.

"What a lovely name. How about I help you find your way, can't have a cute little thing like you walking around here alone. Something bad could happen to you." The wolf said as he walked up to the girl. She pressed back against the tree and trembled with a frightful face, the girl holding a hand to her chest fearfully.

"No thank you…please excuse me…" she squeaked out before she tried to run past him. The wolf grabbed her arm and swung her back, the girl hitting against the tree front first as the wolf held her by the arms. She looked back to him with fear as she was slightly bent forward against the rotting tree.

"Oh, are they acting out a play?" Kyouko said curiously.

"I think I remember that story, it's a children's tale isn't it?" Razico asked.

"My my, for a little girl you sure have filled out nicely." The wolf said running his hand along the vampire's thigh as he held another paw against her back. She stifled back a moan then looked back to him with pleading eyes.

"No…please don't touch me there…" she whimpered.

"A children's tale huh?" Ceal said raising an eyebrow. The group watched with wide eyes as the wolf felt around her thigh and then caressed her rear. He gave her behind a smack, the girl yelping and squirming around in his hold.

"Please don't." she begged looking back at him with wide eyes.

"I don't…remember this part in the story." Kyouko said with a stunned expression.

"What the _hell_ are they doing?" Falla said in disbelief.

Gin pulled down his pants slightly, the vampire then looking down at something with wide eyes.

"Oh my god…you brute…you beast!" she cried out as she trembled.

"I'd say they're about to get busy." Render said with a weak expression.

"What sort of children is this tale intended for?" Ceal asked flatly.

"You can't do that…it's…it's far too big for me!" Kokoa cried out with a blush.

"You're going to take it all my little red riding hood, all of it and then some." The wolf chuckled loudly.

"Wait…this isn't acting for a play…they're…they're…" Falla said with wide eyes of disbelief.

"They're _role-playing_? While skipping class?" Razico said in shock.

Kokoa cried out and was pressed against the tree, the girl gripping it tightly as she was bent over for the wolf to have his way with. The monster chuckled as he held her hips, the girl begging for mercy and feigning tears. She shook her head wildly at the sight of what she was in for, then glanced over to the side. She froze in place as she saw she had an audience for her little acting, the group by the path being barely seen through the trees. Gin laughed a bit then looked over as well, the wolf going wide eyed at seeing others watching them.

Silence.

Kokoa screamed and spun around as Gin hastily pulled up his pants, the group looking at them with shock as the two lovers franticly tried to regain themselves after being caught in their role-playing game.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Kokoa cried out as she franticly straightened out her skirt. Gin fastened his pants and pulled out his shirts from behind a tree, the wolf shifting back into his human form quickly and getting dressed.

"What's the big idea spying on us? You have a lot of nerve watching me and my girlfriend like that!" he shouted out as he hastily put his clothes back on.

"Spying on you? You're right next to the feakin' path!" Render cried out.

"What is wrong with you two?" Razico yelled out. Gin and Kokoa finished getting changed then looked over to the warlock.

"Hey, isn't that…Razico?" Kokoa said. The two walked over to them then jumped in shock.

"Oh my god!" Kokoa screamed out. She and Gin saw the group clearly as they had walked closer, both of them staring with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Gin cried out. Apoch and Astreal looked down to their wounds and showed a remorseful expression.

"It's a long story." Apoch said softly closing her eyes.

"We're alive…sort of." Astreal said wearily as she relied on Leon for support.

"Your eye!" Kokoa screamed as she and Gin ran over to Falla, both of them looking at the chronofly with shock. Apoch and Astreal staggered then looked with surprise as Kokoa and Gin were looking at Falla with amazement.

"You…you have your eye back! How?" Gin said with surprise. Falla blinked and looked at the two with wide eyes as the others just looked at them with bewilderment.

"That's the first thing they notice with this picture?" Leon said raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! Hello? These two are hurt." Render said looking at the witch sisters, the two girls staring in disbelief at their friends.

"It's…it's a miracle. How did you get your eye back?" Kokoa said examining the chronofly closely.

"Seriously, there's freakin' holes where their hearts should be. Hello?" Render said with confusion.

"Well…you see…" Falla stammered.

"Two of your friends. Mortally wounded. Hanging on by a thread. Right over here." Render called out.

"You look as good as new, I don't believe it." Gin said in amazement.

"It looks great Falla, how did you get it back?" Kokoa asked. Falla blinked then slowly smiled a bit.

"Well, my boyfriend gave it to me." She said softly. Gin and Kokoa jumped a bit and looked at the girl with surprise.

"Boyfriend?" Kokoa said with a smile forming.

"Wow, so you found somebody else already?" Gin asked.

"Are you kidding me? There are two of your friends standing not even five feet from you with holes through their chests, and you're more interested in her love life?" Render cried out.

"Ms. Kokoa…Mr. Gin…" Apoch and Astreal said sadly with tears forming in their eyes.

"But didn't you go to the human world? Who did you find there that could give you back your eye?" Kokoa asked.

"That's incredible Falla. So does this mean you've officially moved on from Tsukune?" Gin said with a laugh.

"Excuse us!" Leon called out. Gin and Kokoa looked over then jumped in shock as they saw the witch sisters in critical condition, the girls looking at them with sorrowful eyes as Render and Leon looked at them with disbelief.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to get this over with and help these two live to see another day." Ceal said flatly.

"Apoch? Astreal? Oh…oh my god, what happened to you?" Kokoa cried out as they ran over to the twins.

"They were shot in the heart, glad you care so much." Render said flatly.

"Shot in the heart?" Gin shouted out with wide eyes. He and Kokoa looked at the sisters with shock then to the three boys.

"Who the hell are you guys? What happened to our friends?" Kokoa cried out.

"We'll explain everything, but first things first. Where are the Apoch and Astreal from this time buried? We need to get to their graves right away." Razico said. Gin and Kokoa looked to him then to the sisters.

"The other sisters? They're buried near the academy. Why?" Kokoa asked.

"Just show us the way, hurry!" Kyouko cried out. Kokoa and Gin looked to her with surprise.

"Kyouko? What are you doing here?" Kokoa said with wide eyes.

"Just take us to the graves now!" Razico shouted out. Kokoa and Gin jumped a bit then nodded quickly, the two then running ahead as Razico and Kyouko followed them. Falla watched them go then followed as well while the boys guided the sisters carefully.

"What is going on here?" Kokoa cried out.

"It's a freaking mess Kokoa, we'll explain everything, just right now we need to get to those graves fast." Razico said firmly.

"Where's my cousin? I need to find him and tell him what's going on." Kyouko said looking around. Gin and Kokoa glanced to each other then to the human.

"Um, he's not here." Kokoa said nervously.

"What? Then where is he? I've been trying to call him since yesterday and he never answered, where is he?" Kyouko said in surprise.

"We'll explain in a minute Kyouko, he's ok, just know that." Gin said as they ran down the path. Kyouko and Razico looked to each other with confusion then ahead as they ran towards the graves. They raced up to the side of the school then towards a field on the side. Off towards the tree line there were a few graves set, with the tombstones resting on a large patch of dirt. As they approached them Falla instantly appeared and looked around quickly at the stones.

"Wha…how did you do that? I thought your magic was sealed away." Kokoa said in surprise.

"My boyfriend healed me, but never mind that right now. Which ones were they?" Falla said looking around quickly.

"Your boyfriend…healed you as well? Who is this guy?" Gin said in surprise. Falla looked to them with frustration.

"Where are their graves?" she yelled out. Gin and Kokoa jumped and looked around quickly, then ran over to two gravestones off to the side.

"Let's see…um…oh, here! They're right here. Now what's going on, what happened to everybody?" Kokoa said looking around at the group. Razico and Kyouko ran over to the gravestones then looked over to see the boys helping the sisters walk over to them.

"Ceal! They're buried over here!" Falla called out as she appeared over by the two stones instantly. Apoch coughed out blood as Astreal wavered in Leon's grip, the girls feeling incredibly weak. Render and Leon helped the two walk slowly towards the graves as Ceal glanced around at the stones.

"Oh my god, Apoch! Astreal!" Kokoa cried out.

"What's going on, explain." Gin said looking at the witch sisters' mortal injuries. Ceal looked down at the graves then to the two monsters.

"Dig." He said. They just looked at him puzzled.

"What?" Gin said.

"I said dig wolf. I need their remains." Ceal said firmly.

"You want us to dig up their graves? Why?" Kokoa said shaking her head. Kyouko tossed her bat down and ran over to Apoch's grave, the girl dropping down to her knees as she started clawing away at the dirt.

"Would you two just help us already?" She barked out. Falla ran over to Astreal's and used her chrono magic to swipe away at the ground, the dirt being torn apart and thrown away as Razico started helping Kyouko dig.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gin called out.

"Just help them man, c'mon!" Render cried out. Gin looked around at the group then down to the graves. He growled a bit then started helping Razico and Kyouko dig through the dirt. Falla struck down and reached the casket for Astreal, the chronofly grabbing it and pulling upward.

"Kokoa…help me!" she called out. Kokoa looked over to her then raced over to help, the two girls pulling the casket out of the dirt. Razico, Kyouko, and Gin dug up Apoch's casket and pulled it out as well.

"Hurry up, they're hanging on by a thread here." Leon said as Asteral held onto his arm with all her strength, the girl feeling so weak. Falla swiped off the seal to Astreal's casket with her magic then she and Kokoa started to lift the top off. Kyouko ran over, picked up her bat, then ran back and smashed off the seal to Apoch's casket. Gin and Kokoa watched with bewilderment and surprise as the caskets were opened to show the remains of the previous witch sisters. Everybody looked at the bodies, with Astreal's being burnt and decayed slightly while Apoch's had a hole through the chest and head. The group then looked to the living witch sisters, both of them staring at copies of themselves that had died in this timeline. They were told how their originals met their end, but they never saw them personally.

"Oh my…" Apoch said looking at her deceased self.

"That's…unsettling." Astreal said weakly.

"Not as unsettling as the fact that you two were shot through the heart…and are still standing. Now what is going on here?" Gin cried out looking around at everybody.

"What do we do now Ceal?" Falla asked quickly. Ceal looked at the dead bodies then glanced to Render and Leon.

"I need what remains of their hearts." He said. He slowly kneeled down so the sisters could sit down, the girls holding onto his hands and arms tightly as the two boys walked over to the bodies.

"Um…so…should we just…" Render asked cautiously.

"Rip them out?" Leon asked glancing back to Ceal.

"What? Ok, seriously, this is just getting too weird. What is going on here?" Kokoa said looking around.

"Kokoa shut up! We'll explain everything, just stop talking!" Falla shouted out. Kokoa jumped a bit and looked to Gin, the wolf looking at the sisters then to the two hunters with caution.

"I merely need the matter from their hearts. Rip out as much of them as you can." Ceal said calmly. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the living sisters. They were looking at them with weary eyes as they held onto Ceal, the two girls struggling to remain sitting upright as they felt so weak.

"Well…ok then." Render said kneeling down next to the dead Apoch's body. Leon kneeled down next to the dead body of Astreal, the boys looking at the exact images of the two girls they were trying to save.

"This is pretty messed up." Leon said shaking his head. Kyouko covered her mouth with her hand, the girl having a disturbed expression as Razico watched carefully. Falla watched with worry as Kokoa and Gin looked around, both of them absolutely confused as to what was going on here. Render and Leon looked to each other then to the deceased sisters. After a pause they both jammed their hands into the chests and started pulling apart the ribcages. The group watched as the boys ripped open the chests and ribcages, the boys showing slightly disgusted faces as they did so. After they tore open the chests they looked inside at the decaying organs.

"Now _that's_ unsettling." Gin said weakly. Apoch and Astreal merely nodded as they watched the two boys rip apart copies of themselves right before their eyes.

"Now…um…" Render said looking to Leon's work. Leon rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of something.

"This is what you're looking for." He said plainly. Render nodded then proceeded to do the same to the other body, the two boys then ripping out the dead hearts of the witches. Luckily the heart in Apoch's body wasn't destroyed by Jovian's attack, the organ in one piece although rotting. The boys slowly stood up as they held the dead organs in their hands, the group looking at them with wide eyes. They then looked over to Ceal who nodded.

"That'll do, bring them over here." He said. Render and Leon rushed over and knelt down in front of the sisters, the girls looking at the dead hearts with wide eyes.

"What the hell is this?" Gin said under a whisper. Kokoa merely shook her head as she watched with wide eyes.

"So…what now?" Render asked.

"Push those into their bodies, and then I'll regenerate the organs into place." Ceal said casually. The group jumped a bit and stared at the hearts with wide eyes.

"What? You mean…" Render said looking at Apoch, the witch showing a worried expression at seeing the rotting heart.

"You want us to put…these…inside of them?" Leon said cautiously, the boy and witch looking at the decaying organ in his hands.

"That is where their hearts are supposed to be, yes." Ceal said flatly. Render and Leon glanced to each other then slowly moved towards the sisters' chests. They stopped as Apoch and Astreal were trembling a bit.

"I know it's gross, but it'll be alright. I promise." Render said with a kind smile. Apoch blinked and looked at him as he gave off a faint blue aura. She nodded slowly then closed her eyes.

"If you say so Render." She said softly.

Astreal looked at the decaying organ then to Leon, the boy nodding a bit.

"You're going to be fine. We won't let you die." He said gently. Astreal looked at him with a bit of wonder then nodded.

"Ok Leon." She said softly. She closed her eyes and waited as Apoch was doing. Render and Leon then slowly pushed the rotting organs into their chests, the girls showing strained expressions while trying not to scream. The pain was unbelievable as they felt something pushing its way into their chests like a searing knife. The boys pushed the hearts into the girls' bodies then looked to Ceal. The mage nodded and gripped their hands tightly.

"You're going to want to hold them still." He said. Render and Leon looked at him cautiously as the sisters glanced to him with a peek.

"Why?" Render asked as he took hold of Apoch's other arm. Leon grabbed Astreal's as Ceal focused his magic. The group watched as a bright light lit up around his hands, the glow racing along the witch sisters' arms towards their chests.

"Recreating their magical hearts will involve their spell to recast itself from within." Ceal said as the glow reached their hearts. He glanced to Leon and shrugged.

"It's going to hurt." He said flatly. Suddenly the girls screamed as their eyes glowed brightly, their bodies shaking wildly as a wave of light rippled around them wildly. The group watched as the sisters shrieked while a bright light was cast out from their wounds.

"Apoch! Astreal! Just hold on!" Falla cried out. Kyouko shielded her eyes a bit as Gin and Kokoa watched with surprise. Render and Leon held onto the screaming girls as they thrashed around, their bodies flickering white and blue then green wildly. Apoch coughed out blood and screamed loudly, the girl's eyes wide as her mind was racing. She shakily looked over to Render, the boy holding onto her with a worried expression.

"It'll be ok, it'll be ok Apoch." He said hopefully. The girl looked at him as she screamed, the witch unable to take her eyes off of him.

"Hang on Astreal, just a bit longer." Leon said as he held the screaming witch. She shakily looked to him as her world faded to white then back again. He was watching her with a concerned expression as he held onto her arm securely.

The group watched as the sisters screamed while a bright light erupted from their wounds. Slowly they stopped screaming as the light faded, the girls passing out and collapsing down. Render and Leon held them worriedly as Ceal glanced to their wounds. They were sealed back up again without a scratch.

"Apoch? Apoch?" Render said shaking the girl.

"Hey, wake up. Wake up Astreal." Leon said shaking the witch. The group walked over to them as the sisters remained unconscious.

"Are they ok? Did it work?" Falla asked.

"Did what work? What just happened here?" Gin cried out.

Ceal let go of their hands as the two other boys held the girls worriedly, both sisters lying still in their arms.

"Are they ok now?" Kyouko asked.

The boys shook the girls and got no reaction, both of them seeming to be out cold. Render held his head to Apoch's chest then started trembling.

"No…no! Her heart isn't beating! She isn't breathing!" he cried out. The group gasped as Leon felt for Astreal's pulse. There was none.

"What…what the hell? Their hearts aren't beating!" he yelled out.

"They need to be jumpstarted hunter, their bodies need to be restarted as they just came into life again." Ceal said as he stood up. Render and Leon looked to him with shock then to the sisters. They quickly laid them down and started pushing down on their chests franticly as the group watched with fear.

"No…c'mon Apoch, wake up! Wake up!" Render yelled out.

"Dammit Astreal, I said you're not dying today! Wake up!" Leon shouted out. Razico ran over to them as his arm started to spark, only for Ceal to grab it. The boy shook his head as he glanced to him.

"No magic hunter, their bodies aren't fully stable yet. You'll undo what we just did." He said.

"But they're dying! We need to give them a jolt to start their hearts!" Razico yelled out.

"You use your magic on them now then they really will be dead." Ceal said looking down to the witches. Falla and Kyouko watched with sorrow as Gin and Kokoa watched with worried eyes.

"No! C'mon Apoch, you need to wake up!" Render cried out.

"Wake up Astreal, come back to us. Come back!" Leon shouted out as the boys kept trying to start their hearts. The sisters laid there unconscious as they didn't appear to be breathing.

"Oh my god, no." Falla said as she started crying.

"Do something, anything!" Kyouko cried out. Render pushed a few more times then looked to Apoch's face with fear. After a pause he leaned down and breathed into her, the boy trying anything he could to get her body going again. Leon showed a frustrated expression and did the same, the boys trying to push air into the girls' lungs. The group watched as they again tried pushing on their chests franticly while the girls remained unconscious.

"No…they can't die again…not again." Kokoa said as she started crying. Gin held her from behind as the two watched the scene with sorrow. Render and Leon tried a few more times to start their hearts then again leaned down to breathe into the girls. The group watched with sorrow as the sisters remained still. Kyouko shook her head and covered her mouth as Falla looked down with despair.

Apoch's arm twitched a bit.

"Wait…look." Kokoa said with wonder. The group looked over to see Astreal's arm moving a bit.

"Are…are they…" Gin asked worriedly.

Their legs kicked a bit.

"They're…alive…" Razico said with amazement.

Render and Leon leaned back, both of them seeing the sisters staring up at them with wide eyes.

"Render…" Apoch breathed out, the girl looking at the boy she woke up to kissing.

"Leon…" Astreal said as she stared at the boy above her, her heart and lungs once again moving.

"They're alive! They're alive!" Kyouko cheered out with tears of joy. Falla looked with a bright smile and relief at seeing her friends alive and well again. Render and Leon smiled with relief as the witches looked at them with wonder.

"You're back…you're back." Render said with a small chuckle.

"You had us scared there." Leon said shaking his head a bit. The sisters blinked then slowly sat up, the girls looking down to seeing their wounds gone.

"Our hearts…" Apoch said in wonder.

"They're…back." Astreal said looking to Ceal. The group looked to him as he glanced away, the boy not saying a word.

"Apoch! Astreal! You're ok!" Falla cheered as she ran over and hugged Apoch. Kyouko laughed and ran over too, the girl kneeling down and holding onto Astreal with a hug. Gin and Kokoa smiled with relief as Ceal looked over to the group. Razico smiled at them as the witch sisters were helped up to their feet.

"How do you feel? Are you ok now?" Render asked curiously. Apoch looked at her body with wonder then to him.

"Yeah…I feel fine." She said softly.

"It's…unreal." Astreal said looking at her closed up wound. Falla laughed a bit then looked to Ceal with admiration.

"Thank you Ceal…thank you much. You're the best boyfriend ever!" she cheered as she ran over and hugged the boy. He kept his arms at his side as the chronofly nuzzled against his cheek with an affectionate smile. After a pause he slowly held the girl around the waist.

"Boyfriend? This guy's your boyfriend?" Gin said in surprise. Kokoa looked around at everybody then screamed out.

"Alright, just what the hell is going on here?" she yelled out. The group looked to her as she and Gin were looking around at everybody.

"What just happened here? Who are these guys, how did you two get shot, why is Kyouko here, and how the hell is Falla back in one piece?" Gin shouted out.

"Um, I have a better question." Render said looking up. The group looked to him as he pointed to something.

"Who's that?" he said. The group looked up as a figure flew down at high speed and landed down on the ground near them. His feathered wings arched back as the ground below him cracked a bit, the boy dressed in a white toga with sandals.

"Gabriel?" Falla said in surprise. The angel looked around quickly then over to the group.

"Hey, where's- Falla? What the, how did you get your eye back?" he asked looking over at seeing the chronofly's second eye. She looked at him with wonder as he tilted his head.

"I thought you had only one eye, how on earth did you get that back?" he asked.

"Who's this guy?" Render said looking at the newcomer.

"Is he…an angel?" Leon said with wide eyes.

"Yes, he's our friend from heaven." Apoch said.

"From heaven?" Render, Leon, and Kyouko cried out. Ceal merely glanced to the angel with a raised eyebrow.

"Mr. Gabriel, what are you doing here?" Astreal said looking at the angel curiously.

"What's he doing here? What are _any_ of you doing here?" Kokoa cried out with exasperation.

"What are you doing here Gabriel? Hey, where's my sister? Is she back yet from her job with the Almighty?" Falla asked looking around.

"With the Almighty?" Render and Leon yelled out. Ceal merely raised an eyebrow at the girl as Gabriel looked at her curiously.

"Where's Tsukune? Why isn't he here?" Kyouko asked Kokoa urgently.

"Where's Ruby and the headmaster, I need to speak to them right away." Razico said quickly.

"Why is there an angel here?" Leon asked looking at the angel standing with the group.

"I can't believe it, how did you get your eye back?" Gabriel asked.

"Would you _please_ forget about her eye for one second and tell us what is going on here!" Render shouted out.

"That's what we want to know!" Gin shouted out. Everybody looked around at everybody as they all had surprise and puzzlement on their faces, all except for one.

"If you all are done talking in circles, we have more important things to be discussing right now." Ceal said plainly. The group looked to him as he shook his head.

"I've been dealing with enough distractions this morning at this point that I don't need more bullshit piling up. Now, if it is within your power, I would like to request that you all shut up, and speak one at a time here, or so help me I'll feed you all to Xarai." He said with a growl.

"Xarai?" Kokoa asked puzzled. Ceal growled and snapped his fingers, and in a flash dark tentacles whipped out around the young vampire. The group looked with shock as she was bound by the arms and legs with another wrapping around her waist. She screamed as she thrashed about before being lifted into the air.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" she cried out.

"That would be Xarai." Falla said with a sigh.

"Kokoa!" Gin yelled out as he saw his girlfriend being ensnared by strange dark limbs from the ground.

"Ceal stop, she's our friend!" Razico called out. The group looked to the boy as he glanced to the vampire.

"No more stupid questions, understand?" he said coldly. The vampire looked at him with shock and nodded quickly. Ceal snapped his fingers and the tentacles vanished, the vampire then dropping to the ground and looking with wide eyes at the boy.

"What…what the hell are you?" she cried out.

"Kokoa shut up!" Falla said face palming.

As the vampire was again bound by the dark necro monster below Apoch and Astreal looked at their healed chests, then to the Render and Leon with a bit of wonder. They were watching with weak expressions as not only was Kokoa thrashing around while being held in the air, but the monster was holding her in such a way that her panties were clearly visible to everybody.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, just put me down!" Kokoa pleaded. Again she was dropped down as Gin and Gabriel looked at Ceal with wide eyes. The vampire scrambled back to her feet and backed up to her boyfriend, the two staring at the boy with surprise.

"Now, I don't care what you all have to say right now. We have more pressing matters to deal with. You can all ask your questions later, but right now our problem comes first." He said sternly. The group looked at him as he crossed his arms before him.

"The next person to ask a stupid question will regret it." He said with narrowed eyes.

From behind them Rin came running up to the group.

"Hey! Kokoa, Gin, the headmaster wants you to come with me right away. There's a- um…who are they?" she asked looking around at the group of monsters.

"Who's she?" Razico asked. Everybody looked to Ceal as he snapped his fingers. Falla just looked down with a sigh as two more screams echoed out nearby. The group watched as the warlock and siren were ensnared from below once again by the dark tentacles.

"AHHH! WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?" Rin cried out.

"Ceal…please?" Falla asked gently as she looked to him. He growled and snapped his fingers again, the dark tentacles vanishing and letting Razico and Rin drop to the ground. Rin scrambled back fearfully as Razico stumbled back to his feet.

"Would you cut that out already?" he barked out. Rin cried out and tried to scramble away, the girl stumbling to her feet and running a bit before Falla appeared before her instantly.

"Hey, it's alright, he's not going to hurt you." She said with a weak smile. Rin screamed and backed up, the girl looking at Falla with fright.

"How…how did you do that? What the heck are you?" she cried out looking around. She backed up and looked to Ceal, the boy merely glancing to her. The girl gulped and looked at him worriedly.

"Alright…alright that's enough!" Razico yelled out. Everybody looked to him as he glanced around the group.

"We've wasted enough time out here, just follow us inside, we need to speak to the headmaster right away." He said looking around at everybody. He then ran into the school as everybody glanced to each other. Kyouko looked at Falla then took off after the warlock with her bat in hand.

"Wait, I need to speak to Rason! Where is he?" Gabriel called out as he raced after them as well. Rin trembled a bit and looked at Ceal fearfully.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked shakily.

"No, he's not going to kill you. He's a nice guy." Falla said gently as she walked over to her boyfriend. He rolled his eyes and walked after the others towards the building. He stopped and glanced back to the chronofly, the girl nodding and giggling in response. She then followed after her boyfriend, the girl knowing how he was. Rin trembled a bit and looked around at the group.

"What…what's going on? Who were they?" she asked fearfully.

"The girl was our friend Falla. Not so sure about her new boyfriend though." Gin said as he crossed his arms and showed a bit of discontent at the newcomer's handling of his girlfriend. Rin jumped a bit and looked behind her with surprise.

"Wait, that's Falla?" she said. She gasped then ran after the chronofly yelling something. Gin and Kokoa looked to each other with puzzlement then followed after the siren. Render and Leon watched the group go then looked back to the witch sisters, both girls looking at them with wonder.

"Well, shall we go see how much more badly our day is about to get?" Render asked with a weak smile. Apoch smiled softly and nodded.

"Sure thing Render." She said. The boy looked at her curiously as she looked down timidly.

"So no more Mr. with you huh?" he asked. The girl jumped a bit and looked at him nervously.

"I'm sorry, should I still address you as Mr.?" she asked worriedly. He laughed and waved his hands in front of him.

"No no, it's fine Apoch. Don't worry about it." He said. She smiled softly and nodded.

"Are those your…friends?" Leon asked looking to Astreal. She nodded and smiled.

"Yes, they are." She said softly. She held a hand over her heart and looked down a bit.

"Thank you Leon…for saving me." She said softly.

"Well, I didn't really save you Astreal. Ceal did, he's the one that fixed up your heart." Leon said with a slight smile. Astreal shook her head and looked back to him.

"No, you did. It was dark and cold after Mr. Ceal mended out hearts. I felt like I was dead, but…I heard you." She said softly. Leon looked at her curiously as Render glanced from one sister to the other. Apoch nodded and looked down while holding a hand over her heart.

"You saved me too, thank you." the raven haired witch said softly. Render rubbed the back of his head and chuckled a bit.

"Well…you know. Just…doing what's right." he said.

"We're just glad you two are alive again. I couldn't bear to watch another girl die before me." Leon said gently. The witch sisters smiled a bit and looked at them with gentle eyes. Their new hearts were working again, their bodies now feeling normal and alive. The twin sisters had heartbeats again, which were beating quickly as the girls looked at the two boys that helped save their lives. They stood there smiling at each other as a gentle breeze blew by, none of them saying anything or moving.

Before anybody could finally speak up Kyouko ran out of the school and raced over to them.

"You guys, get in here quick!" she cried out. She ran in as the mages and witches looked to each other with surprise. They quickly raced after the girl into the school. All five of them ran down the halls of the academy and into the headmaster's office. The man himself was seated behind his desk as everybody else was standing to the side, with all eyes watching a T.V. that had been rolled in on a cart. Kyouko ran back over to Falla's side as the mages and witches walked in, all noticing that everybody was staring with disbelief at something, all except for Ceal and the headmaster who had solemn expressions. The mages and witches walked over to the others then looked at the T.V.

"We're coming to you live from the heart of the monster attack where HDA officials have detained a group of monsters found on the scene after today's horrible tragedy." A woman reporter said as the camera was moving around a bit as a policeman was trying to block the filming. The camera panned over to show Yukari, Ahakon, and Ran on their knees with their hands behind their heads, the three monsters looking around fearfully as soldiers had their rifles aimed at them.

"Yukari!" Razico yelled out.

"Ran!" Rin cried out.

"Ahakon, what the hell are they doing there?" Falla cried out.

"These monsters were once known to be heroes of the world, the ones that faced the mighty Alucard. Now however it seems they have shown their true colors along with their race as the school and surrounding city has been mercilessly attacked." the woman reporter said as the camera man struggled to film the monsters being detained by the HDA soldiers. The camera panned over and saw Moka looking around with fright as she was being handcuffed, the girl crying something out as humans were keeping their rifles aimed at her and shouting to hold still.

"Big sis!" Kokoa cried out.

"What's going on here, why are they being arrested?" Gin said in shock.

"Oh my…that's our old school." Apoch said with surprise. The group looked to the witches as they pointed at the screen.

"You're right…they're right outside our school." Kyouko said with surprise.

"What are they doing there?" Astreal said with worry.

"They went there looking for Falla." Rin said looking to the chronofly.

"What? For me?" Falla said in surprise.

"Yes, we thought you would be targeted by our old master. They were going to bring you back here for your protection." Rin said worriedly. Falla looked at her with confusion.

"What? What are you talking about? Who are you?" she said shaking her head. Render and Leon looked to each other then to Falla.

"Hey, didn't your other self say she was sent by somebody to capture you?" Render asked.

"Other self?" Gin said with confusion. Falla looked down in thought then jumped a bit.

"Wait, that's right. She and those other witches were sent to bring me somewhere. But…who sent them?" she said looking to the siren.

"Oh no, Kurumu! Rason!" Kokoa said, the group looking to seeing Kurumu and Rason being forced into an HDA truck, both of them handcuffed and pushed by soldiers. The two were yelling something before they were pushed into the back of the truck at gunpoint.

"Rason? What's he doing there?" Gabriel cried out.

* * *

Inside a hotel lounge Ms. Kurono was watching with shock at seeing her daughter and the angel being captured on the T.V., the elder succubus sitting on a couch and staring with wide eyes.

"Kurumu!" she cried out.

"HDA officials are detaining the nefarious group of monsters that, just a while ago, helped lay waste to this city and its school. We have reports of dozens dead and wounded and the count is still going up." The woman reporter said as the camera shifted around a bit. It pointed over to seeing Mizore, the snow maiden showing frustration as she was detained and held at gunpoint by a few armed soldiers.

* * *

Inside the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shirayuki the snow people were staring with shock at seeing their daughter on T.V. being arrested by the HDA.

"Mizore!" Tsurara cried out.

"What are they talking about? Our daughter and her friends wouldn't have been behind this." Mr. Shirayuki said in disbelief.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are being told to leave the area, however we won't stop showing you the truth! These are the ones responsible for our suffering today, the HDA was correct in saying they couldn't be trusted. They're monsters after all!" the news reporter said before a policeman grabbed her and tried to pull her off to the side. The camera man was held back by the policeman as a hand covered the lens, the humans wrestling around a bit while the officer was yelling at the news crew. The camera then moved back into focus and showed Moka being pushed into the back of the HDA truck, with one of the soldiers bashing her in the head with his rifle. The girl cried out and collapsed back into the grip of another soldier as Rason and Kurumu were yelling something at them.

* * *

Inside Tsukune's home Mr. and Mrs. Aono were looking with surprise at seeing the pink haired vampire being shoved into the back of the truck by the HDA soldiers.

"Oh my word, that's Moka! They're arresting her!" Mrs. Aono cried out.

"Where's Tsukune? Why isn't he punching these guys in the face? Where are you son, you can't let them talk bad about you and handle your girlfriend like that! Start punching them in the face!" Mr. Aono shouted out at the T.V.

"We'll keep filming as long as we can! We'll keep showing you the truth that- look out, that one's free!" the woman reporter yelled out. The camera quickly shook around then looked over to seeing Dark elbowing an officer and grabbing him by the arm, the demon then throwing the human over his head and into two others. The boy grabbed the end of an assault rifle and aimed it upwards as the soldier fired off a few rounds, with people screaming and ducking around the area. The other monsters looked over to seeing Dark yanking the gun away from the man before sending him flying back with a punch. A black wisp swirled around him quickly and he vanished, with soldiers firing around the ground wildly where he just was. Blood splattered out on the ground and the demon stumbled back into view, the boy dropping down with blood coming from one of his legs. He yelled out before being tackled by two other soldiers. Mizore's cry was faintly heard over the screams of the human spectators as Dark was detained and held at gunpoint again.

* * *

"DARK!" Arial shrieked as she saw her demon shot and pinned down, the snow angel's eyes wide with fright.

"No! Dark!" She screamed as she ran up to the T.V., the girl shaking her head with shock. Marin, Sun, and Sandra looked at the boy being detained on the screen then to Arial, the girl trembling as she watched the image of her beloved struggling in the grip of the HDA soldiers.

"Dark!" she cried out, with the ground flash freezing over below her while the room dropped in temperature rapidly. The other girls shivered as they looked with surprise as the snow angel, the girl screaming as she shook her head.

"What are they doing to him? Why are they doing this to him? He's not a bad guy, he's a hero! Dark!" she screamed as she watched with horror as the humans dragged the boy up onto his feet and held him securely, with one of them punching him in the face. The boy growled and kicked the man back, the demon then being thrown to the ground and tackled by more soldiers.

"No! Let him go! Don't hurt him! Dark!" Arial cried out shaking her head while holding her hair. The camera man was grabbed by a soldier and the feed cut out, the girls looking with shock as static was seen on the T.V.

"No! Get him back, turn the channel now! Hurry!" Arial cried out as she ran up to the T.V. and pressed her hands on the sides of the screen. Sun and Marin shivered more while Sandra grabbed the remote, the girl flipping through a few other channels before stopping on another broadcast, one coming from the HDA headquarters.

Sitting at his desk Jenner was looking at the camera with a firm expression, his hands held together in front of him on his desk as the windows behind him showed the blue sky.

"Ladies and gentleman, I have received word that we have caught the ones responsible for this horrible incident in our fair world. It may come as a shock to some, however the truth cannot be hidden from the world." he said in a solemn tone.

* * *

Inside the headmaster's office the group was watching the same broadcast as it started to appear on all the channels, the group of monsters having witnessed their friends being arrested and shot by HDA soldiers.

"We have found and detained several monsters at the scene of where the disaster took place, all of them returning to finish what they had set into motion. To our utter surprise it was none other than the ones who supposedly stopped the great destroyer known as Alucard. Yes, those same monsters that pretended to fight the evil that they themselves unleashed have returned, only to resume where they left off before, by attacking us while we were lured into a sense of trust with them. They deceived us from the start, planted their own agents into our school, and attacked from within, just like the sneaky rats they are." Jenner said shaking his head with discontent.

"What? We didn't attack you! We tried to save you!" Falla shouted out.

"This isn't right, we didn't start this fight, we never wanted there to be a war." Apoch said shaking her head.

"They're blaming our friends for all the wrong reasons, they never did anything wrong. They weren't even there!" Astreal said in disbelief.

"Yeah, it was Falla and her other self that tore up the city, not those guys' fault." Render said shaking his head.

"You're not helping here!" Falla barked out at him.

"But he's right, they're pinning everything on them when they have no proof. The school wasn't destroyed by them, it was destroyed by those other witches when they came for Falla." Leon said with a cautious expression.

"The HDA is just looking for any excuse to cast us out of their world I'm afraid, and this was just the ammunition they needed to turn the human race against us." the headmaster said shaking his head.

Jenner showed a firm expression and pounded his fist on the desk.

"Well we're not going to stand for this sort of deception. It's time we sent a message to the monster world that they are not welcome here, and that they will never have our world. You damned monsters won't get away with attacking us like this, not after we trusted you and so graciously allowed you entrance into _our_ world." he said with anger. He straightened out his suit then held his hands together on his desk calmly again.

"Therefore, it is my decision as the head of the HDA to take action, and to deal with those responsible for this crisis." he said with a bit of a glare at the camera.

"I don't like where he's going with this." Razico said shaking his head a bit.

Jenner looked at the camera then spoke in a professional tone as he scowled slightly.

"At midnight tonight we will respond to the monster world's wish to wage war against our world, and the monsters captured today will be executed for their crimes against humanity." he said firmly.

"Executed?" the group shouted out with shock.

"Executed?" Mr. and Mrs. Shirayuki cried out.

"Executed?" Ms. Kurono yelled out with horror.

"Executed?" Mr. and Mrs. Aono yelled out in disbelief.

"Executed?" Marin said with shock. Sun and Sandra looked at the T.V. with disbelief, then to Arial. The snow angel shakily backed up from the T.V. while showing fright, the girl trembling as she shook her head. Her lollipop dropped down from her open mouth as she stared at the screen. She breathed heavily for a moment then screamed out into the air.

"DARK!"


	40. One Crisis At A Time

**Author's Note: Just a little fun fact for all those fans out there, this chapter marks the 2 million word milestone in the saga. Not too shabby wouldn't you say?**

* * *

Ruby was looking at a sight with wonder, the witch standing near a few trees as she was in the world of Paradise. Nearby there was a small clearing where a red glow was emanating from, the light coming from a massive vampiric aura. Crawling out from the trees around the clearing were a few large demons that resided in this part of the strange world. A large three legged brute shambled out with two muscular arms and a drooling mouth showing dull and rotting teeth. Another was a long wyvern type beast, it's large scaled body slithering out from the forest as several trees were knocked and bent aside while its mouth was bared showing its razor sharp teeth. From the other side near Ruby a blob of dark goo crept out from the forest, the monster's body melting away and setting fire to the trees and grass near it as it watched the boy with a large green eye. The monsters closed in on the source of the large aura, a boy standing in the clearing as he glanced around with black and crimson eyes. His seal had been removed and he was drawing out his full vampire power, the boy feeling his thirst for blood growing stronger by the second. It had been a few hours since he had last fed, the boy trying to push himself as he used all his willpower to suppress the urge to go into a feeding frenzy. He glanced around slowly with his eyes, his vision fading to black occasionally with the only light coming from the blood sources around him. He saw the three large monsters' blood illuminate for him briefly, as well as two other sources. One was Ruby, the witch standing off to the side and watching Tsukune carefully as he was pushing himself to his limit. And another was Ren, the siren watching from the air as she fluttered gently in the sky with her wings. She was watching Tsukune with wonder as his aura swirled around him like a torrent. The boy growled and clenched his fists as he tensed up.

"**Come on!"** he yelled out, his voice having a great deal of energy in it. From the taunt the three monsters charged at him quickly. Ren watched with wide eyes as the wyvern raced towards the boy, the blob monster seeming to slide towards him as fire was trailing it on the scorched grass and earth, and the three legged brute charged quickly as he geared back his giant fists. Ruby looked around at all the enemies then to Tsukune with a cautious expression.

"Tsukune…be careful." she said softly.

In a flash Tsukune seemed to dart forward in the blink of an eye and sent a kick right to the wyvern, the attack echoing out with a loud bang. The large monster's head and front body recoiled back and flew towards the three legged brute, the monster looking with surprise as the massive serpentine beast was knocked towards him. The brute scrambled to a stop before Tsukune appeared in front of him, the monster looking down at the boy that seemed to come out of nowhere. Before the monster could move Tsukune jumped up and sent a kick to his face, the boy kicking off and sending the brute flying back towards the trees. Ren watched with amazement as Tsukune followed through and kicked the wyvern as it flew towards him, the boy then launching off of it towards the brute as the serpentine monster's skull was crushed in and the body flew back in the opposite direction. The large beast crashed into the ground and steamrolled over the blob monster, the body of it splattering over the wyvern and setting it on fire. At the same time Tsukune flew over towards the airborne brute, caught it by one of the legs, then landed down on his feet and skidded to a halt. He then swung the still-airborne brute around as the wyvern tumbled into a roll towards Ruby. The witch gasped then took off into the air towards Ren as the large beast crashed into the trees past her and into the forest while on fire. Tsukune spun the brute around then tossed him towards the downed wyvern, the brute howling as he flew across the clearing and crashing into the dead monsters. Ruby and Ren watched with amazement as Tsukune stood there as his aura flared around him, the boy's eyes narrowed as he growled loudly. The ground below him cracked apart a bit as he closed his eyes, the boy trying to fight the hunger that was starting to consume him.

"It's unreal…he took care of all three of them like they were nothing." Ruby said in amazement.

"They _were_ nothing for him." Ren said with a confident smile. She looked to where the monsters were near the trees, with the brute slowly getting up with a groan. Tsukune glanced back to him as he growled loudly, the boy watching as the brute shook off the hit and then charged him again.

"He's asking for it." Ren said shaking her head, the girl turning her head to follow the brute's charge towards the boy. Tsukune watched the glowing source of light race up to him as his world shifted to black briefly, the boy clenching his fists as the monster geared back to punch him. The boy snarled then jumped towards him with incredible force, the vampire sending a powerful punch to the monster's chest and blasting off the top half of its body. The bottom half tumbled down as the top half flew back into the air. Tsukune landed down then shot towards it again, the boy sending a roundhouse kick to it and destroying the head before the torso hit the ground with a splatter. Ruby and Ren watched with wide eyes as Tsukune stood there after having annihilated all three demons with extreme force.

"Wow…he sure did." Ruby said in wonder. Ren nodded and smiled down at Tsukune as she flew alongside the witch.

_You're the best Tsukune, nothing can take you down._

Tsukune shook his head and held a hand over his eyes, the boy struggling to remain in control of his body. He growled and slowly reattached his rosary, the boy's aura diminishing as his eyes and hair returned to normal.

"Looks like he's at his limit, we'd better help him." Ruby said. Before she could even move Ren shot down towards Tsukune with a soft smile, the girl flying down quickly as the witch watched with wonder. After a pause she too flew down towards the boy, the two landing down next to him as he growled softly.

"Tsukune, that was incredible. You took them all out like they were nothing at all." Ren said with a bright smile. Tsukune nodded slowly as his breathing was a bit heavier. He glanced to the two girls, both of them lighting up for him as his hunger for blood was peaking.

"Tsukune? Do you need some blood to calm down?" Ruby asked worriedly. The boy held a hand over his eyes as he looked down, then nodded as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Yeah…I think…I pushed it as far…as I can for now." he said wearily.

"It's no surprise, you've been at this all morning. Here, take some of my-" Ruby started before Ren quickly hopped over to Tsukune.

"Here Tsukune, take my blood." she offered as she quickly flicked her hair away from her neck and tilted her head. Tsukune looked to her as her blood was illuminated for him, the scent and sight of her blood causing him to tremble a bit with hunger.

"Ren, you offered the last couple of times. You don't need to-" Ruby said before Ren walked closer to Tsukune and glanced to the witch.

"He likes my blood better, why can't I offer him more of what he likes?" she asked arrogantly. Ruby looked at her curiously as Tsukune opened his mouth slightly, his fangs craving the siren's blood. She looked to him and smiled softly.

"It's ok Tsukune, I told you this is what I wanted to do. Take what you need." she said gently. He closed his eyes as he tried to keep in control, then slowly held the girl close and bit down into her neck. She jumped a bit, the girl not making a sound this time, then smiled softly as she held him around the waist.

"Ren, you don't need to keep being the one to do this. Really, I'm here to help him just like you are, you don't need to bear all the burden of having your blood taken." Ruby said worriedly. Ren glanced to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Burden? This isn't a burden Ruby, if anything it's an honor to help him like this." she said firmly. Tsukune was too engrossed with the taste and sensation of the siren's blood to notice their conversation, the boy loving each and every drop he got from her.

"I'm not saying I don't want to help him, I do. That's why I'm here, to help my friend. Why can't I be allowed to offer my blood too?" Ruby asked.

"For one, your blood isn't as tasty as mine is to him, and he deserves the best." Ren said with narrowed eyes. Ruby jumped a bit and looked at the siren with bewilderment, the witch not sure if she should be insulted by that.

"Secondly you don't need to be here. He likes my blood more, and I can put him to sleep if he goes berserk again. You don't need to be here as well." Ren said holding Tsukune close and looking back ahead with closed eyes and a smug expression.

"What? Hey, I want to be here too you know, he's my friend. Besides you two need me to return back to the monster world, I'm your only way out of here." Ruby said putting her hands at her hips.

"He's not going to be cured of this in a few days, it's going to take time. Why don't you take a break Ruby, you're not needed here." Ren said firmly while keeping her eyes closed. Her grip tightened around Tsukune and she trembled a bit, the girl growing weak in the knees as she wavered a bit. Ruby looked at them then jumped with surprise.

"Tsukune stop! You're taking too much!" she cried out. Tsukune's eyes opened and he leaned back quickly, the boy looking with surprise at seeing Ren wavering and collapsing into his arms.

"Ren? Ren are you ok? Ren!" he said shaking her a bit. The girl groaned a bit then slowly opened her eyes, the siren smiling softly at him.

"Took a bit much didn't you?" she asked with a weak giggle. The boy showed a worried expression as she clung to him for support and laid her head against his chest.

"I'm so sorry Ren, I got a little carried away. Are you ok?" he asked with concern. She nodded a bit and smiled softly.

"Yeah…if you're ok." she said. He slowly kneeled down with the girl, the siren feeling lightheaded and weak from the blood loss. After a moment she slowly looked up at him with a smile.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked, the girl having a gentle expression. Tsukune nodded and looked at her worriedly.

"I'm fine, but I'm sorry Ren. I didn't mean to take that much." he said with concern. She giggled a bit and shook her head as he held her up to support the girl.

"No, don't worry about it. I told you before to take as much as you need." she said softly. She then glanced to Ruby who had an eyebrow raised.

"I'm not needed here huh? A few more minutes and you would have been in serious trouble." she said shaking her head. Ren showed a bit of discontent and growled softly.

"Nobody asked you, besides he would have stopped on his own if I had asked him to. Just…go away already." she barked out weakly.

"What? What's going on here?" Tsukune asked looking between the two girls.

"She's not needed here with us Tsukune, you don't need her blood and she can't put you to sleep if you go out of control. She's nothing but a distraction for you." Ren said firmly.

"A distraction?" Ruby said insulted.

"Yeah, he has to watch out for your safety here as well as mine. He could be spending more time focusing on his task and fighting his bloodlust if he didn't have to watch over both of us. I'm needed here with him, you're _not_." Ren said slowly standing up, the girl wavering bit before standing upright again.

"Hey, why are you two fighting? What's going on?" Tsukune said standing up as well.

"Hello! I just kept you alive by saving you from being drained dry. And I'm your way back to the monster world in case you've forgotten already. What's gotten into you, we're on the same side here." Ruby said shaking her head.

"He wouldn't have done that! I trust him with my life Ruby, and I'm going to help him overcome this bloodlust no matter what." Ren said sternly.

"Well so am I." Ruby said crossing her arms before her, both girls having lightning shooting between their eyes. Tsukune looked between the two with bewilderment.

"Why are you two fighting? What did I miss here?" he asked. Ren looked to him with worried eyes.

"Tell her to go back to the academy Tsukune, you need to focus out here to overcome this problem, you can't be chained down by having to watch over her." she pleaded.

"Chained down? Excuse me, but what the hell do you mean by that?" Ruby barked out.

"Tell her to go back? But why, she's just trying to help me Ren." Tsukune said shaking his head. Ren looked at him with worry then down.

"But she's not Tsukune. The only reason she's here is to bring us out when you're done with your training. But this isn't something that's just going to go away; it's going to take time, and concentration. And you can make so much more progress if you didn't have to watch over both of us." Ren said looking up at him timidly.

"Then why don't you go back instead? You have family back on the other side, you don't need to be here at all. You didn't even know Tsukune until recently, I've been his friend since last year. If either of us should help him it should be me." Ruby said sternly. Ren growled and glared at her.

"I'm needed more than you are witch. I'm the only one that can put him to sleep if he goes out of control, if he loses it with just you here he'll drain you dry without a problem. Besides, my blood is far better than yours for him, he shouldn't have to settle for low-class blood like yours." she said firmly.

"Low-class? You little bitch, my blood is just as good as yours!" Ruby yelled out. Ren crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Like hell it is. Tsukune's even admitted that mine's better. Face it, you're not needed here. Just go back to the academy, take a break from all this or something, I don't care." she said firmly.

"Why you little…who do you think you are?" Ruby said with anger.

"Hey, c'mon now, don't fight. You can both can stay if you want to, I'm fine with you both trying to help me. Really." Tsukune pleaded.

"What the hell is wrong with you Ren? Why are you so damn insistent on being the only one to help Tsukune?" Ruby said with an accusing glare.

"Because between the two of us here, I _am_ the only one that can help him." Ren said flatly. Ruby growled and clenched her fists as Tsukune looked between the two fighting girls with worry.

"How about we all calm down here and just talk about this? There's no need to fight." he pleaded.

"Don't you have a boyfriend back in the monster world?" Ren asked raising an eyebrow. Ruby blinked and looked at her curiously, the witch remembering the warlock that would be in the monster world waiting for her after his special mission.

"Well…yes." she said softly.

"Then wouldn't you rather go be with him? Just go back and see him, you don't need to stay here. Tsukune and I will have a long way to go before he's cured, just go be with your warlock or something." Ren said with a scoff and a wave of her hand. Ruby looked down and thought about it then looked to Ren with a glare.

"Why don't you want to go back to be with your sisters? Don't they matter to you?" she asked.

"Of course they do, but I intend to help Tsukune after all he's done for both me _and_ my sisters. I'm staying here Ruby. I'm needed, I'm willing, and that's that." Ren said firmly as she crossed her arms before her. Tsukune looked between the two as he struggled to think of something to say, the boy watching as Ren glared at Ruby while the witch looked down in thought. Ruby looked to Tsukune then back behind her.

"Just go Ruby. We'll be fine here for a couple of days. There's plenty of food we can forage around the forest, and I'll be able to give Tsukune all the blood he wants. With just me here to protect he can better focus on dealing with his bloodlust." Ren said with a nod. Tsukune looked between the two as Ruby looked down in thought. She wanted to see her boyfriend again, the witch eager to see him when he did return from his mission. After a moment she glanced to Tsukune.

"Well…" she said softly. She looked to Ren then to Tsukune again.

"Do you think that would be ok Tsukune?" she asked. The boy looked at her curiously then nodded slowly.

"Well, I suppose so. I mean…I guess she has a point, about me concentrating on my bloodlust while I'm here." he said rubbing the back of his head.

"And that my blood is better for you too." Ren said quietly as she looked away. Tsukune glanced to her then to Ruby. The witch looked down as she ran her fingers along the black rose in her hair. Tsukune smiled gently and nodded.

"Why don't you at least take a break Ruby, go see if Razico came back yet. I'm sure he misses you just as much as you miss him." he said gently. Ruby looked to him then down with a soft smile.

"Well…it would be great to see him again if had returned while we were in here…and the headmaster did say I'm free to leave here if there is a need to." she said softly.

"Then go." Ren said simply. Ruby looked to her with a dull expression then back behind her.

"We'll be fine Ruby. I promise I'll be careful when drinking her blood, I won't take too much again." Tsukune said with a smile. Ren glanced to him and blushed.

_You can take anything you want from me Tsukune…_

Ruby nodded then brought out her wand, the witch looking to Tsukune again with a small smile.

"If he's not back by nightfall I'll come and check up on you two, just to make sure you're ok." she said with a nod.

"We'll be fine Ruby. I'll take good care of him." Ren said. Ruby glanced to her with a raised eyebrow then looked to Tsukune with a smile.

"And you're sure this is ok?" she asked.

"Yes, go, it'll be fine. You deserve a rest after all you've done to help Ruby. Go see if Razico's back, and just relax." Tsukune said with a nod. The witch nodded then turned to leave, the woman glancing back to them with a smile.

"Ok. Keep at it Tsukune, I have faith you can beat this thing." she said. She then ran off into the woods towards the cliffside as Tsukune waved her off with a smile. He then looked to Ren curiously.

"Ren? What was all that about?" he asked. The siren shrugged and glanced to him.

"Beats me, she was just being a little overprotective with you is all." she said. Tsukune looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean overprotective?" he asked. She smiled and walked up to him.

"She just didn't have the same confidence I have in you is all." she said softly. He smiled a bit at her as she glanced down timidly.

"I promise Tsukune, I'll stick by your side until you beat this. I won't let you down." she said softly.

"Ren, you've already done more than enough for me. I know we don't know each other that well, but thank you for helping me like this." he said kindly. The girl giggled and smiled at him.

"Well you know, we're going to be in here for a while. Feel free to ask me anything about myself that you want, I'll tell you anything you want to know." she said. He chuckled and nodded a bit.

"Sure Ren, I actually would like to get to know you more." he said. She smiled softly and blushed a bit.

"As I would with you Tsukune." she said softly, the girl then looking down with a timid smile.

Ruby ran through the wooded area towards the cliffside overlooking the blue sea, the witch smiling softly at the thought of seeing her beloved warlock again. As she ran into the clearing she glanced back towards the woods.

_I don't know what's gotten into Ren, but I just hope she can keep Tsukune under control by herself._

She came to a stop in the clearing, the witch waving her wand around and creating a bright greenish flame in the air. The fire flew around down towards the ground then flashed brightly as it swirled into a small tornado. The witch watched the fires swirl around then shift into a flat portal that glowed brightly, then she glanced behind her.

"I'll be back soon to check up on you Tsukune, just keep at your training, and you'll be out of here before you know it." she said hopefully. She then walked through the portal, the witch vanishing from sight as the gateway flickered brightly then faded away. Ruby saw a bright light flash around her then fade down, the witch then finding herself in the headmaster's office once again. Only this time she wasn't alone with the man himself.

"Wha…who the hell are you guys?" she cried out seeing Render and Leon looking with surprise at her while Ceal merely raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the witch.

"Who are we? Who are _you_? Where did you come from?" Render said looking with wide eyes at the newcomer.

"I'm Ruby Tojo, I'm the assistant to the headmaster and- Apoch? Astreal? What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be in the human world." Ruby said looking over a bit to seeing the witch sisters standing there.

"Ms. Ruby, how…where did you come from?" Apoch asked. Astreal just looked at Ruby with surprise as Ruby looked around at them.

"Never mind that, why are you all- Kyouko? What the heck are you doing here?" she said as she saw the human standing there.

"Wow, how did you just appear like that?" the girl said with surprise. Ruby looked at her with bewilderment then saw Gabriel standing behind the girl.

"Gabriel? You're here too? What is going on here?" she cried out. She blinked then noticed somebody else in the room. Her eyes widened as Razico smiled a bit at the witch.

"It's good to see you again Ruby." he said gently. Ruby stared with wonder then raced over in his direction…then right past him as she ran up to Falla.

"Oh my god, your eye!" she cried out with shock. Falla looked at her with wide eyes as Ruby got close and examined the new eye.

"How…where did…but…I can't believe this! How on earth did you get your eye back?" she said in amazement.

"Um…well…" Falla said as she leaned back, the girl watching with a nervous expression as Ruby leaned in very close to her. Razico just looked at her with a stunned expression then with worry as she didn't seem to notice him yet. She held the chronofly's head and tilted it around to better examine the eye as everybody stared at her.

"Ruby…that hurts a bit…please let me go." Falla said weakly as she was moved around quickly as the witch examined the eye from all angles.

"It's unreal, how did you get your eye back?" she said with astonishment. She blinked then looked to the side, the witch seeing Razico standing next to her. After a pause she dropped Falla, the girl falling to the ground with a thud, then walked towards the warlock with wide eyes.

"Razico…you're back…" she said softly. He then smiled softly and nodded at the witch.

"Hey Ru-" he started before the witch tackled him to the ground with a kiss, the group watching as she held the warlock around the neck and kissed him passionately.

"Who the hell is that?" Render said with a raised eyebrow.

"That's Ms. Ruby, she's the assistant to the headmaster here." Apoch said as she watched the elder witch continue to kiss her boyfriend right in front of everybody.

"She's our friend." Astreal said with a nod.

"Well she seems friendly." Leon said with a raised eyebrow at the elder witch. After a moment Ruby sat up on her boyfriend and looked at him with loving eyes. The warlock blinked a few times then smiled weakly at the witch.

"I missed you too Ruby." he said with a chuckle.

"Razico, you came back. You finally came back to me." the witch said with a smile. She then jumped back up and pulled the warlock back onto his feet. She smiled at him with loving eyes then around with curiously.

"Wait…what's going on here though? Why are you all here, and…who are they?" she said looking around at the group, then to the new boys in the room. Before anybody could say anything the headmaster cleared his throat, with everybody then looking over to him.

"Ms. Tojo, I'm afraid you've arrived at a bad time. It seems there is a situation forming in the human world." he said gravely. Ruby looked at him with surprise then around at everybody, all of them having remorseful expressions.

"Wait…what's going on? What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Look." Rin said fearfully as she pointed to something. Ruby looked over to the television in the room, the witch slowly walking over to it as her eyes widened. She watched the news reporter at the scene of the city that suffered damage from the chronoflies duel, the reporter showing the chaos after 'the monsters attacked their world'. The images showed the damaged streets and city along with fires and flaming wreckages that were strewn about.

"What…" Ruby said softly.

The words 'betrayed by the monster world' scrolled across the bottom of the screen as images of destroyed streets and rescue workers on the scene played, with human screaming in agony while fire trucks and ambulances were seen racing around.

"What is this?" she breathed out.

Images of the destroyed school were shown while the words 'spies of the monster world strike' scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Ruby shook her head as images of HDA soldiers and policemen were running around the destroyed courtyard.

"No…no, this…this can't be…" she said with fright. Ruby looked at the T.V. then to the others with disbelief.

"What…what the hell happened?" she said looking around at everybody.

"Ruby…" Razico said softly. The witch looked to him as he looked down with closed eyes.

"The humans have declared war on us." he said. Ruby's jaw dropped as her wand fell to the ground, the witch looking around at everybody then to the headmaster.

"What…WHAT?" she cried out. The headmaster nodded with a solemn expression as Ruby looked around at everybody with fright.

"What…war? WAR? What the HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" she cried out. She looked to the T.V. then back to Razico. The warlock shook his head and looked down with remorse. Ruby held a hand over her mouth and looked to the headmaster.

"Sir…what is going on here? Explain." she said fearfully.

"I believe Ms. Cii was just about to explain to us what happened." the man said looking to Falla, with everybody looking to her. The girl looked around at everybody then to Ruby.

"Falla…what happened. How…how did this happen?" Ruby said shaking her head. Falla looked down with remorse and closed her eyes. Ruby shook her head and walked up to the girl.

"Tell me you didn't have anything to do with this. Tell me Falla!" she cried out. Falla cringed a bit then looked to her with worry.

"Well…" she said softly. Ruby looked at her with disbelief then with anger.

"You…you did this? You did THIS?" she screamed out.

"It's not what you think, I tried to stop her." Falla said waving her hands in front of her.

"Stop her? Stop who?" Ruby asked.

"The other me." Falla said. Ruby looked at her with total confusion then shook her head.

"What?" she yelled out.

"Falla, what did you mean by there was another you?" Gin asked. Falla looked at them then to Apoch and Astreal.

"Ms. Ruby, something's wrong. We…we saw Ms. Jovian and Ms. Jacqueline again. They came to our home and our school." Apoch said. Ruby, Gin, and Kokoa looked to her with shock.

"What?" Ruby shouted out.

"Those two? But…you killed them!" Kokoa cried out.

"Yes, but they came back. They came back with…the other her." Astreal said looking to Falla. The chronofly looked at them with worry then to Ruby.

"The other her? What are you talking about?" Gin said shaking his head.

"So wait, you've encountered those witches before?" Render asked. Apoch looked to him and nodded.

"Yes, but we killed them. I struck down Ms. Jovian with my sword and my sister sent Ms. Jacqueline falling to her death. They were killed a while ago." she said worriedly.

"It's not possible, I don't understand how they came back like that. We put an end to them for good." Astreal said with confusion.

"Are you serious? Those two came back from the dead?" Gin said with caution. The sisters nodded as Kyouko looked at them with surprise. Ruby looked at them cautiously then to Falla.

"Then…the other you that showed up…" she said slowly.

"It was my other self, the one I _killed_ in this timeline. The darker side of me. She tried to kill us all, I was trying to put an end to her when the fight escalated. She laid waste to that entire city before we stopped her." she said fearfully. Ruby looked at her with surprise then to the witch sisters.

"But…how?" she said.

"Can somebody explain what is going on here, and how you all knew who these girls that attacked us were?" Leon asked glancing around. The witch sisters explained who Jovian and Jacqueline were, and how the dark sisters were originally killed during the fight against Hokuto. Falla explained about how she came to be in this world, and how she killed her other self after coming here. The sisters and Kyouko even explained how they were used and abused by the dark sisters, how the evil twins and the dark version of Falla played them all in order to get the keys from Pandora's Box. The group showed remorseful expressions at hearing how the sisters and Kyouko were abused by the dark twins, then a question came up.

"Pandora's Box?" Ruby asked puzzled. Razico looked down the glanced to the headmaster.

"My my, isn't that what you were supposed to have brought with you my dear treasure hunter? I thought you would have returned it here as per our agreement." the headmaster said with a chuckle. The group looked to Razico as he looked down with closed eyes.

"That's what you were sent to get? But…what is it? Why did they want it from you?" Ruby asked looking around. Razico sighed and glanced to Render and Leon.

"They wanted to make a wish." Render said looking at his friend.

"A wish?" Rin asked. Render and Leon explained what Pandora's Box was, how unlocking it with four keys would unleash the horrors of the world that were sealed away long ago by the Almighty, and how if the monsters were defeated and pushed back into the relic then a single wish could be granted for the hunters. They explained how the dark sisters and Falla mentioned that they weren't in fact alive, but disembodied souls that wanted to wish for their lives back. Ruby, Kokoa, Gin, and Rin looked at them with shock then to Razico. The warlock nodded with a blank expression.

"It's true. I've been trying to reclaim it for the headmaster but its proven difficult." he said with remorse.

"I…I don't even know what to be more shocked about at this point; those three nightmares coming back to life, the human world enacting war against us, or the fact that YOU WERE GOING TO LET THEM OPEN THAT THING!" Ruby shouted out at Razico. The man twitched at that and shook his head worriedly.

"I wasn't planning on it at first, I was trying to stop them from the start. I wanted to bring the thing here but I couldn't, so I've been chasing after these guys to get their keys." he said franticly.

"Holy shit Razico, that thing has all the worst monsters in existence locked away inside of it, and you were going to let them open it?" Ruby cried out.

"Are you crazy? Why would you want to open such a thing?" Rin cried out as she hid behind the headmaster's chair. The man himself was looking curiously at the warlock as Kokoa and Gin stared with wide eyes at the caster.

"Those things were sealed away for a reason, why on earth would you want to open it when the Almighty wanted them locked away?" Gabriel said with disbelief.

"But it's safe, it's been opened before." Falla pleaded. Ruby looked to her with disbelief.

"What? Safe? SAFE? How is opening such a thing safe?" she said shaking her head.

"Because Ceal's opened it before. His entire family has been opening it for generations, and they've always killed what came out from it." Falla said looking to Ceal. Ruby looked to the boy as he merely glanced to her, the mage having his arms crossed before him as he didn't seem to be fazed by anything being said so far.

"What? Who…just who the hell are you anyway?" Ruby said shaking her head.

"He's Falla's new boyfriend." Gin said looking at the new boy cautiously. Ruby jumped a bit and looked at Ceal carefully.

"Boyfriend?" she said.

"You've opened it before?" Gabriel said with surprise. Ceal glanced to him and nodded. Ruby looked at him then shook her head as she looked around at everybody.

"This…this is insane. I step out of Paradise for not even a second and the world's going to hell already." she said in disbelief.

"Paradise?" Render asked.

"Is Tsukune at least ok in there?" Kokoa asked.

"Tsukune? What about him, where is he?" Kyouko asked looking around.

"What do you mean 'is he ok', what's wrong with him?" Falla asked curiously. Ruby looked to them then down a bit.

"Well…" she said softly.

"For god's sake…" Ceal said looking away. The group looked to him as he shook his head.

"Just how many more distractions am I to deal with before I can slay Fafnir?" he growled.

"Fafnir?" the headmaster asked with a cautious expression, the man for once showing a bit of concern in his voice. Something that was immediately noticeable by everybody.

"Fafnir? Wait…that's…that's a…" Gin said as he started to tremble.

"A dragon." Falla said looking to her boyfriend with careful expression. Ruby stammered something then shook her head with frustration.

"What the hell is with all this crap happening all at once? The world's going to war, my boyfriend's letting some kids open a box to destroy the world, you're hunting dragons, Falla's got her eye back, and crazy monsters are coming back from the dead! What else has been happening since I left _yesterday_ to watch over Tsukune?" she cried out. Gabriel started to raise his hand but was cut off quickly by another voice.

"Watch over Tsukune? What's wrong with him?" Kyouko asked looking at the witch with worry.

"Well…we do have a few more things to tell you…but we can wait." Render said looking to the witch sisters, the girls looking down with worry.

"I've got rather troubling news as well." Gabriel said nervously.

"Enough!" Ceal yelled out. The group looked to him as he had a frustrated expression. He growled a bit then glanced to the group.

"I'm tired of everybody talking in circles. I want all this crap dealt with so I can get on with my own quest." he said firmly. Ruby looked at him with bewilderment then around at everybody. Ceal growled then glanced to the headmaster.

"You're their headmaster, how about organizing this mess already? I have better things to be doing with my time than standing here listening to the questions piling up." he said with annoyance. The headmaster nodded and looked at him curiously.

"Very well. And, just for the record, what is your name?" he asked.

"Ceal Erres." the boy said.

"Erres, would you be related to Yamato Erres by chance?" the man asked. Ceal nodded as all eyes looked to him.

"I see, he was a well-known dragon slayer of his time. And you are a descendent of him, interesting." the headmaster said curiously.

"You really are a dragon slayer?" Ruby said looking at the boy with surprise. Again Ceal nodded and glanced to the others.

"Now that that's cleared up, one crisis at a time, or I swear to I'll feed you all to Xarai." he said with narrowed eyes. Gin and Kokoa jumped a bit at that while Rin nearly soiled herself with fear.

"Xarai?" Ruby asked.

"His pet." Razico said cautiously.

"Yeah…that raises more questions. But again, we'll wait our turn." Render said holding up his hands defensively. Everybody looked around at everybody, all of them having questions as they all came together at the same place from different events.

"Well now, it appears we all have things to sort out with each other." Leon said looking around.

"So…who goes first?" Gin asked glancing around at the group.

"Well, we've heard about the reappearance of those that were supposed to have been killed, and how they were looking for Pandora's Box in order to be brought back to life. However that raises two important questions; how did they return, and why?" the headmaster said looking down in thought.

"The other side of Falla said she and the witches were originally brought back by…somebody, they were pulled out of hell to find her and bring her back…someplace. Of course they decided to turn against that guy and try to kill us all instead." Render said looking at Falla. The girl nodded then looked to Rin.

"Hey, you said my friends went looking for me before your old master found me. What did you mean by that?" she asked. Rin nodded and looked at her fearfully. She explained to the group how she and her sisters were originally captured by a strange monster in the darkness, and were used to charm warriors and powerful beings into joining his growing army for conquest of all the worlds he could find. She mentioned that during their imprisonment with this monster they saw how he treated rare and powerful monsters, forcing them to breed to make more of them for his army. She told the group and Falla how her friends pointed out that the chronofly and her sister were the last of their kind, and with their chrono magic would be highly sought after by their old master. Falla stared with shock at the girl as Gabriel shook his head a bit, the angel recognizing the strange dark rift the siren mentioned.

"He wants to kidnap me…to make me…breed more chronoflies?" Falla cried out. Rin nodded with fear as the group looked at Falla with shock.

"Oh…my…god." Falla said trembling.

"Oh…NO!" Gabriel yelled out looking up. The group looked to him as he showed fright.

"Gabriel? What is it?" Ruby asked. Gabriel looked to Rin then to Falla.

"That rift…that gateway she mentioned…" he said shakily. Falla looked at him carefully as the group watched him show frustration and fear at something.

"What about it?" the chronofly asked worriedly.

"That…that was what we found in heaven, that was the strange anomaly we…had Luna look at." he said. Falla looked at him then her eyes widened.

"Gabriel…what are you saying?" she said quietly. The angel shook his head then looked up with wide eyes.

"She…went into it days ago." he said. After a pause he looked back down to see Falla looking at him with shock.

"And…she hasn't come back since." he said nervously. Falla shook her head wildly then started breathing heavily.

"No…no! NO! She…SHE WENT IN THERE?" she cried out.

"Oh my god…that means…" Apoch said looking up.

"She…" Astreal said with fright.

"She went straight into our master's world!" Rin cried out.

"NO! LUNA!" Falla shrieked out. The group looked at her with shock then to Rin, the siren crying bit.

"She's…going to be used. She's going to be used for the rest of her life as his slave." she said shaking her head.

"NO! SISTER!" Falla cried out, the girl breaking down and sobbing as she grabbed her hair. Ruby was looking up with a hand covering her mouth, the witch fearing what her friend was going through. The group looked at Falla with pained expressions as she shook her head wildly, the girl then looking to Gabriel with teary eyes. She ran up to him and shook him by the collar.

"You sent her in there? Why? WHY?" she cried out.

"We didn't know what it was, it was nothing of the Almighty's design! It appeared to be an anomaly similar to the ones you chronoflies created, we thought she could fix it!" Gabriel cried out as he was shaken. Falla pushed him back then stumbled back a bit, the girl holding her face with fright.

"Oh god…LUNA!" she cried out.

"We have to get her out of there!" Gin yelled out looking up. Falla shook her head furiously then looked to Gabriel, the angel slowly regaining himself.

"Take me up there, take me up there right now! I need to get her out of there!" she yelled out.

"What? We can't let you go into that thing, you'll be taken too." Kokoa said shaking her head.

"I have to go, dammit he's got my sister! He's got my sister and he's going to use her for his sick pleasure! LUNA!" Falla screamed out, with tears and rifts flaring around her. The group backed up a bit as she yelled out with frustration, the girl's power fluxing around her as the area near her bent and distorted slightly.

"Her magic…she has it under control again?" Ruby said with surprise. The headmaster looked at the chronofly carefully as she screamed loudly.

"No…NO! LUNA!" she yelled before she dropped to her knees and cried loudly, the group looking at her with remorse as she held her hands to her face. Ceal looked at the crying girl then walked over to her. He rested a hand on her shoulder, the girl shakily looking up to him. She stumbled to her feet and hugged him, the girl crying into his shoulder. He held her gently and looked at Gabriel with narrowed eyes.

"What reason do you have for not going to rescue her sister?" he asked sternly. The group looked to Gabriel as he looked down with remorse.

"I'm sorry, but all those we sent after her into the rift never came back. We're not sure where it goes to, or if it's possible to come back through it the same way. Nothing has ever come out of it, either one of ours or otherwise." he said with a pained expression. The fate of Luna was tearing him up inside as well, the angel fearing how much the beautiful monster he saw before was suffering now. Ceal looked at him carefully as he held his crying girlfriend.

"Why have you come here then angel?" he asked. Everybody looked to him as Falla cried loudly.

"What?" Gabriel asked.

"You came here saying you had an emergency, however you didn't know about what the rift truly was in heaven. Sounds like that wasn't the emergency you wanted to tell us. What exactly did an angel of heaven need to come here for that was so critical?" Ceal said cautiously. Everybody looked to Gabriel as he looked down with regret. Falla choked back her sobs and looked to him as well. He nodded and glanced up to Ceal again.

"There…is something else." he said.

"You're kidding me…how much more can go wrong here?" Ruby cried out. Gabriel looked down with frustration and took a breath.

"What else is there that could go wrong with this day?" Render asked worriedly.

"Please don't ask that man." Leon said shaking his head. Gabriel looked around at the group then to Ceal.

"There was another that went into the rift. A soul from heaven that shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the anomaly. She snuck past our guards and flew into the anomaly, then we lost all sight of her soul. The Almighty couldn't find a trace of her anywhere. However…we found her again." he said. The group looked at him with a bit of surprise as he showed a nervous expression.

"And just who might that be that you needed to come down here to tell us this?" Ceal said raising an eyebrow. Gabriel gulped and looked to Gin and Kokoa.

"Arial…Kuyumaya." he said nervously.

Silence.

"What…what? WHAT?" Kokoa cried out grabbing her hair.

"Arial? Arial Kuyumaya? _The_ Arial? _Dark's_ Arial?" Gin said with shock. Ruby looked at the angel with disbelief then down, the witch unable to comprehend how so much had gone wrong in her absence.

_This…can't be happening. Maybe Tsukune drank too much of my blood and I'm unconscious in Paradise still, please let this be just a bad dream._

"Who's that?" Render asked. Apoch and Astreal were looking at Gabriel with stunned expressions as Falla looked at the boy cautiously, the girl still crying softly.

"You let…Arial Kuyumaya….go into that thing? Dark's going to freaking tear you apart!" Kokoa yelled out. Gabriel twitched at that and looked down with worry, the angel suspecting that the shadow demon may not take the news too well.

"Wait, who is this Arial he's talking about?" Falla asked.

"She's a snow girl…a young child that set Dark free Falla. She's the one that first freed Dark from his enslavement by a horrible wizard, and gave him a life." Ruby said softly.

"She was killed by Dark when he was being used, it was her death that got him to free himself and kill his evil master." Kokoa said worriedly.

"Dark's lived his entire life in honor of that girl, he wouldn't exist at all if it wasn't for her." Gin said with concern. The group looked at them then to the angel who showed a pained expression.

"He's going to murder you Gabriel. I mean Dark's going to straight up murder you. It's going to be painful and ugly." Ruby said shaking her head. The group looked at the angel as he trembled a bit.

"This is going to be bad. I mean I've seen him tear apart monsters for doing horrible things before…but you're beyond dead meat for letting her go into that thing." Gin said fearfully. Gabriel turned pale a bit and looked up with fright.

"I'm going to have nightmares for sure after what he's going to do to you. You just did the worst possible thing to make Dark angry, no…not angry. I mean I've seen him angry before. He's…he's going to be a real nightmare with you." Kokoa said trembling.

"Ok! I get it! I'm screwed! Just stop talking like that already!" Gabriel yelled out. Apoch and Astreal looked down with disbelief as they too were shocked to hear so much going wrong since they left for the human world.

"If you know where she is why are you here? Why aren't you going to get her before Dark does unspeakable things to you?" Kokoa said shaking her head.

"Because I can't, she's in the human world." Gabriel said urgently. The group looked at him confused as he looked down with frustration.

"I'm not allowed to be seen in the human world, I'm a guardian angel. I can't get to her, she's around other humans." he said.

"But Rason's been seen by humans in their world and he's an angel from heaven. He was filmed on T.V. when we all faced Alucard. How come he can be seen and you can't?" Ruby asked.

"He came from the monster world when he made his appearance known to the world, he fought alongside all of you against Alucard. The world recognizes him as a monster, not a holy angel." Gabriel explained.

"So you found Arial but you just can't get to her? Oh man, is she at least safe?" Gin said worriedly.

"For now we believe so, we just spotted her this morning in a human residence. But we need to get her back into heaven as fast as we can, she's not safe in the human world at all." Gabriel said urgently. He looked to Falla with worry.

"You said you killed your other self right? The one that came from hell?" he asked. Falla slowly nodded.

"Yeah…I did. We all killed those three again and sent them back to hell." she said worriedly. Gabriel shook his head, with the group looking at him cautiously from that.

"No, you didn't send them back to hell. They were disembodied souls, nothing but pure lifeforce." he said.

"So, what does that mean?" Render asked.

"It means that you didn't kill their bodies, you killed their souls. You didn't send them to hell, you erased them from existence forever." Gabriel said carefully. The group looked at him with a bit of surprise.

"We did?" Falla said.

"You mean…those three are finally gone forever?" Kyouko said with a bit of relief. Gabriel nodded then looked at her with worry.

"Yes, but that's not the point here. Arial is a disembodied soul." he said. The group looked at him then it slowly dawned on them, the real emergency that Gabriel had come to tell Rason about.

"Oh…oh no. That means…" Kokoa said with fear.

"If she dies on earth…" Gin said looking at the angel with wide eyes.

"She'll be gone…forever." Ruby said with a gasp. Razico looked down with worry then to Gabriel.

"I'd say Dark's going to murder you kid." he said flatly. Gabriel twitched at that then shook his head wildly.

"Don't tell me that! I'd rather not find out just how mad he's going to be! I need Rason to get Arial quickly and take her back up into heaven before it's too late!" he pleaded.

"This is indeed a grave turn of events." the headmaster said looking down with concern. Rin nodded and looked down with fear as well.

"This can't be real. This is a bad dream. The world's going to hell everywhere around us. War is breaking out between our worlds. Pandora's Box is being sought after and threatening to kill us all. Monsters are coming back from hell. Arial is in the human world again and could be erased from existence forever. And Luna's…been captured." Ruby said in despair. Falla looked down with a pained expression then buried her face into Ceal's shoulder again, the girl devastated to hear what happened to her sister. Gabriel looked down with closed eyes, the angel feeling pain for Luna's fate and fearing if Arial would remain safe. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other with worry then to Render and Leon, the boys looking around at everybody that seemed to be having a shitty day just like them. Rin was trying to hold in her tears as she feared what would happen to her sister in the human world. Gin and Kokoa looked to each other, both of them unable to believe how much crap happened all at once in their day. Kyouko was looking down with concern, the girl growing more worried about everything that was going wrong in her day.

"And I thought we've been having a rough day." Render said shaking his head.

"Looks like the nightmare is just starting for all of us." Leon said with a bit of frustration. Razico nodded then looked to Ruby.

"Ruby…there is one more thing we need to tell you." he said. Ruby blinked then looked to him with despair.

"What? Another thing gone wrong? What else…could possibly have gone wrong?" she asked quietly.

"My sister and your friends went looking for Falla in the human world. They arrived there after everything bad happened." Rin said worriedly. Ruby looked to her then to Razico with worry.

"The HDA arrested them, blamed them for the whole incident." he said with remorse. Ruby held a hand over her mouth then looked to headmaster. The man nodded and looked down with a solemn expression.

"It was announced that at midnight tonight they will be executed, as criminals of war from the monster world." he said gravely. Ruby trembled a bit and shook her head.

"No…this…this isn't happening!" she cried out. The witch grabbed her hair and shook her head as she tried to wake up, woman unable to believe everything that had gone wrong for everybody. She broke down crying and looked down, the witch sobbing as Razico walked over and held her. She held onto her boyfriend and cried, the witch wishing to just wake up from all this, for it all to be a horrible dream.

"This is a nightmare! This can't be real! No!" she cried out into her boyfriend's chest. He held her with a pained expression, the warlock wishing for it to be just a bad dream as well.

"Now what do we do?" Apoch said softly.

"What can we do?" Astreal said looking around.

"I need to get Arial back to heaven." Gabriel said worriedly.

"I need to get my sister back from that dark world!" Falla cried out shaking her head.

"We need to get our friends back from the human world before they're executed." Gin said urgently.

"We need to stop the humans from waging war against us." Razico said with concern.

"What do we do now?" Rin cried out as she started crying.

"We stop talking in circles already!" Ceal shouted out. Everybody looked to him as Falla glanced up to the boy, the girl still being held by her boyfriend.

"What is wrong with all of you?" he said looking around at the group. He growled and shook his head.

"You all know what needs to be done, would you stop asking stupid questions that you already know the answers to?" he said with annoyance.

"What are you talking about? How are we supposed to deal with all this happening at once?" Ruby said shaking her head.

"Everything's going to hell, and I don't even know where Tsukune is yet either." Kyouko said as she tried to hold in her tears. Ceal growled as tentacles started to shift up around him, the group watching as the dark limb swayed around him slowly. Falla looked at her boyfriend with wonder as he showed a firm expression.

"So you're just going to lie down and do nothing? For monsters you're pathetic. That human girl over there showed more spirit today when she killed Falla's other self with a fucking baseball bat." the boy said with discontent. The group looked to Kyouko curiously at that remark then to the boy again. Falla backed up a bit as the dark limbs swayed around the boy, the necro monster responding to its master's magic.

"You all know what needs to be done. Find your angel and send her back to heaven. Find your friends and bring them back here. Find Falla's sister and kill the monster responsible for causing all this!" Ceal yelled out. The dark monster below him groaned a bit as the limbs whipped around quickly for a moment.

"Ceal…" Falla said softly.

"I need to find Fafnir, I need to slay that damned dragon or my family will never find rest. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ will keep me from fulfilling my destiny. This monster or whatever he is that's causing all this is standing in my way of my goal, and I will not allow that." Ceal said with narrowed eyes. The headmaster looked at the boy curiously with a small smirk as the mage's hand glowed a black hue. Falla looked down with a focused expression as she wiped her tears away.

"So my dear boy, do you have a plan in mind?" the headmaster asked curiously. Ceal glanced around the room then to the headmaster.

"We need to tackle four problems at the same time, how are we going to manage that?" Razico asked cautiously. Ceal looked to Gabriel as the dark limbs vanished around him.

"How can we enter that world where Falla's sister traveled to?" he asked. Gabriel looked around then shrugged.

"I'm…not sure. There is a rift in heaven, it lies between the gateway of the heavenly realm and the human world. But, I'm not sure how you can get to that, or if there is even another way in." he said worriedly.

"There has to be some way of getting in there, something!" Falla shouted out.

"Rin, could you and your sisters signal your old master like you did before?" Kokoa asked.

"No, that won't work. Their master closed the gateway for them because they were freed. He doesn't want them freeing his charmed army. He's not going to let us walk into his world now when we're armed with a siren." Ruby said with worry.

"Is there really no other way of getting in there?" Gin asked worriedly. Render and Leon glanced to each other then to Razico.

"I can think of a way in." Leon said. The group looked to him as the boys nodded.

"Pandora's Box." Render said with a smirk. The warlock looked at them then down in thought.

"The wish…we could wish for Luna to be brought back to us." he said with a smile.

"No, I wouldn't advise such a wish hunter." Ceal said. The group looked to him as he shook his head.

"What? Why not? That's perfect, if that box grants any wish you want it can bring Luna back for us." Kokoa said confused.

"It cannot bring a life from another world, be it heaven, hell, or otherwise. You'll get a body of the girl you seek, but not the soul. The box tends to twist your wish around if it's able to, so you would need to wish for something more direct, such as a gateway to this world." Ceal said simply.

"That's right…we can use the wish to open a gateway to his world. We can go get her and bring her back ourselves." Falla said hopefully. She blinked then looked at Ceal as the boy was looking down with annoyance.

"Wait, Ceal…would you really be willing to do that for us?" she asked. The boy shook his head and looked to her.

"I don't know these people, I care nothing for their plight. I will not waste what I've spent seeking Fafnir to help them." he said. Falla looked at him with devastation as the group looked at him with surprise. Ceal paused for a moment then snapped his fingers. The group watched as from the ground a tentacle slowly came from below, and in its grip was a golden key. It had a black diamond on the end as the other end was oddly shaped. Falla looked with surprise as the limb slowly brought the key over to her.

"For you however, I'm willing to tolerate one more hindrance." Ceal said. The girl looked with surprise then to the limb. She slowly grabbed the key, the dark limb then retracting back into the void and vanishing.

"Ceal…" she said softly as she looked at him again. She smiled softly and nodded.

"I knew it…I always knew you weren't a bad guy. I just knew it." she said with loving eyes.

"You actually gave her your key. Just like that you handed it over to her, I can't believe it." Render said with wonder.

"You will as well hunter." Ceal said glancing to him. Render looked at him confused as everybody looked at Ceal curiously.

"What? Why?" Render asked.

"Because the keys are staying with Falla, and she's staying here." Ceal said.

"What? Why am I staying here?" Falla asked. Ceal glanced to her and shook his head.

"Because you're staying here under the protection of that siren over there, you're not going out into the world while this monster is after you." he said.

"But…Ceal…" Falla said worriedly.

"Don't argue with me Falla. You're staying here, and that's final." Ceal said sternly. The girl showed concern then looked down with closed eyes, the girl then nodding slowly.

"Yes sir." she said quietly.

"But why does she get to keep all the keys?" Leon asked.

"Because we're going out into the human world hunter, and should we fall she'll need the keys and three other volunteers to go after her sister." Ceal said.

"We're doing what now?" Render asked shaking his head. Ceal growled and walked up to him, the battlemage looking at him nervously as the boy narrowed his eyes at him.

"We have until midnight to free her friends, therefore they are the priority right now. If we go after Pandora's Box now then we won't be able to make it to them in time." Ceal said coldly. Render glanced to Falla then to Ceal again.

"We're doing what now?" he asked again. Ceal grabbed him by the collar and held him close to his face.

"Listen up hunter, I've been listening to you all babble in circles and it's really starting to annoy me. Seeing as how none of you are doing a damned thing about anything I'm going to make the call. I need all this bullshit over with so I can go after Fafnir!" he yelled out. Render looked at him with wide eyes as everybody watched with surprise. Ceal looked down for a moment then back to Render as black lightning arched around his arm.

"I'll make this easier for you. Give her your keys now, or you're going to see just how much pain you can endure before you lose consciousness." he said coldly. Render glanced to the arm then to Falla.

"This guy's your boyfriend?" Kokoa said looking to Falla. She smiled softly and nodded as she watched her boyfriend threaten extreme pain and torture on another one of her friends.

"Yeah." she said softly. She knew her boyfriend had a heart, and was doing this to help everybody. Even though he was putting on his tough guy attitude again the chronofly felt herself being drawn more towards the catalyst mage than before. Render looked up for a moment then shrugged.

"Well…if it's all in the interest of helping Falla…sure. What are friends for right?" he said weakly. Ceal backed up and glanced to Leon.

"You as well hunter, hand it over." he said.

"Who put you in charge here?" Leon asked with narrowed eyes.

"I did, seeing as how you all were too busy crying and whining to do a damn thing. Now hand her the key." Ceal said firmly. Leon looked to Falla then to Ceal. After a moment he reached into his pocket and brought out his key. The group watched as Render held his hands together a bright light shined from them. After a moment he parted the hands to reveal the two keys that he brought out of the magical ether.

"Wow…how did he do that?" Kokoa said with wonder. Render and Leon looked to each other then held their keys out towards Falla. She looked at them with wonder then to the two boys.

"You're sure…this is ok?" she asked.

"Hey, I was only really doing this for treasure anyway, there's always next time. Besides, I'll be getting a good fight out of opening the box, I'm good." Render said with a shrug. Apoch smiled at Render, the witch feeling her heart pick up a bit at the sight of the battlemage and his selflessness.

"Opening the box alone is what I've been after, the wish isn't important to me. Sounds like you're going to need it more than anybody." Leon said. Astreal looked at the boy with a gentle smile, the witch sympathizing with his desire to honor his fallen girlfriend. Falla looked at them then gently took the keys. She held all four in her hands then looked to Ceal.

"But…what about your wish for revenge?" she asked.

"I've opened the box before, I can do it again Falla. I'll wait for the next time." he said. Falla smiled softly at him for a moment then looked down at the keys with worry, the girl hoping her sister could endure whatever she was going through a bit longer. She now had the means to wish for a way into the dark world, for them to go after Luna and find the one responsible for all this chaos. However they needed to save their friends from execution first as time was running out for them.

"Is that thing really safe to open though?" Rin asked nervously.

"Those monsters are meant to be sealed away forever, it's not safe at all to open. But he may be right, it might be our only way of going after Luna." Gabriel said looking down with worry.

"Thank you…thank you all for this." Falla said looking at the three boys as she held all four keys in her hands. Render and Leon smiled and nodded as Ceal just looked at her with no expression.

"That's very noble of you kid." Razico said. Ceal growled and glanced to him as the warlock smirked.

"You really do care about Falla, don't you?" he asked.

"You kidding? He gave her back her eye, he put her back together after her darker self tore her apart, and he handed over his key just like that. I'd say he's head over heels for the girl." Render said with a laugh.

"Wait, he did what after her darker self did what?" Ruby said looking at the chronofly with surprise. Ceal growled a bit and looked away as he crossed his arms before him.

"Still going to pretend you don't care huh? Just admit it, you want to help us." Leon said with a smirk. Ceal just kept looking away and didn't say a word.

"You saved Apoch and Astreal's lives today, you're really not such a bad guy after all Ceal." Kyouko said gently.

"Wait, he did what? What else have I been missing here?" Ruby said looking from the sisters to the catalyst mage with confusion. Rin looked at the boy carefully as she still remembered how his 'pet' grabbed her outside while Gin and Kokoa looked at him curiously.

"Thank you Ceal." Falla said softly. The boy glanced to her as she smiled at him softly.

"For doing this for us…for me. Thank you so much." she said.

"Just remember Falla, you owe me a dragon." Ceal said simply. Falla smiled and nodded, then looked down with a gentle gaze. The boy looked at her for a moment then to Gabriel.

"Where is this angel you need recovered anyway?" he asked. Falla smiled softly at the boy, the girl knowing he was rather proud to show any more affection right now. Gabriel looked around then upwards.

"Last we saw her she was in a human residence near the ocean shore. It's a peaceful area with a lot of humans living there. The people she was with seem nice but we still need to get her out of there quickly." he said.

"How far is it from here?" Razico asked. Gabriel looked to him and shrugged.

"Um…not too far?" he said unsurely.

"Do we go for her or for big sis and the others first?" Kokoa asked.

"Arial sounds like she's safer than the others, I say we bust those guys out of jail first. We can grab the wayward angel afterwards, I'm sure Dark and Mizore would love to meet her before she goes back." Gin said.

"Boy would they." Ruby said looking down with a bit of wonder.

"No!" Gabriel yelled out. The group looked to him as he shook his head and waved his hands around in front of him.

"Bad idea! _Very_ bad idea!" he said urgently.

"Why is that bad? Dark should be allowed to see her again, she means the world to him. Besides, I know Mizore would be dying to see her while she's here." Kokoa said.

"Arial can't see or know about Mizore!" Gabriel said fearfully. The group looked at him puzzled.

"What? Why not, what's wrong with her seeing Mizore?" Ruby asked. Gabriel showed a nervous expression and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well…she's…um…" he said nervously.

"She's what?" Gin asked. The angel looked around at the group then smiled weakly.

Gabriel explained Arial's obsession with Dark, how the little snow angel was determined to be his one and only wife after she believed that they were soul mates. How the elders of heaven changed the story about the group so Arial never learned about Mizore, the angels having done so after the snow girl lost her temper and nearly froze over heaven in her rage. After Gabriel explained why Arial must never see or hear of Mizore the group was looking at him with shock.

"She's in _love_ with him?" Ruby cried out.

"But…she's like his mother! How can she feel that way about him?" Kokoa said shaking her head.

"She won't listen to anybody that tries to tell her to move on, she's completely fixated on him. I need to get her and bring her back to heaven, and I can't let her see Mizore at all while here. In fact, she probably shouldn't meet anybody else from here, she might learn the truth and then she'll completely lose it. I just need Rason to get her away from the humans, then I'm taking her straight back to heaven." Gabriel said worriedly. The group looked to each other then to the angel.

"Um…when you say 'completely lose it'…what exactly do you mean?" Gin asked cautiously.

* * *

"NOOOO!" Arial shrieked, the angel arching back as the ground around her froze over instantly. Ice spires erupted around the girl as the room started to freeze over. Sun, Marin, and Sandra were looking at the snow angel with surprise, the little girl having heard that her beloved shadow demon would be executed that night.

"DARK!" she screamed, the girl's power going wild and causing a snowstorm to fly around inside Sun's living room.

"Arial! Calm down, please!" Marin begged.

"Holy shit it's cold, what the hell is she doing?" Sandra cried out as she held her arms around her body while shaking. Sun looked at the snow angel with wonder while she shivered. She remembered back when she saw Arial fighting that monster that tried to kidnap her, how the little snow angel put up quite a fight before fire weakened her.

_Just how much monster energy does she have? She's just a kid._

Arial growled loudly as her eyes glowed white, the girl glaring at the T.V. with anger as she clenched her fists. The girl's wings arched back a bit as frost shimmered from them, the air around her swirling in a frozen torrent. The three shivering girls on the couch looked at her with wonder and a bit of fear as her eyes narrowed at the T.V.

"Nobody…nobody…NOBODY'S GOING TO TAKE MY DARK FROM ME!" she yelled out with fury.


	41. Bring Them Back

Apoch and Astreal were standing by the tree line near the cliffside, the two girls watching something with wonder. In front of them in the clearing they saw Render and Leon, the two boys having come outside after the group's meeting in the headmaster's office. Astreal watched as Leon was looking at the red sea, the boy watching as the waves gently rolled down below against the jagged rocks and cliffs. Apoch however was watching Render as he was holding both of his unique swords, the battlemage in fighting form as he was swinging them around quickly with a focused expression. The sisters looked to each other then to the two mages that had come out to the clearing to focus on what was ahead of them.

"_Render wait." Apoch said, the twin witches following the mages as they walked out of the headmaster's office. They both turned to face them as the girls were looking at them curiously._

"_Why are you doing this?" Apoch asked._

"_What do you mean? What's wrong with us helping here?" Render asked. Apoch looked at him curiously then down._

"_It's just…after all we did…" she said softly. Render chuckled and shook his head._

"_Forget about it Apoch, really. It's all behind us now." he said._

"_But why though? This isn't your fight, these are our friends that are in danger, you don't even know them." Apoch asked looking back to the boy._

"_They may be your friends, but this is our fight as well. Those witches tried to kill us, and now because of them a war is about to break out between the two worlds. Sorry to say we can't just sit idly by and watch that happen." Render said with a shrug and smile._

"_But you both just gave up your keys…just like that. Why?" Astreal asked. Leon looked at her then down a bit._

"_Because Falla's going to need them far more than we would. Like I said before, opening the box is all I've wanted. Whatever may lie within, and whatever the wish is used for isn't as important to me as letting Selena rest in peace." he said. Astreal looked at him with a gentle gaze._

"_Leon…" she said softly. She glanced to her sister then looked down._

"_I am sorry…about how we tried to deceive you." she said softly._

"_Forget it Astreal, like Render said it's behind us now." Leon said with a nod._

"_We're going to go stretch out a bit before we all head out. Let us know when everybody's set." Render said, then the two boys walked off. Apoch and Astreal watched them go, the two boys rounding the corner and vanishing from view._

"_Sister…" Apoch said softly. Astreal nodded and looked down as she held a hand over her heart._

"_I know. Me too…" she said quietly._

The two witches watched the boys as their hearts were beating a bit faster. They had new hearts again thanks to them and Ceal, the mages having saved their lives from a fatal attack in the human world. They were alive still, and able to continue living their lives in this new timeline for them.

"They forgave us…after all we did they forgave us." Apoch said softly.

"They did more than that, they saved our lives. They did so without hesitation." Astreal said looking down.

_"I'm begging you!" Leon yelled out. The group looked to him as Astreal looked at the boy with wonder._

_"I can't watch another girl die before me like this. I already had to watch my last girlfriend die before me from a bullet, I can't bear to watch Astreal suffer the same fate. What can we do to help them? Tell me!" the boy yelled out in frustration._

_"Mr. Leon…" Astreal said quietly._

Astreal held a hand over her heart, the witch remembering how Leon desperately tried to save her, even by resorting to begging Ceal for help. He had been pushing on in memory of his fallen girlfriend, the mage doing everything he could in his power to honor the life of the girl that he once loved. He wasn't malicious or cruel in the slightest, he was just a boy following his heart without fear of the consequences.

"Is it wrong?" Astreal asked softly as she watched the boy stand near the cliffside, his poofy hair swaying a bit in the breeze as he had his arms crossed before him.

Apoch looked at Render as the boy moved around quickly, the battlemage swinging his swords around precisely as a whistling sound whipped behind them. He had an aura around him again, the witch being captivated from where she was by him as he practiced his fighting.

"I…I don't know…" she said softly.

_"Hope you're enjoying the show in there babe. Don't worry, I'll get you out of there soon." he said confidently as he held the hexed witch at bay with one of his swords._

_"Release her now, or else." he demanded with a confident expression towards Jovian._

_"Wow, you're good. When this is all over you and I should do this again. You know, when you're not a brainwashed killer. Sound like a date?" he asked playfully._

She felt her heart beating faster as she watched him move around, the battlemage focused on his movements as he swung his blades around quickly through the air.

"But…it doesn't feel wrong." Apoch said quietly. She and Astreal looked to each other then to the boys again.

"There you two are." Falla said from behind them. They looked to see the chronofly walking up to them.

"I was wondering where you two went off to after the meeting. What are you doing out here?" she asked. She then looked over and saw Render and Leon, the mages still having not noticed the girls yet. Falla looked at them then to the sisters with a curious expression. The twins glanced to the boys then down at the ground.

"Well…we wanted to…" Apoch said softly.

"It's just…we…" Astreal said quietly. Falla looked between the two then crossed her arms before her with a slight smile.

"You like them after all, don't you?" she asked gently. The girls jumped a bit and looked at her with a bit of a blush.

"Well…they are nice." Apoch said looking back to the battlemage, his movements and confident expression drawing her full attention.

"It's just…is it right?" Astreal asked as she watched Leon stand near the cliffside, the boy thinking about what was going to be happening and hoping he could complete his quest before the world came to an end.

"Is what right?" Falla asked. The sisters looked down then glanced to her timidly.

"It's just…is it wrong to feel something for them? I mean, I'm not being unfaithful to Dark am I?" Apoch asked worriedly.

"I was Rason's angel for so long…am I wrong to…like him?" Astreal asked softly.

"What? Of course it's alright. That's part of the reason we went to the human world, to find our place in this timeline." Falla said looking at the boys. Render struck his straight edged blade down into the ground, jumped off from the hilt, swung his angular blade down and struck a large gash into the ground. He then spun around, grabbed his other sword, then swung both around as grass and dirt flew around him in an arc. Leon held his locket in his hand and looked down, the boy thinking about something as he had remained quiet since he first came out to the cliffside.

"Besides, you're not being unfaithful to Dark now Apoch. Your mark is gone, it was destroyed with your old heart." Falla said looking at the raven haired witch. Apoch nodded and looked down as she held a hand over her heart. Ceal had confirmed for her that her demonic mark from the shadow demon was gone now, the girl no longer bearing any insignia on her new heart.

"And I know how it is to be with somebody for so long Astreal, I went through the same thing with Tsukune. It's not wrong to like him now that you're single, if anything that's a good thing." Falla said gently at Astreal. The witch nodded and looked down, then glanced over to Leon.

"But…he's been fighting all this time for his old girlfriend's memory. How can I…how can I be near him if he's thinking about her?" she asked.

"He was thinking about you when he pleaded for Ceal to save your life." Kyouko said as she walked up to them. The girls looked to seeing the human girl walking up to them with a gentle expression. She smiled a bit then looked to the boys.

"I know you both originally tried pretending to like them before, but it's pretty obvious that you both do care for them. You shouldn't let that pass by." she said softly.

"Kyouko, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to rest in the headmaster's office." Falla said curiously. Kyouko shook her head and looked down.

"I needed to get some air. Besides, I didn't want to be alone right now." she said with a bit of concern. Ruby and the headmaster had explained to the group about Tsukune's condition, how he was isolated in the strange land of Paradise to fight off his bloodlust. How he had gone on a rampage when the bloodlust consumed him and how he was trying to learn to fully suppress it with constant trials of willpower. How Ren was staying with him to keep him under watch, both to provide blood to slate his thirst and to sing him to sleep should he lose control again. The group from the human world were shocked to hear what had happened to him, with Kyouko having a mini freak-out and passing out for a bit. Falla also expressed great concern for the boy, the chronofly however saying that she did believe in him and that if anybody could do the impossible again it would be him. Ceal had glanced to her curiously at that remark yet still showed no further expression about the matter.

"Ms. Kyouko…I'm sorry about Mr. Tsukune." Apoch said softly. Kyouko smiled a bit and shook her head.

"Hey, my cousin took down Alucard, I'm sure he can beat this vampire's bloodlust thing. I just know it." she said before looking down with a worried smile.

"I always knew Moka was trouble for him." Falla said glancing away with a dull expression. She sighed and then nodded.

"Still, you're right. He's the kind of guy that doesn't go down easily. He'll overcome this condition, I have faith in him." she said. The girls nodded then looked back out towards the mages. Render had both swords in his hands as he stood near the cliffside next to his friend, the two talking about something as they were watching the red sea.

"But right now we need to face what's in front of us together. And the first thing that should be done is for you two to tell those two how you feel." Falla said looking to the sisters. The girls jumped and looked at her with surprise.

"What? But…now? Here?" Apoch said nervously.

"I'm…I'm not ready. I don't even know what to say." Astreal said looking down timidly.

"You have to now. You're all heading out to the human world soon. This may be the last peaceful moment you get to tell them. Besides, the setting is perfect. They're alone on the cliffside overlooking the red sea. It's so romantic, just walk out there and tell them what you want to tell them." Falla said with a small smile. The sisters looked to each other then to the mages.

"But…what if this isn't right? I mean…what if they're not right for us?" Apoch said nervously.

"You're kidding right?" Gin said from behind. The group looked to see Kokoa and Gin standing there, with the vampire having her pet bat on her shoulder. Everybody had been informed of how the witch sisters were used by Jovian and Jacqueline in the human world and how the mages managed to strike down the evil sisters and free them. They explained how they were shot in the human world, and how Ceal kept them alive. Everybody was told it was because he was a catalyst mage that he was able to keep them alive with his magic, as well as heal Falla and restore her eye. They all heard how the three mages brought the girls back to the academy to recreate their hearts, and how the two boys revived the girls after the transfer was complete.

"They freed you from those two evil doubles and helped keep you alive. How are they not right for you?" Gin asked.

"It's about time you two found boyfriends of your own in this timeline, so go get them already." Kokoa said with a nod. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then to the mages.

"Boyfriends?" they asked softly to themselves. They glanced to each other then looked back to the two mages.

"But…after how we acted with them. We stole from them, pretended to be interested in them before. How can they believe us that we…do like them?" Apoch asked.

"We pushed them away with our deception before, what if they still don't trust us?" Astreal asked.

"I'd say they trust you now." Razico said from beside the group. They looked over to see Ruby and Razico looking at them.

"But…" Apoch said softly.

"He's right. They willingly gave their keys to Falla, knowing she would be the one to make the wish from Pandora's Box to help save her sister. They trust us, and I'm sure after all you've been through together they trust you." Ruby said gently. She was informed, after she was screaming out of fear from the topic being visited again, that Ceal's family had slain what came from the box for generations. The dragon slayer mentioned that with Falla's chrono magic, Leon's mimicry magic, Render's brute strength, along with his own added power from his necro hand, they would be able to handle what came from the box without a problem. The hunters however still did not tell them that _only_ they would be able to slay what came out, the four knowing that if they did the group would likely not agree to it at all.

"You think so?" Astreal asked looking back to the boys.

"I can see you want to tell them, it's written all over your face." Falla said with a slight smile. The sisters looked down with a blush and glanced to her. Falla looked at them gently then to the boys.

"Well, you don't have to say a word if you don't want. But just know this, once you all leave here to find the others, you may not get a real chance to say otherwise. You don't want that lingering 'what if' in your head while you're out there, do you?" she asked. The sisters shook their heads and looked back out to the boys.

"But…what do we say?" Apoch asked.

"I felt so sure about Rason when I asked him, but…with Leon…I feel a sense of doubt." Astreal asked.

"No you don't." Ceal said from behind. The group looked to see him and Gabriel walking up towards them. Ceal was out of his human school uniform, the boy wearing black tennis shoes, black jeans, and a black t-shirt again. He had his black leather glove over his reptilian hand as he showed no real expression. Gabriel was dressed in white tennis shoes, blue jeans that were ripped open at the knees, a white t-shirt, and a green Yokai Academy jacket he left unbuttoned.

"What do you mean we don't?" Astreal asked.

"Where did you guys get those clothes?" Kokoa asked.

"Provided courtesy of your headmaster. I wanted to get out of those damned school clothes into something more comfortable so he offered what was in the school's lost and found. Not going to complain much, they fit at least." Ceal said plainly.

"I needed something that would look more normal in the human world, and to cover my wings." Gabriel said with a shrug and a weak smile.

"You look great Ceal." Falla said with a small smile, the girl having trouble showing any real joy knowing her sister was likely suffering in a dark world right now. She was trying to be positive and focused, but the thought of Luna being used like Rin had explained was causing her to feel a sense of sorrow. She along with the others were trying to remain optimistic that she wouldn't have been subjugated to such abuse yet.

"Always with black huh?" Razico said. Ceal glanced to him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're one to talk hunter." he said.

"His name's Razico, why do you keep calling him hunter?" Ruby asked.

"Because that's what he is witch." Ceal said flatly. Ruby looked at him with a bit of annoyance and shook her head. Ceal looked to the sisters then to the mages out by the cliffside.

"Mr. Ceal? What do you mean?" Apoch asked.

"I mean you two know damned well that you want to be with those two idiots out there." he said looking to the witch. The witches twitched at that then showed a bit of discontent.

"Hey, don't speak about Render like that." Apoch said sternly.

"Yes, Leon isn't an idiot either." Astreal said firmly.

"Always with the attitude." Razico said flatly. Ceal rolled his eyes then looked to the two mages on the cliffside.

"Look, we have a lot to focus on right now. The world is about to start another war with monsters, your friends are going to be killed tonight, and Falla's sister is trapped in the dark world by some cowardly monster." he said plainly.

"What's your point?" Apoch asked. Ceal glanced to her and shrugged.

"My point is that with everything looming ahead and everything we're about to face, you two seem more interested in these two than anything." he said. The sisters looked at him curiously as everybody looked to them.

"What? What do you mean?" Astreal asked.

"You two followed them out here while we were still inside talking about our next move. You two haven't left their sides ever since we came to this place. You two keep staring at them like love-struck schoolgirls." Ceal said simply. The sisters looked at him with surprise then down.

"What? That's not true." Apoch said shakily.

"Tell me, not the ground." Ceal said flatly. The two girls looked at him with worry as he glanced between the two.

"Go on. Tell me, pointblank. Tell me you feel nothing for them." he said simply.

"Why…do you care so much anyway?" Astreal asked shakily.

"I don't. I don't care in the least if you have any feelings for those two idiots. Frankly you'd be better off without them." Ceal said looking away. Apoch growled and formed her sword in her hand as Astreal's wrist glowed a bit.

"Stop calling Render that!" Apoch shouted out.

"Leon is not an idiot, take that back!" Astreal yelled as she aimed her hand at the boy. He glanced to them with a raised eyebrow.

"Willing to take me on like this, and all for boys you don't care about?" he asked. The sisters growled a bit as they held their magic at the ready. Ceal smirked a bit and looked at them.

"One is a boy who rushes into a fight without thinking clearly, and another is a boy who can't move on from the past. And you're both going to fight me to defend that?" he asked amusingly.

"Shut up!" Apoch yelled out loudly, the girl's voice echoing out a bit. The group looked to her as she held her blade towards Ceal.

"Render doesn't just rush into a fight. He may be a battlemage but he's no fool. When Ms. Jovian used me as her shield he always protected me from her attacks while holding me at bay. He never harmed me, not once! He could have easily cut through me, he could have overpowered me and took me down if he was so eager to kill. But he didn't, and he saved me because of it!" she declared.

The image of him fighting against Jovian, the battlemage using his blades to deflect her attacks while he carefully kept Apoch back without harming her, flashed before her mind.

"He drew Ms. Jovian out of the building to keep her from harming any more humans at the school, he tried to save as many lives as he could!" she shouted out. She looked down slightly as she showed a bit of clarity.

"And when he held me…during the movie night…" she said softly.

_His aura…_

"He was so gentle…yet protective. He…he made me feel safe." she said softly.

_That feeling…_

"He wasn't some bloodthirsty killer…or some foolish fighter. He…" she said softly.

_Render…_

She growled then looked to Ceal with fire in her eyes as she held her blade at the ready.

"He was a real gentleman. Just as he's always been. Every girl in school has seen it, that's why they're so attracted to him. That's why they hound him everywhere he goes. It's because they can feel what he really is, his aura that shows his true nature. He's confident, bold, chivalrous, so much that it's literally radiating around him. He's not some barbarian Mr. Ceal, he's a proud warrior!" she yelled out. Ceal looked at the girl amusingly then to Astreal, the witch keeping her aim on the boy with narrowed eyes.

"How dare you insult Leon like that. There's nothing wrong with wanting to honor his fallen love. You yourself are so set on avenging your own family, who are you to say Leon can't fulfill his deceased love's wish in life? He's the bravest boy I know. Even knowing Pandora's Box could very well be his end he pushes on for her, he refuses to give up for her." she said sternly.

The image of him when he declared that he would push on for her, the look in his eyes and raw determination, flashed before her eyes. How he always held the locket around his neck, the last memento from his fallen love that also saved his life.

"I would be lucky to have somebody as dedicated and brave as him for a boyfriend, I would be blessed with having somebody as honorable as him. He even saved my life, so I wouldn't share the same fate as Ms. Selena. After how I acted, how I deceived him, how I was used to try to kill him, he still saved my life and forgave me." she said looking down with a gentle expression. She trembled a bit and looked down with closed eyes.

"I know he's still fighting on for his previous love, how she is at the forefront of his mind. How everything he does now is for her." she said softly. She growled a bit then looked to Ceal with fire in her eyes.

"But I'll stand by his side no matter what. I'll help him achieve his goal, even if it may damn the world. I'll be there for him, I won't let him fail with what he truly desires." she said sternly. Her wrist glowed brightly as she growled loudly.

"If anybody were to wield me as their sword, it's him!" she yelled, her hand glowing brightly as she prepared to fire.

BLAM!

The shot flew straight up and into the sky, the girl's arm having been yanked up at the last second. Astreal blinked then looked to her side with surprise.

"Like I said witches…" Ceal said as the group looked to see Render standing next to Apoch and Leon standing next to Astreal, the mimic mage holding her arm up as he smirked at her.

"You don't feel any doubt." he finished as he looked away.

"Render." Apoch said quietly.

"Leon." Astreal said softly.

"You know, if you girls wanted to talk to us you could have come over instead of yelling from here." Render said as he held his swords upright. The group watched as he phased them into the magical ether by moving his hands upwards, the hilts and blades vanishing as a bright glow came from his hands. Apoch slowly dissolved her blade and looked at him with wide eyes.

"No need to attack him Astreal, he did help save your life after all. That and he's been so kind as to help us with this little war coming up." Leon said as he lowered the witch's arm. She stared at him with wide eyes as the group smirked a bit. They had seen the two boys walking up to the group since the witches were yelling loudly, and realized Ceal was trying to get them to be honest about how they felt.

Apoch stared at Render as the boy held his hands together and a bright light flashed from it, the swirling glow spinning around him briefly before vanishing to reveal him standing there in his normal form. He smirked as Apoch blushed a bit.

"Did you…hear me just now?" she asked quietly. Render looked up thoughtfully and put a finger to his chin.

"Well I did hear you saying some things about me not being such a bad guy, but to be honest I was a bit distracted as you looked pretty hot holding that sword of yours again." he said with a shrug and a smile at the girl. She blushed more and looked at him with wonder.

"How long…were you behind me?" Astreal asked nervously.

"Long enough." Leon said looking at the girl with a calm expression. She blinked then glanced to Ceal.

"You…you just said those things…to get us worked up, didn't you?" she asked.

"No, I really do think they're idiots." Ceal said simply. Render and Leon glanced to him with dull expressions as the catalyst mage shrugged.

"But a better question is why are you talking to me when you so obviously wanted to talk to him?" he asked before he walked away. Falla smiled a bit at her friends then followed after him. Gabriel looked at the witches and mages for a moment then walked after the two as well. Gin and Kokoa followed after as the sisters looked to the mages with wonder.

"We'll be at the academy when you're ready to move out. Don't take too long." Razico said with a soft smile before walking off with Ruby, the witch smiling a bit at her friends then following alongside her boyfriend. Kyouko smiled a bit and started walking off.

"You know, I was right before." she said softly as she stopped and glanced back to them. They looked at her as she smiled a bit.

"You guys really do make cute couples." she said, then walked off after the others. Apoch and Astreal slowly looked to the boys as they looked at them curiously. The sisters opened their mouths to speak but stopped as they failed to form any words in their mouths. Render and Leon glanced to each other then watched as the witches looked down timidly.

"Before you speak again, Astreal, may I have a word with you?" Leon asked. The witch looked up to him curiously.

"Um…sure. Of course." She said. Leon started walking towards the cliffside while Astreal glanced to her sister, the raven haired witch just looking at her curiously. After a pause Astreal walked after Leon while Apoch looked back to Render.

"So, an aura huh?" Render asked with a curious smile. The witch smiled a bit and nodded.

"Yes, you seem to give off an aura of…confidence, or something similar. That's why all the girls at our school used to chase you everywhere. I wasn't sure what it was until…until I saw you fighting Ms. Jovian." She said softly. Render looked at her curiously as the girl blushed a bit.

"When you were fighting her…while I was trapped inside of my own mind, I felt it. It was radiating around you while you were fighting and…when I felt it wash over me…" she said before looking down. Render looked down at his body curiously, the boy having been unaware he had been doing such a thing before, then looked back to Apoch. The girl slowly glanced up to him and walked closer.

"I knew you would save me. I knew you would stop her. There wasn't a doubt in my mind." She said softly.

"Huh, honestly I never knew I was doing that. I wonder why-" he said before stopping and seeing Apoch very close to him.

"Um, Apoch?" he asked as he saw she was breathing a bit more heavily.

"And...I know now how all those other girls felt…when they would chase you around everywhere. I understand where they were coming from." She said softly.

"And how's that?" he asked as she looked into his eyes.

"Because I'm one of them now. Because I see you for how you really are. Because…I want you too." She said softly. Render looked at her with a bit of surprise as she slowly put her hands up onto his chest and leaned closer to him.

"You're such a skilled swordsman Render, so brave and daring. You're kind, caring, and a real gentleman. Please…let me be your shield. Yours…and nobody else's." she said as she leaned closer to his face. She paused an inch away from his lips and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please." she said quietly.

Standing by the cliffside Leon was looking out at the red sea as Astreal stood beside him, the witch looking at the boy curiously.

"Leon…about what I said before." She said softly as she looked down a bit. Leon gently held the locket around his neck and glanced to her.

"You know, when Selena died I was heartbroken, crushed inside really." He said. The witch looked up to him as he removed the locket from around his neck and stared at it.

"She and I had been through so much together, been with each other for so long, I just couldn't let her go in my mind." He said gently. Astreal looked at the boy with a gentle gaze then to the locket in his hand. She knew how that was, the girl remembering the angel she used to be with in her own timeline.

"I kept asking myself, what if I had walked in front of her on that day? Would the bullet have stopped in me, and spared her life? What could I have done differently to save her?" he said closing his eyes. Astreal held back her tears and looked down with remorse.

"I swore to push on…to finish what we started in her memory. But…I found myself unable to stop thinking about her, unable to stop wishing to see her again, and unable to look at any other girl. Render kept saying that Selena wouldn't want me to block off everybody from my life, that I should try to move on. But…I couldn't. I couldn't stop loving her even after she died, I couldn't stop thinking she was the only one I could ever have." He said shaking his head slowly.

"Leon…" Astreal said softly. He paused then looked to her.

"Then you came along." He said. The girl looked at him curiously as he turned to face her.

"You came along, and tried to steal the key from me. You came along, and tried to stop me from opening the box in her memory." He said. The girl looked at him worriedly and shook her head, then tried to speak before he continued.

"You came along…and were shot right before me." He said as he gently held a hand to her cheek. She looked at him with wonder as he gazed into her eyes.

"When that bullet went through your heart…I felt as if it went through my own." He said gently. The image of the sisters being shot flashed before his mind, the two girls standing still as blood shot out from their chests. The way they dropped to their knees together, both of them having shocked expressions. The way Astreal slowly looked up to him as she wavered, the mage looking down at the witch with wide eyes. The way the image of Selena looking at him in her final moments came to his mind then, followed by seeing Astreal fall forward as she lost consciousness.

Astreal looked at the boy with a gentle gaze as he looked into her eyes.

"I couldn't bear it. I couldn't bear having to watch you die like that. I knew I would give anything to spare you such a fate, even…" he said before he looked down.

"Even what?" she breathed out.

"Even if it meant having to die in your place." He said looking back up to her. She looked at him with surprise as he nodded slowly.

"As me and Render were distracting the armed soldiers, I realized that I would have switched places with you in a heartbeat, that I would have rather had the bullet hit me than you." He said gently.

"Leon…" she breathed out with wonder. A few tears formed in her eyes as he looked down to the locket in his other hand, the boy removing his hand from her cheek slowly. She gently grabbed it and held it, the two then looking into each other's eyes.

"I don't know if this is right…" he said softly. She looked at him with loving gaze, the girl knowing how he felt.

"But…maybe Render had a point." He said looking over to the sea. The girl watched him walk over towards the edge, his hair flowing a bit in the wind.

"Maybe…me opening the box for Selena is the right thing to do in her memory, but…not pushing everybody else away from me in doing so. I'm doing this so she can rest in peace, that all her efforts to claim the box won't go to waste. It's what she wanted, to be able to say 'I found Pandora's Box'. But she wouldn't want me to be like this, to be closed off from everybody, to never find love again. She would hate me if I did that." He said. Astreal looked at him as her heart was beating faster, the witch's hair flowing in the breeze behind her. The boy looked to the locket, and gently opened it. He looked at the picture of his fallen love, the girl who loved him as well.

"Tell me Astreal, tell me it's not wrong to feel this way…" he said closing the locket. The witch slowly walked up beside him as he glanced to her.

"Tell me it's not wrong…to care for you." He said softly. The witch looked at him with wonder and shook her head.

"It's not wrong Leon…I know it's not. I feel the same way about you." She said softly. He looked at her for a moment then down to the locket. He held it tightly then looked to the red sea, the boy closing the locket in his hand.

"I'm going to fulfill her wish, by opening Pandora's Box. I'll let her rest in peace knowing she helped claim it, as my final gift to her." He said softly. He breathed out, then geared back his hand a bit. Astreal then watched as the boy tossed the locket out into the air, the trinket flying over and down into the red sea. She watched it disappear into the water then looked to Leon with wonder.

"I won't be weighed down by the past anymore…I won't let what happened keep me from living either. Selena would want me to be alive, to be happy. Just as I would have wanted her to be if I had been killed that day." He said softly. He then looked to Astreal, the girl watching as he faced her and gently held a hand up to her cheek.

"Your locket." She breathed out. He shook his head and smiled a bit.

"I don't need a locket for this war. What I need Astreal, is a sword." He said gently. She looked at him with awe as he slowly moved his hand to the back of her head and neck.

"Leon." She said softly as a few tears formed. She leaned closer to him as the boy held her around the waist with his other hand.

"I'm yours Leon…to wield as you see fit." She said, then kissed the boy. He held her close, the two closing their eyes and getting lost in their moment. Astreal felt her new heart beating fast as she was held by the mage, the girl knowing this was real love. And Leon, the boy who was determined to fulfill Selena's desire to claim Pandora's Box, felt lighter now that he had opened up to the witch. He had thought long and hard about how he was feeling about the girl since he came out by the cliffside, and realized that he did indeed care for her. It took a bullet going through her heart and the constant nagging from his friend to realize it, but he finally saw the truth. He was falling for the witch, there was no denying it.

After the kiss broke the two looked at each other with gentle eyes, the witch blushing a bit as Leon held her securely.

"Leon…thank you." She said with a soft smile forming.

"No Astreal, thank you, for saving me." He said softly. She wiped a tear away and nodded a bit, then held him close and rested her head against his chest. He smiled softly and glanced to the red sea nearby.

_Selena, I'll live my life to the fullest just as you would want for me. I promise I'll never forget you, so please rest in peace._

The two leaned back and smiled at each other, then looked off to the side. Astreal jumped a bit in surprise as Leon showed a blank expression. Over by the tree line they saw Apoch and Render kissing as well. However the battlemage was holding her tightly and had her in a dipping position while the witch had a leg hooked around his, the two kissing passionately as they were lost in their own moment. Her arms were wrapped around his neck while he had one arm around her waist and a hand holding her head.

"Oh my." Astreal said softly.

"Classy Render, classy." Leon said flatly.

Over by the tree line Render leaned back and broke the kiss, the boy looking at Apoch as she was breathing heavily with a blush. She was surprised to say the least, as moments after she said 'please' to him he kissed her, dipped her, and held her there. His aura seemed to flare around him briefly, causing the witch to melt in his arms and let him hold her how he wanted. Though she had a feeling even if the aura wasn't there she wouldn't have pushed him away.

"Render…" she breathed out with awe. The boy winked at her and held her securely, the witch holding him around his neck as he leaned in closer to her face.

"Well, since you said please, ok Apoch." He said. She blinked then smiled softly, the girl nodding as she held onto him tightly. He brought her back up onto her feet, the witch smiling at the boy as he held her close still.

"If the world's still spinning after this, how about we have that second date?" Render asked gently. Apoch nodded and held him close, the girl resting her head against his chest.

"Whatever you say Render." She said softly. He smiled a bit and held her close, the girl feeling perfectly safe in his arms. He may look physically weaker than the other boys, but she knew he was strong in his own right. With his heart and, when he used his magic, with his body too. Render and Apoch looked into each other's eyes, then over to the side to see Astreal and Leon walking up to them. The blonde haired witch was holding onto Leon's arm as the two looked between the others. Render chuckled and rubbed the back of his head a bit while holding Apoch close, the witch looking down with a blush.

"So, I see you made the same choice I did buddy." he said.

"No, I chose to give Astreal a proper first kiss, not…what you just did." Leon said raising an eyebrow. Render laughed a bit and shrugged.

"C'mon, nothing wrong with showing how I feel. Besides she seemed to like it." he said looking to his new girlfriend. The witch nodded and held onto his arm with a loving smile. He smiled at the girl then looked back to his friend, then blinked and looked at him curiously.

"Hey, where's your locket? I didn't think you ever took that off." he said puzzled. Leon glanced behind him and nodded.

"Well, I decided to try moving on." he said. Render and Apoch looked at him curiously as the mimic mage turned his eyes to Astreal. She smiled and gently held onto his arm, then looked to her sister. Apoch smiled a bit and looked between the two, then to Render.

"I see. Selena would be happy for you man." Render said gently. He smirked and looked at Astreal as the witch was blushing.

"But not as happy as her apparently." he said with a chuckle. Apoch giggled as Astreal jumped a bit and looked down with a timid smile. Leon smirked at that and looked at his friend.

"I say we've all raised our spirits up a bit now." he said simply. Apoch and Astreal looked to each other then to their new boyfriends. Render nodded then glanced behind him.

"Well, as much as I'd want to stay here and cherish this tender moment with all of us together, I think we'd better join with the others." he said. Leon nodded and looked to Astreal, the witch sisters looking down with concern.

"C'mon, let's go get your friends back." he said. Astreal nodded and looked to him with a gentle smile.

"Thank you Leon, for helping us." she said.

"We're going to need all the help we can get." Apoch said looking to Render. He nodded then looked back towards where the academy was.

"Hey, sounds like fun. Breaking your friends out of jail, preventing a war from erupting between the monster and human world, epic battles and near death experiences." he said with a shrug. He glanced back to Apoch and winked.

"Hell, I'll take this as a second date." he said. Apoch smiled a bit and giggled.

"How romantic, can't wait to hear what you want to do for the honeymoon." Leon said flatly. Render twitched at that and growled at him while Apoch blushed brightly at that remark.

"Hey, what's wrong with fighting alongside my girlfriend? She's quite a capable fighter, and she knows how to handle a sword. What's not romantic about that?" he barked out, the witch sisters watching curiously as they stood together.

"I don't know, call me old fashioned I suppose. I would have thought a walk on the beach or a picnic on the hillside would be more romantic, but I guess Selena had me fooled all those times." Leon said with a shrug. Astreal giggled and glanced to Apoch with an amused smile, the raven haired sister showing a dull expression.

"Hey, dates are supposed to be fun aren't they? Well call me crazy but the thought of an epic battle along with a few close calls for life sounds like a great time. Besides my girlfriend looks damn hot using her sword, you can't tell not to appreciate her fighting spirit and moves." Render said firmly. Apoch glanced to her sister and smiled smugly, the blonde haired witch raising an eyebrow to her.

"Ok, you're crazy." Leon said flatly.

"You just lack the sense of adventure." Render said firmly.

"I'm hunting down Pandora's Box, which took us all around the monster world to collect keys for, and I'm agreeing to go to the human world and risk my life for my new girlfriend's friends that I've never met before. At what point am I 'lacking' the sense of adventure?" Leon said simply. Astreal held in her laughter with a hand over her mouth while Apoch crossed her arms in front of her with a dull expression.

"You don't seem thrilled." Render said flatly.

"I'd be more thrilled if I could be enjoying a normal day with my new girlfriend." Leon said with a shrug. Render laughed a bit and shook his head, with Leon blinking then laughing a bit as well. The sisters looked at them curiously as the boys looked down while laughing softly.

"What's so funny?" Apoch asked.

"It's like Selena always used to say…" Render said looking to Leon. The boy nodded and looked up at the sky with a smile.

"We're treasure hunters, this is the norm for us." he said. Apoch and Astreal looked at their boyfriends with wonder as they stood there, both of them ready to fight alongside their girls for others they've never met before. The boys nodded as they remembered their fallen comrade, then looked to each other.

"Well before we lock horns again I think we should focus on our current situation. Let's get going, we got some monsters to bust out of jail." Render said. He looked to Apoch and winked at her, the girl feeling a sense of his aura again. She smiled softly and nodded, the girl ready to follow her battlemage into danger. Leon nodded then looked to his girlfriend.

"Shall we my dear?" he asked. Astreal looked at him with a gentle gaze, his words reminding her of Rason and his chivalry. She smiled softly and nodded.

"Yes, we shall." she said. The two boys walked ahead of them as the girls followed, the sisters looking at their new boyfriends with soft smiles.

"I think we finally found our place in this timeline." Apoch said softly.

"Yes. Now let's make sure our timeline stays in one piece." Astreal said looking down a bit. Apoch nodded and looked up at the sky, the girl hoping her friends and Luna were going to be ok.

* * *

Standing at the front gate of the academy Falla was looking up at the sky with a worried expression. She wanted to rescue her sister as soon as possible, but knew that they couldn't go after her first seeing as how the others would be executed later tonight. The chronofly was dressed back in her Yokai Academy uniform, the girl wearing it as her other uniform was dirtied, cut up, and had blood stains on from when she was cut apart by her other self. In her pocket she had all four keys to Pandora's Box, the mystic relic being the only way to open a gateway into the darker world to find her sister.

"Please Luna…be alright. We're coming for you soon, I promise." She said softly. She sighed quietly then looked down at the ground. She had both her eyes again, her magic was fully restored, and she had a dragon slayer for a boyfriend. Yet her mood wasn't a celebratory one, the girl unable to take her mind off of all the chaos that was going on around her. She looked behind towards the school and saw a few figures walking towards her. Rin was walking alongside Ruby, the witch looking down in thought as well. She had emerged from Paradise to find the worlds having gone to hell in such a short time. Everything seemed to be going wrong around them, except for one thing. She smiled softly and glanced back to the school, the witch still reeling from what happened in the headmaster's office.

_Ruby and Razico walked into the headmaster's office together, with the man himself sitting at his desk while Rin was sitting on a chair to the side. The siren was listening to her music as she tried to remain calm and hopeful about her sister's capture, along with everything else that was falling apart around her._

"_So then, have you all decided on what to do about this dire situation?" the headmaster asked looking up at them._

"_We have. We're going to the HDA Command Center in the human world, and we're going to get our friends back." Ruby said in a professional tone._

"_I see, and just how do you plan on doing that, if I may ask." the headmaster asked leaning back in his chair._

"_By any means necessary." Razico said firmly. The headmaster chuckled and tilted his head a bit as Rin looked over to them._

"_By any means necessary, does that mean that you might be showing the humans the darker side of us monsters? I don't believe that will do wonders in our defense against this latest turn of events. If you cause a scene that may destroy any possibility of us salvaging this idea of coexistence." the headmaster said shaking his head._

"_With all due respect sir, that idea is already dead in the eyes of the human world so long as the HDA is out there." Ruby said._

"_Are you going to help my sister?" Rin asked worriedly. Razico looked to her and nodded._

"_Yes, we're going to bring her and all the others back here safely." he said gently. He then looked to the headmaster._

"_Those are your students about to be executed, how can you sit here and do nothing?" he said sternly. The headmaster chuckled and looked down to his papers._

"_My duties stretch past this academy, although I am not blind to the dangers they are in. However they are in the human world, and as such they are out of my reach from this matter." he said._

"_Well they're not out of our reach. We're going to bring them back here, whether the HDA and human world want it or not." Razico said sternly. The headmaster paused then slowly looked up to the warlock._

"_And if this prompts retaliation from the human world? If this destroys all hope of peace between the two worlds? Are you prepared to risk so much on the gamble that you can even get to them and bring them back alive?" he asked inquisitively. Razico looked down a bit as Ruby glanced to him._

"_Risking everything for a gamble, that's how Pandora's Box works." he said. Everybody looked at him curiously as the warlock nodded a bit._

"_Render, Leon, Ceal, and even Falla…they know that opening that thing is dangerous, both to them and the world. Yet they still chase after it, be it for revenge, for honor, or for the simple thrill of a fight. In a way, I admire them." he said._

"_Admire them?" the headmaster asked. Razico nodded and looked to the man with a focused expression._

"_They have the courage and fortitude to face something so dangerous, so evil, without fear of what the consequences may be. Well that's what we're going to do here. The HDA Command Center is our Pandora's Box. By breaking in we could be damning ourselves and ruining everything beyond repair. However to not do so would be just as bad to us as we would be forced to watch our friends die." he said firmly. Ruby looked at him with wonder as Rin looked down puzzled, the siren tapping her headphones wondering if she blanked out during that speech or if she just plain didn't understand the analogy._

"_So you're going to risk everything to set things straight?" the headmaster asked curiously. Rin looked at Razico with wonder as the warlock nodded._

"_I see. And you Ms. Tojo, do you share his belief that this is what must be done?" the headmaster asked looking to Ruby. The witch nodded and looked to her boyfriend._

"_Razico is right sir, we can't sit by and let our friends die like this. As much as it may harm our hopes for forming peace in the human world, we must act and save the innocent." she said. Razico smiled a bit at the witch then looked to the headmaster. The man nodded and leaned back in his chair with a curious smile._

"_Well, you're both not students here, and not faculty, so I suppose what you do is out of my control altogether." he said. Ruby looked at him puzzled and pointed to herself._

"_But…I am faculty here sir." she said._

"_Yes, only if you choose to be. However it seems as though you've chosen to follow your warlock in his course of action." the headmaster said simply._

"_Wait...you mean you're firing me?" Ruby said with disbelief. The headmaster chuckled and shook his head._

"_No no my dear, not at all. You are free to come and go from this place as you wish, just as you always have been. Should you wish to return to this place after this is over, you are more than welcome to. If not, I wish you the best of luck in whatever may lie before you." the man said. Ruby looked at him puzzled then to Razico. The headmaster held a piece of a paper in his hands and looked to the warlock._

"_I know our original agreement was for you to bring Pandora's Box here for me, however you do raise a good point. We may just have to rely on the risk of opening it to stop this threat from destroying our worlds, just as you have to risk jumpstarting the humans in their war by saving our captured monsters. Plus, you did manage to bring all four keys to the box here, thus insuring that no other can open it and cause a crisis. For that, I'd say you've done your job well hunter." he said. Razico looked at him with surprise then to Ruby, the witch looking at him with adoring eyes._

"_As I stated before, Ms. Tojo was never confined to this place to begin with. But perhaps hearing it from me personally she will see that she is free to leave with you whenever she sees fit." the man said looking at the paper in his hands. He waited a bit then looked up._

"_Ah, I believe I was correct." he said with a chuckle as he and Rin were watching Ruby kissing Razico, the warlock lying on the ground as the witch had tackled him with a loving embrace. Rin looked at them curiously and tapped her headphones._

"_Um, Mr. Headmaster sir? There's some strange people making out in your office." she said pointing to them. The man chuckled and looked back down to his desk._

"_Indeed there are. A good thing she's not considered faculty at the moment, as that would be a cause for a demotion here." he said with a smirk._

Ruby sighed happily as she looked back ahead. The headmaster had officially given his word that she owed no debt to him for helping her when she first came to the academy, the witch being free to go wherever she wanted without cause of doubt or worry. She was still welcome to help out around the school if she wished, but now she was free to follow Razico wherever he may go, which was something she was set on doing. After the witch had graciously expressed her love and gratitude to the warlock for giving her a guilt-free way to leave the academy, and after he regained himself from her loving embrace, Razico had left to bring the HDA truck towards the academy for the group to use in their rescue. As he did Ruby requested that Rin accompany her to the front gate, the siren following the witch with a curious expression.

"So what is it that you wanted me for?" she asked.

"It's not what I want you for, it's what I'm hoping that can be done for you." Ruby said looking around as they walked up to Falla. The chronofly looked to them and smiled a bit.

"Hey, I saw Razico walk by here earlier, how come you're not with him?" she asked.

"He's bringing us our ride, but I actually was hoping to speak to your boyfriend before we left." Ruby said looking at the chronofly with a hopeful smile. Falla looked at her curiously then over to see Apoch, Astreal, Render, and Leon walking out from the path towards them.

"Hey, we're all set. So…where is everybody?" Render asked looking around.

"Razico is getting our ride. Where's Ceal? I need to speak to him before we go." Ruby said looking around curiously.

"Ceal? I thought he left with you guys earlier." Leon said.

"He and Gabriel were here a moment ago, but they wandered off somewhere. He told me to wait here for him." Falla said looking around.

"Hey." Kyouko said from nearby. The group looked to seeing the human walking up towards them from the school. However she wasn't dressed in her original school uniform this time.

"Kyouko? What are you doing in that outfit?" Falla asked. Kyouko was wearing the Yokai Academy girls' uniform, complete with knee high socks and green jacket.

"Well my other uniform was dirty, and I thought since I'll be staying here with Falla I should look the part." Kyouko said with a shrug.

"Staying here? But don't you want to go back to your home in the human world?" Falla asked. Kyouko shook her head and crossed her arms before her.

"No way, I'm not leaving you alone right now. Besides, I want to see Tsukune again when he recovers from his vampire's condition. Not to mention I'm on your side with all this, not the human's, I think I belong here right now. This is my team's uniform so I'm going to wear it." she said with a shrug.

"Um…I'm not sure if that would be for the best Kyouko, this is a school for monsters." Ruby said with a weak smile. Kyouko looked at her with a dull expression then walked towards her.

"Excuse me, but I _killed_ a monster today. The one that ruined the human city and started this mess. I think I'll be fine here." she said firmly.

"Translation: I'm with Falla who can protect me." Falla said dryly with a smile. Kyouko giggled and winked at her.

"Hey, I'll watch your back, you watch mine. Sounds fair right?" she said. Falla sighed and nodded.

"Well, not like you're missing any school back in your world right now anyway." she said simply. Ruby sighed and looked around.

"I guess as long as Falla's with you you'll be safe, but at least talk to the headmaster about this first Kyouko." she said.

"I already did. Who do you think gave me the uniform?" Kyouko said with a smile. Ruby looked at her with a raised eyebrow then shrugged.

"Well, you're his problem then, good luck kid." she said simply. Kyouko rolled her eyes then looked to Rin, the siren looking around confused.

"How come you wanted me to come out here again?" she asked.

"Because Ceal's going to help you Rin. I hope." Ruby said looking around carefully.

"Help me? Help me with what?" Rin asked.

"Ceal healed Falla's mind with his magic, maybe he can do the same for you." Ruby said looking at the siren. She looked at her curiously as the rest of the group showed puzzlement.

"What do you mean heal her mind?" Apoch asked as the group looked to the siren. Falla glanced to the side then waved with a small smile.

"Ceal!" she called out. The group looked over to see Ceal and Gabriel walking towards the group. The two boys walked over as Falla ran over and hugged the mage. He glanced to her, then slowly held her as well. She looked to him with a smile as Gabriel was looking at the ground in thought.

"We were waiting for you. Where did you two go?" she asked.

"Just needed to talk in private about something." Ceal said looking at the angel. Everybody looked to him as he glanced around at the group.

"Gabriel?" Ruby asked. The angel rubbed the back of his head then glanced to Ceal.

"Well…" he said softly. Falla looked at him then to Ceal curiously. The boy looked at her for a moment then down, his eyes seeming to be gentle for a brief second. Falla looked at him in wonder then down.

"You wanted to know if your family…" she said before trailing off. The group looked to Ceal as the mage looked away.

"If they were…in heaven." Ruby said looking to Gabriel. The angel showed a remorseful expression then looked down again.

"At the time of their deaths monsters weren't allowed into heaven. Their souls are still in the limbo that was a monster's afterlife. I'm sure the Almighty will be sending them to heaven if they were really noble and caring, but there are a lot of souls to sift through." he said softly. The group then looked to Ceal as he closed his eyes while looking down.

"I'm sure they'll be moved into heaven when the Almighty gets to them Ceal, they're honorable monsters." Falla said softly. Ceal glanced away then to the other mages.

"I trust you all will remain focused now?" he asked, the boy not wishing to comment further about his family's right to be brought to heaven. Apoch and Astreal nodded and looked down with soft smiles.

"Yes, thank you for helping us see clearly Mr. Ceal." Apoch said softly.

"We realized our proper place in this timeline." Astreal said looking to her new boyfriend.

"Does that mean that you guys are official couples now?" Falla said looking back to them with a curious smile. Kyouko looked at the sisters with a small smile as they nodded timidly. Render and Leon nodded and looked at the catalyst mage.

"And all thanks to him. Come here buddy, I feel like I can stand to hug you for a brief second. Well, maybe not, but at least shake your hand. The human looking one though, the other one kinda creeps me out." Render said with a laugh. Leon chuckled a bit as Ceal growled quietly.

"I suppose I should thank you as well Ceal, for bringing us all together like this." Leon said with a shrug. Ceal rolled his eyes at that remark.

"I only wanted you idiots to remain focused out there, not to be distracted by such trivial matters." he said looking away. Falla looked at him with a loving smile, the chronofly knowing how proud her boyfriend could be. Render and Leon smirked a bit then looked at Gabriel and Ceal's clothing.

"Hey, where did you guys get those clothes anyway?" Render asked.

"The school's lost and found, they were provided by the headmaster of the academy." Gabriel said. Render and Leon nodded then looked down to their school uniforms, which were dirty and ragged slightly.

"I see…maybe we should take a quick look in there too before we head out." Render said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't mind getting out of these clothes." Leon said as he examined himself.

"I can help you with that." Astreal said eagerly. The group looked to her as she jumped a bit and covered her mouth with her hands, the girl blushing as she realized how that sounded.

"I mean, I can help you find some new clothes, not…I didn't mean…I wasn't trying to sound like…" she stammered. Leon chuckled and nodded.

"I get it Astreal, thank you." he said. The witch smiled softly and nodded.

"We could stand to change out of our clothes as well, they're not exactly in the best condition right now." Apoch said looking down at her uniform. It was dirty, had blood stains, and there was a large hole over where her heart was. Astreal looked down to her clothing and nodded.

"I think I have your old uniforms in my chambers still, you're welcome to use them." Ruby said. The sisters nodded and smiled at her.

"Thank you Ms. Ruby." they said. The elder witch smiled and nodded to that.

"Yeah, I've missed that." she said with a slight laugh. The two witches and mages walked off towards the school as Ruby looked to Ceal.

"Ceal, I've been meaning to talk to you. You said you healed Falla's mind, right?" she asked. Ceal merely nodded as the group looked at Ruby curiously. Ruby looked at the boy carefully then to Rin, the siren looking at her puzzled still.

"Do you think…you can take a look at this one as well? Her mind has a spell over it from when she was a child, one she mistakenly cast upon herself. She forgets everything instantly unless she has her enchanted headphones on." she said with remorse.

"Enchanted headphones?" Kyouko asked. Rin nodded and grabbed her headphones, then handed them over to Kyouko so she could see them.

"Rin no!" Ruby said, the witch then face palming as Rin looked around curiously.

"What…where am I? Who are you?" she asked looking around. She then looked at the headphones in her hand curiously as the group just looked at her with wonder.

"Um, Rin?" Kyouko asked gently. The siren blinked and looked at her puzzled.

"Rin? Is that my name?" she said tilting her head. Ruby sighed and looked to Ceal.

"See?" she said.

"Oh wow, she can't remember anything without wearing those?" Kyouko said. Falla looked at the girl closely then at the headphones.

_Wait a minute…she looks familiar…_

"What happened to her?" Gabriel asked as Rin looked around puzzled then down at her school uniform, the girl tilting her head as she had no idea where she was.

"It's a long story, many things happened Gabriel. But the point is she can't remember anything at all without those headphones. They're one of a kind too, and if they break she'll be clueless for the rest of her life." Ruby said sadly. Falla kept looking at the siren with a careful eye, the chronofly knowing she's seen this siren somewhere before.

"I didn't come here to play doctor. I only healed Falla because I felt sympathy for her at the time." Ceal said crossing his arms in front of him.

"What about when you kept Apoch and Astreal alive? Was that out of sympathy too?" Ruby asked. Ceal growled and glanced away.

"That was for Falla, she would have been unhappy to have her friends die. Same for those two hunters, I needed them to remain focused on Pandora's Box, not being grief-stricken with their loss." he said. Falla looked at him and smiled a bit.

"How long are you going to keep acting like this? We all know you have a heart. You saved Apoch and Astreal because you wanted to, you don't have to be ashamed about that." she said softly. Ceal glanced to her as the girl smiled at her boyfriend, the chronofly then looking back to Rin.

"But…she looks so familiar. I could swear I've seen her before, her and those headphones." she said looking at the siren curiously. Rin looked at the chronofly as the group watched them stand there, both girls looking at each other carefully.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Who are you?" Rin asked cautiously. Ruby grabbed the girl's headphones and put them back on her head, the siren blinking then looking around. She glanced to Falla and looked at her cautiously.

"Why are you looking at me like that Falla?" she asked.

"Wow, she really does need those to remember things." Kyouko said in wonder.

"The poor girl." Gabriel said softly. Falla looked at the siren curiously and tilted her head.

"Have we ever met before?" she asked. Rin looked at her puzzled.

"Yeah, today. Don't you remember?" she asked. Falla showed a dull expression and shook her head.

"No, I mean before today. I feel like we've met before." she said. Rin looked at her curiously and shook her head.

"I don't think so. Sorry, but I've always had a bad memory, even before I got these things." she said holding a hand to her headphones. Falla nodded then looked down in thought, the image of a blonde haired girl and headphones seeming to stick out in her mind. Ruby looked at them curiously then to Ceal.

"Anyway, do you think you could at least try? You may be her only chance at being cured." she said. Ceal glanced to the siren as the girl looked at him curiously.

"And why should that matter to me?" he asked flatly.

"I'm sure Falla would appreciate you helping a girl in need." Gabriel commented. Ceal glanced to him then to Falla, the chronofly looking at the siren curiously. She looked back to her boyfriend and smiled a bit.

"Well, do you think you could at least try for her? Please?" she asked sweetly. Ceal looked at her for a moment then to Gabriel.

"I hate you." he said simply, the angel looking at him with worry as the mage walked up to the siren. The girl trembled a bit and backed up a step.

"You're not going to use those icky tentacle things are you?" she asked nervously. Ceal looked at her then glanced to Falla.

"Of course he's not, right Ceal?" she said with a careful expression at the boy. He rolled his eyes then shook his head, then held out his gloved hand towards her head, the girl backing up a bit with fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you, just hold still." he said. The girl looked to Ruby who nodded then back to the boy. She stepped forward and looked at him worriedly as he rested his hand on her head. Falla looked at the siren curiously then at the headphones, the chronofly sure she had seen this girl somewhere before. As she tried to remember the group watched as a black glow formed around Ceal's gloved hand then crept along the siren's head. The girl looked around nervously then to Ceal as she felt a strange sensation in her head. Falla looked down in deep thought, the girl struggling to remember. Something about a girl with enchanted headphones was poking in her mind.

_What is it, where have I seen this girl before? I know I've seen her, something about her…_

"Well, can you heal her Ceal?" Ruby asked worriedly. The catalyst mage focused his magic on the girl's mind, the boy feeling her mental signature carefully as she watched him with a worried expression. Gabriel watched them curiously then looked to Falla.

"Falla? Are you ok?" he asked. The chronofly nodded slowly then glanced up at Rin.

"I know I've seen her somewhere before…I just can't put my finger on it." she said having a heavy inquisitive expression, the girl trying hard to place where she saw this unique girl. After a moment the black glow around the siren's head receded and Ceal shook his head.

"Her mind isn't damaged like Falla's was, it's merely under a magical seal. I cannot remove such magic from the mind." he said casually.

"I see, I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you though for trying Ceal." Ruby said gently. Rin nodded and looked down.

"Thank you." she said softly. Ceal just looked away and didn't say a word.

"Wow, magical headphones. That's pretty wild, who made those for you?" Kyouko asked. The siren looked at her then to Falla.

"It was them. The chronoflies." she said softly. The group looked to Falla as she looked at the siren with surprise.

"What? We did?" Falla asked. Rin nodded and looked at her worriedly.

"Yeah, I remember big bugs with butterfly wings when I was little. Your friends told me that was you that I saw, and that your race had them enchanted for me." she said. Falla looked at the girl with wonder then to the headphones.

"We did?" she said softly. She walked up towards the girl and looked at the headphones curiously. Something about them was bothering her, the image of them on the girl seeming to be important somehow.

"It was them? Are you sure?" Ruby asked.

"Well, I think so. I just remember big butterfly wings when I was little, around the time I had my memory problem. Then I got these things and I could remember again." Rin said with a shrug. She looked to Falla curiously.

"Your friends said you had healers in your old home, that they must have made these for me." she said. Falla looked at her puzzled then to the headphones.

"We never had to enchant something to have our minds healed. Why…why did they make those for you? And for what purpose, I didn't know our healers could even work on memory problems or removing enchantments over the mind." she said confused. She showed puzzlement and shook her head.

"This isn't right. I don't understand why we would have done that. But…I know I've seen you before, it's killing me trying to figure it out." she said with frustration.

"Well at least she has them so she can remember things." Kyouko said with a shrug. Everybody looked to Falla who was looking at Rin intently. Ceal glanced to her then rolled his eyes.

"You'll have plenty of time to remember Falla, you're staying here with her remember?" he asked. The chronofly nodded and looked down in thought. She was positive she's seen this girl before, the hazy memory seeming to be significant to her somehow.

"We'll explore this issue more when we return, we'll find a way to cure you Rin." Ruby said gently. The siren nodded and looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"Please bring my sister and the others back safely." she said worriedly.

"We will, I promise." Ruby said with a gentle smile. She looked over and saw Gin and Kokoa walking up to the group from the academy, both dressed as usual while Kokoa had her pet bat on her shoulder.

"So we ready to move out? Hey, where are Razico and the others?" Gin said looking around.

"Razico's getting our ride, and the others went inside to get cleaned up before we headed out." Ruby said. Kokoa nodded and looked to Gabriel.

"So you're coming with us? I thought you couldn't be seen in the human world." she said curiously.

"As long as people don't know I'm an angel it's ok. Besides I need to find Rason and Arial quickly, I can't just wait here." the angel said.

"He's going to find Arial and take her straight to heaven after we rescue the others. The sooner he gets her back before she's in any danger the better." Ruby said.

"That and I need to make sure she doesn't find out about Mizore. Otherwise we'll never calm her down or have any peace up above." Gabriel said worriedly.

"I still can't believe she wants Dark like that. That's…just insane." Kokoa said looking down.

"Isn't she a bit young for him though?" Gin said scratching his head.

"Do you have any idea how long it took Yukari to understand that concept?" Ruby said flatly. Gin blinked then nodded with a weak smile. Gabriel sighed and then looked to Falla.

"As soon as I get her back up into the heavenly realm, I'll be coming back to help you find your sister. I really hope she's ok still." he said gently. Falla breathed out with closed eyes and nodded.

"I do too." she said quietly.

"Falla, I'm really sorry for what happened. If we had any idea what was on the other side we never would have even let her near that thing. I hope you can forgive us." the angel said worriedly.

"No, it's not your fault. You offered the job from the Almighty, she accepted because she wanted to help. Nobody knew the truth of what was really in there…I don't blame you Gabriel." Falla said softly.

"I swear Falla, I won't rest until she's back safe and sound." Gabriel said firmly. Falla nodded and smiled a bit at him.

"It's good to have a guardian angel on our side, thank you Gabriel." she said softly. The angel nodded and looked down with a focused expression. He had to get Arial back into heaven, and then he could concentrate on finding the beautiful chronofly that ventured into the darkness. Falla looked at him curiously then with a small smile.

"Um, Gabriel?" she asked. The angel looked at her as she looked down.

"Is…my family..." she asked slowly. Gabriel smiled and nodded a bit.

"Your family is in heaven Falla, I've met with them personally." He said. Falla smiled a bit and nodded, then glanced up to him.

"And…my sister?" she asked worriedly. He looked at her for a moment then smiled gently.

"Complica knows about what happened with you, from what I can tell she's not angry. She's glad you're becoming a good person Falla." He said. Falla shed a tear and nodded then looked up. The group looked at her with sympathy as she closed her eyes.

"I'm glad…she's found peace." She said softly.

* * *

Up in the heavenly city Complica was looking out the window of her room, the chronofly angel showing great concern about the disappearance of her sister and Arial. She started walking around in erratic circles, the girl holding her hands and fidgeting while looking down with worry. Gabriel had informed Mr. and Mrs. Kuyumaya who had told the Cii family that Arial was spotted in the human world. The monster angels were shocked to hear that the snow girl had somehow appeared down below, and were terrified to know that should something happen to the snow angel while she was down in the human world she would be gone forever. The snow angel's parents were at their home praying that their daughter would be returned to them while the Cii family was sympathetic to their plight. Although Arial was seen down below, there was still no sign of Luna, something the chronofly family was devastated to hear. Complica had run to her room crying in fear that she might never see her friend or sister again, the young chronofly now walking around in circles as she just wanted her family and friends to be ok again.

"Arial…how could you go into that thing like that, why would you want to leave heaven?" she asked worriedly. She blinked then nodded.

"Right. Dark, of course. She would be so single minded to do that." She said quietly. She looked back out her window with worried eyes.

"First my sister vanishes into that thing, now Arial too. This is a nightmare." She said softly. She looked down with closed eyes.

"What if my sister never comes back out of that black rift? What if Arial dies again and is gone forever? What if they can't bring them back?" she said shaking her head. She looked up at the sky above their home with pleading eyes.

"Why is this happening? I thought this was supposed to be heaven, I thought this was someplace nothing could ever go wrong in. Why is this happening?" she cried out as she buried her face in her hands. She cried loudly, the girl dropping down to her knees in the middle of her room as she wept for her sister and friends. After she cried for a bit she looked down at the ground with a saddened expression.

"Sister…you were so brave to fly into that thing without fear. And Arial…you went in there without knowing what would happen to you, all just to find Dark again." She said softly. She slowly stood up and looked out her window. The image of her sister and friend flashed before her eyes, the chronofly then looking out the window with a determined expression. The girl then ran into her closet and started sifting through the clothes, the girl tossing out dresses and outfits quickly as she looked for something.

"That does it, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'm not going to lose them, I'm not going to let them disappear like this." She said firmly. After a moment she ran back out, the girl dressed in new clothing. She had white tennis shoes, white jeans, a blue t-shirt and a white headband on. She ran to the side of her room and grabbed her baseball bat, the stick having a smiley face on the end of it.

"If my sister can be brave than so can I." she said with a slightly shaky voice. She looked to the window as she held her bat with one hand, the girl's wings fluttering behind her. She gripped the bat tightly and looked at the window with a bold expression.

"I'll bring them back. I'll bring them both back or my name isn't Complica Cii."


	42. A Common Goal

Driving down the road in a human city a black limo was being followed by a few HDA trucks, the escorts carrying armed soldiers that were assigned to arrest and transport a great dark lord and his two daughters following a reported monster attack. Each truck had several soldiers armed with assault rifles, hand guns, and grenades. They were wearing body armor and tactical gear as the trucks kept close to the limo that was carrying the three vampires along with an HDA official. The vehicles drove along the street and entered a large tunnel, the lights above streaking by as the group of HDA vehicles drove at a brisk pace. The drivers of the trucks were keeping a close eye on the limo while the soldiers were keeping their weapons ready to jump into action.

"I don't like this, if this monster up ahead is such a big shot why don't we just kill him now? Why risk trying to detain him?" one of the drivers said to his comrade sitting next to him.

"I hear he's wanted for interrogation first or something like that. I doubt he'll tell us anything, not like it matters. They'll put a bullet in his head along with his daughters anyway." the man said with a shrug.

"Such a waste if you ask me, heh heh. I know they're not human, but those two girls sure looked good enough for monsters." the driver said with a laugh. The other man chuckled a bit as he looked around at the tunnel lights flashing by.

"I suppose they are, but not like it matters. They're all just monsters, nothing coming their way but extermination." he said.

Suddenly the limo blasted apart furiously, a bright blue light flashing brightly as the flaming wreckage twisted apart around it. The trucks behind screeched to a stop as the soldiers prepped their guns.

"What the hell was-" the driver said before the flames around the limo flared around furiously, the flames swiping the front of his truck and searing through the engine. In the center of the swirling fires three figures were seen.

"It seems the humans have made their choice rather hastily." Issa said as he looked around, the vampire lord standing tall as his black cape flowed behind him in the torrent of power. Akua and Kahlua looked around as they snapped their handcuffs apart and ripped the metal off of their wrists. The three vampires looked back to the trucks as soldiers started jumping out and aiming their guns at them.

"Do they seriously believe they can detain a dark lord and two S-Class vampires with mere soldiers?" Akua said with a raised eyebrow. Kahlua looked at them with discontent as Issa shook his head a bit.

"I had hoped to avoid harming these creatures, I truly did. However it seems they've left us no choice but to defend ourselves." he said simply. Kahlua shifted her arm into a bladed weapon again as Akua formed her chest plate.

"We'll clean up the escorts father, don't trouble yourself." Akua said calmly.

"Yeah, they need to learn some manners." Kahlua said with a pouty face.

"Very well, try not to use lethal force if possible, but stop them however you need to. Afterwards return home, our time in this world is over for now." Issa said looking down the tunnel ahead of the flaming wreckage.

"But father, what about our friends? Something's going on at their school, we have to go help them." Kahlua said worriedly.

"I pray that wasn't Kyouko I saw on the news report, Moka and Tsukune would be devastated to hear that…she met her end that way." Akua said shaking her head. Issa waved his hand back, the vampire's power fluxing around in a wave. The concrete ground around the soldiers cracked apart and blasted to the side violently as troops and the trucks were thrown to the side of the tunnel by his sheer power. The trucks crashed into the wall as the soldiers bounced against the wall and vehicles and tumbled around.

"We will head back to the monster world to await what the other dark lords say about this turn of events, we will not make matters worse by publicly appearing where a monster attack took place. Whether it was your friends or a rogue monster attack causing this uproar it makes no difference, the damage is already done. We being there will not solve anything at this point." Issa said with a slight tone of annoyance. He glanced to his daughters then back down the tunnel.

"Return home after you've dealt with these misguided humans. We'll get this straightened out in due time, but until then do not let the HDA think they can keep my family held at gunpoint and bear no consequence." he said. Akua and Kahlua nodded then dashed to the humans in a blink of an eye. Akua sent a kick to one, the soldier being shot back and through the side door of a truck with a crash, while Kahlua swiped her bladed arm down and destroyed a soldier's gun, the girl then grabbing him with her other arm and throwing him through the windshield of another truck. Akua kicked another soldier back, dodged to the side as a bullet shot past her, then roundhouse kicked another soldier into a spiral, the man smacking into the side of the wall with a crack and dropping to the ground with a groan. Kahlua blocked a few bullets with her bladed arm then swiped another gun apart, the blade also swiping through the front of the man's torso. He keeled over with a scream before the girl kicked him back into a group of other soldiers. As the two vampires worked to take out the soldiers while trying not to inflict fatal injuries Issa walked away while a blue light swirled around him.

"I don't believe Moka and her mate will be pleased about this turn of events, however it seems the opportunity the boy spoke of has passed." he said, the vampire lord then vanishing in a blue flash as he returned to the monster world. Akua and Kahlua continued to take down any remaining soldiers, the sisters worried about their friends in the human world, and what would happen now that war was about to be waged between the two worlds.

* * *

Inside Sun's living room the siren and her two human friends were looking with wide eyes as the room was blanketed with snow. A freezing wind was blowing around furiously while ice spires were protruding up around the room. The girls were shivering and rubbing their arms as they watched a snow angel growl loudly, the little snow girl's eyes narrowed and glowing white. Her hair was frozen solid as her teeth were bared, the girl growling around her lollipop. Her frosted wings were arched back slightly as she had her fists clenched, the girl's rage building after seeing her beloved demon shot and detained by humans, then hearing that he would be executed that night.

"They can't do that…THEY CAN'T DO THAT TO HIM!" she screamed, her power fluxing and causing several large ice spires to blast up around her. A few crashed into the ceiling as the girls watched with surprise.

"Arial calm down! Please!" Marin begged loudly.

"Are you crazy? Turn off the cold already would ya?" Sandra cried out as she shivered loudly. Sun just looked at Arial with wide eyes. Not because the snow angel was throwing another tantrum. Not because the young snow girl was causing damage to her home. It was because Sun was looking with surprise at the monster energy radiating around the snow girl.

_Is that possible?_

The sheer amount of chilled air swirling around the snow angel was casting out a snow storm and freezing the ground below her solid, however that wasn't what caught Sun's eye, as the amount of monster energy spiking from within the snow angel was immense.

_Snow people aren't that strong…are they?_

Arial screamed out in rage as she arched back, the girl's power fluxing wildly as she stomped her foot down. As she did the ice below her cracked while several small spikes of snow and ice jettisoned up around her.

_Is it because she's dead? Is it because she's just angry? Because she came back down to our world? Or…has she always been this powerful?_

"DARK!" Arial cried out, the girl's scream being masked slightly by the howling wind that swirled around her. The window behind the girls on the couch would have shattered had it not been frozen solid by the snow angel's rampaging power. She shook her head with rage then glared at the T.V., which at this point had so much frost on it that the image was mostly obscured.

"I won't allow it…I WON'T ALLOW IT!" she screamed loudly, the girl's power creating ice spires that shot outward from the ground below her. The table was destroyed, a chair was shattered to pieces, and the three girls on the couched leaned back with fright as a few spires stopped just short of impaling them through the head.

"Holy shit…holy shit." Sandra said under a whimper as she stared wide eyed at the spire that nearly killed her.

"Arial…please calm down…please?" Marin said shakily. Sun looked from the ice spire that almost killed her then to Arial with wonder, the siren watching as the snow girl's energy seemed to be growing still.

_How is she doing this? She's just a kid, she can't be this strong._

She looked at the snow angel with puzzlement. If the girl was so powerful, why didn't she stop the evil wizard that attacked her village? Why didn't she stop Dark rather than being scared of him? She displayed a fighting spirit when she came to save the siren from being abducted, and even proved to be a match for the dark monster that held the siren in his grasp. And her power now was spiking yet again and turning the living room into a frozen snow land.

_How could she be this powerful now, yet when she was struck down she was a helpless child?_

Arial growled loudly as the freezing wind howled around her. She started breathing heavily as she shook her head, the girls watching her with fright as they feared this might be their end. Arial shut her eyes tightly and looked down as she trembled, the girl's power flaring around her wildly. She grabbed her head and shook wildly, the girls on the couch watching with wide eyes as they prepared for a big burst of power that would likely be their end. Arial shook with a loud scream held back, then dropped to the ground crying. The girls blinked and looked with stunned expressions as Arial kicked and thrashed around while crying loudly, the freezing wind dying down as the snow flying about vanished.

"No! It's not fair! They can't kill my husband! They can't do this!" the girl whined as she kicked and thrashed around on the frozen ground. The girls on the couch glanced to each other then back to the snow angel.

"What the hell is with this girl?" Sandra said shakily.

"Arial?" Marin asked worriedly. Sun just watched the snow angel cry and scream, the young girl throwing a fit about her beloved demon being taken away. The siren then stood up, maneuvered around the ice spires aimed at the three girls on the couch, then walked slowly over towards the angel. She knelt down and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder, the angel then looking at her with watery eyes. Sun looked at her with a sympathetic expression as Marin and Sandra watched with wonder.

"Sun…Sun they can't do this to him! Dark's not bad, he's not!" Arial cried out as she leapt into a hug with the siren, the girl holding the angel gently as Arial cried. Sun looked at her with remorse as the angel cried into her chest, the snow girl scared and heartbroken about the thought of her demon being executed.

_She is just a child…with all that power inside of her…she's still just a child._

"Holy crap, look at what she did." Sandra said fearfully while looking around the ravaged living room. Marin looked around at the room with wonder then back to the little snow angel. Arial cried loudly then looked up to Sun with watery eyes. She choked back her sobs then stood up quickly.

"Where are they taking him? Where are they taking my Dark?" She asked urgently. Sun looked at her curiously then shrugged. Arial looked at her with devastation then to the humans.

"Do either of you know? Where are they taking him? I need to get to him fast!" she cried out.

"Arial, calm down dear. I'm sorry, but we don't know where they would take him." Marin said worriedly. Sandra just shook her head while still looking at the snow angel with a worried expression, worried about the snow angel throwing another fit. Arial looked at them with sorrow then down.

"No…I need to find him…I need to save him!" she cried out as she ran towards the front door. Sun tried to chase after her, but slipped instantly on the frozen ground and fell face first onto the ice with a thud. Arial reached the front door before Marin grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"You can't go out there now, people will see you! You'll be arrested now too, or worse." she pleaded as the snow girl thrashed around to break free from her grip.

"Let me go! Let me go I have to find my husband! I have to find him before its too late!" the snow angel screamed as Sun looked up at them.

"You can't Arial, you can't go out there. You'll be seen for sure, then you'll be executed as well." Marin said worriedly.

"I don't care! He needs me!" Arial cried out as she tried to yank away still.

"Please Arial, you can't go out there, it's not safe." Marin said as she tried to hold the snow angel back. Sun slowly stood up and balanced herself on the frozen ground, then carefully walked over towards them. Arial yanked her arm free then looked at Marin with frustration and teary eyes.

"You can't tell me to stay here while my husband is going to be killed! You're a wife too Marin, how can you say such a thing?" she cried out. Marin looked at her with concern as Arial looked down with sorrow.

"Wouldn't you try to save your husband if you had the chance? Wouldn't you try to stop him from dying if you could? Wouldn't you?" she said urgently as she looked back up to the woman. Marin looked at her with remorse then down.

"I'm sorry your husband died Marin, I really am. But mine's still alive, he's alive and he needs me. I can't just stand here and do nothing, I can't let them take him from me!" Arial cried out as she started crying again. Sandra looked at the snow angel with worry then around at the damaged room.

"I need to find him…I need to save my Dark. I didn't come down here from heaven just to watch him die!" Arial yelled out, the ground below her freezing over as a cold chill blasted around her. Marin shivered while Sun looked at the girl with wonder. The snow angel's monster energy spiked yet again as the girl screamed, the siren looking at her curiously.

"But…you don't even know where he is. You can't just run around aimlessly with the HDA on high alert for monsters now." Marin said as she rubbed her arms to keep warm.

"I don't care, I'll find a way to him. He's my soul mate, I'll find him wherever they take him." Arial said looking down with frustration.

"But…" Marin said looking at Sun then to Sandra. The siren looked down in thought while Sandra was still shivering and watching the young angel worriedly. Arial growled then looked to Marin with determination.

"I'm going to find and rescue my husband, and there's nothing you can say that will stop me. You hear me? Nothing!" She yelled out. Marin backed up slightly and looked at the angel worriedly as Sun looked at the girl carefully.

"Please Arial, I don't want you to get hurt." Marin said worriedly.

"I don't care what happens to me, I'm already dead. But like hell I'm going to let anything happen to my Dark." Arial said sternly. Marin looked at her then to Sun, the siren looking down at her pad as she was about to write something.

"Look, kid, I know you're a monster and everything, but there's no way you'll get near your boyfriend now, he's-" Sandra started before Arial glared at her, the snow girl's hair frosting over slightly as the air around her grew colder. Sandra blinked then smiled nervously.

"I mean, your _husband_, he's surrounded by HDA forces now, it's not like he's going to get any visitation rights." She said shaking her head.

"She's right dear, you can't help him now, not with this." Marin said worriedly. She looked over to see Sun glancing to her then looking back to Arial. The siren looked at her pad with a careful expression then showed Marin.

I need to borrow your car.

Marin looked at the pad then to Sun curiously.

"What? What for?" she asked. Arial watched curiously as Sun wrote down something else and showed the woman.

I'm taking Arial to look for her husband of course.

Marin jumped in surprise and looked at her like she was crazy.

"Are you crazy Sun? You can't do that, you'll both be taken away just like he was." She said shaking her head.

"What's she talking about?" Sandra asked walking over carefully, the girl slipping a bit on the ice.

"Sun you can't take Arial out there, you're both wanted criminals in their eyes. They might shoot you on sight." Marin said worriedly. Arial looked at Sun with wonder as the siren wrote down something else.

"You're actually thinking of going out there with her? That's insane, more insane than your idea to bring monsters _here_!" Sandra cried out.

"Sun, don't do this. They'll lock you both away, or shoot you right on the spot." Marin said shaking her head. Sun smiled gently and showed them the pad.

We have to try. Besides, the HDA is out of line on this one. Those monsters that defeated Alucard, they can't be all that bad, certainly not ones to terrorize a city. They don't deserve this.

"You can't be serious Sun. Even if you could find out where they were you'll never get them out of the HDA's control. They're a military operated government organization that specializes with dealing with monsters, they'll blow you to pieces before you even walk through the front door." Sandra said shaking her head.

"I agree with you that those monsters shouldn't be treated this way, but…" Marin said worriedly.

"No buts! They have my Dark!" Arial yelled out. Sun glanced to her and smirked, then wrote down something else.

Besides, she's stronger than she looks. With my help we just might be able to do this.

She shrugged with a smile as Marin and Sandra looked at her with worry.

"You're serious. You're actually going to just walk right into their fire line to try to save those guys?" Sandra said in disbelief.

"Sun, I can't bear to lose you too. Please don't go." Marin said worriedly. Sun smiled gently and wrote down something on her pad.

The human race is declaring war on my people, I'm not just going to sit by and do nothing. I don't hate your kind Marin, not at all. I'm not saying I'm against humanity in the least, but I'm not going to let the HDA execute innocent monsters.

Marin and Sandra looked at the pad then to her with worry.

"But must you go? Can't you both stay here where it's safe? Maybe the human government will call off the execution, or reopen negotiations with the monster world." Marin said hopefully.

"Yeah, besides, monster or not she's just a kid, you can't take her out there." Sandra said shaking her head. Sun wrote down something then showed them the pad as she glanced at the living room.

You see what she did here?

Marin and Sandra looked around the damaged living room then back to Sun with a nod. The siren wrote something else down and showed them with a raised eyebrow.

This was just a little fit from the news report. What do you think she'll do if her husband dies?

Marin and Sandra blinked then slowly glanced over to Arial, the snow girl looking at them curiously. Sun wrote down something else and showed them.

If her husband dies there will be no calming her down, she'll unleash her full power in her rage.

Marin and Sandra jumped a bit and looked to the angel with fright. She had unleashed a great deal of her power with a simple tantrum, and there was no telling just how bad the snow angel would react if her beloved demon were to be killed. Although they did have a pretty good idea.

"Holy shit, she'll kill us all." Sandra said under a whisper with fright. Marin looked at the snow angel worriedly then to Sun.

"But…" she said as Sun started to write down more on her pad. She showed them the pad as Arial looked at the frozen T.V, the angel then walking over to it with a curious expression.

The only way she's going to find peace is if she finds her lost love, and the only way we're going to get any peace is to help her.

Marin and Sun looked at the pad then to the angel, the snow girl slowly waving her hand and causing the frost on the T.V. to dissolve.

"Well…she does want to be with her loved one again." Marin said softly.

"I agree, take her far away from here, please. Go find her boyfriend so they can live happily ever after and so that we can just plain live." Sandra begged. Arial glanced back to her with a growl as her hair frosted over slightly. Marin nudged Sandra with a nervous smile, the girl jumping and nodding with a nervous smile as well.

"I mean husband. Husband. Yes, find her husband so she can live happily ever after and not kill us." She said with a shaky laugh. Arial looked at her for a moment then back to the T.V.

"But…where will you go? We don't even know where they took them." Marin said looking at Sun worriedly.

"There!" Arial said pointing at the T.V. with narrowed eyes. The other girls looked to see the news report and walked over to the angel. The camera was showing a woman reporter nearby what looked to be a large crowd yelling and cheering in front something.

"We're coming to you live from in front of the HDA center in Ahwasa where the monsters responsible for today's horror are being taken in by HDA security forces. Crowds of people have gathered out here today in support for the monsters' execution scheduled for tonight." The woman said as the camera panned upward to show a large building behind the concrete barrier. It stood tall, about 30 stories high easily. There were a few helicopter pads extended out towards the top while the sides of the building had a few windows seen against the concrete walls. A few choppers were flying up towards the top of the building while HDA security forces walked around in front of the concrete wall, all of them armed in full gear as they had security dogs on leashes. The crowd was being kept back by a chain link fence that was between them and the outer patrols of the HDA.

"As you can see, the HDA is keeping a strict lockdown on the center as they are on high alert for any monsters still lurking around in disguise. Everybody here however is in full support of the HDA's decision to put these traitorous monsters to death." The woman reporter said looking back at the camera with a focused expression.

"That's where they're taking them. We have to get there right away, before it's too late." Arial said looking back to Sun.

"Ahwasa? That's the city where Alucard was slain." Marin said.

"I guess the HDA thought it would be a good spot to setup camp at." Sandra said with a shrug. Sun looked at the T.V. then to Marin with determination, the siren then holding up her sketchpad.

I need to borrow your car.

Marin looked at the pad and nodded slowly.

"Well…ok. But please be careful Sun, you and Arial can't be captured by them as well." She said worriedly.

"C'mon, we have to go!" Arial said running up to her. Marin looked at her worriedly then to Sun.

"Sun, please…come back home in one piece." She said. Sun nodded with a soft smile and looked to Arial, the snow angel nodding eagerly. Sandra looked at them worriedly then to the T.V.

"I hope you guys have some sort of plan to get those guys out of there though, I don't think Marin's car is bulletproof." She said. Marin looked at the T.V. with worry as Sun looked out the window, the glass finally starting to clear up after the frost had melted off.

"We'll find a way, I'm not going to let them kill my husband." Arial said firmly. Sun slowly nodded then wrote something down on her pad. She showed the humans it as Arial ran over to the door.

We'll be alright. As soon as we get her husband freed we'll come right back, then we'll deal with this conflict together.

Marin and Sandra nodded before Sun ran over to the door as well, she and the snow angel then running out the front door towards the car parked outside. It was a smaller red car used by the human woman, nothing elaborate and certainly nothing that was made to charge into a military compound. The two humans walked over to the front entrance and watched the monsters get into the car quickly, with Arial jumping into the front passenger seat while Sun climbed into the driver's seat.

"Do you think they can really do this?" Sandra said worriedly.

"I hope so. I really do." Marin said softly.

They watched as the car remained there for a moment, then glanced to each other.

"Um…does Sun even know _how_ to drive?" Sandra asked. Marin looked up thoughtfully then back to the car with a worried expression.

"I…don't think so." She said softly.

Inside the car Arial was looking at Sun with surprise as the siren had a curious expression, the girl holding a finger to her lips as she eyed over the steering wheel and levers.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get going!" she cried out. She watched as Sun hesitantly reached for one of the levers, then pulled her hand back with a worried expression. Arial looked at the controls of the car then to the siren.

"You don't know how to drive do you?" she said flatly. Sun glanced to her then looked at the steering wheel in front of her, the girl slowly shaking her head.

Outside the car Marin and Sandra were watching with concern as the car wasn't moving and the engine wasn't started.

"They're never going to make it." Sandra said shaking her head.

"I guess she forgot that little detail in her hurry to help Arial." Marin said softly.

They heard Arial's muffled screams as still the car remained stationary, along with one of the windows frosting over a bit from the inside.

"I guess…one of us is going to have to drive them." Marin said softly. She then looked to Sandra who was staring at the car with a raised eyebrow. She blinked then slowly looked over to Marin.

"Wait…you're not suggesting that _I_ drive them are you?" she said with surprise. Marin nodded as Sandra started shaking her head.

"No way, I'm not going to have a part in this, you drive them! It's your car after all!" she cried out.

"But I need to stay here in town and look after the inn, we have people coming over to fix up the damaged hallway remember? Besides you're a good driver, I'm sure you can handle this." Marin said hopefully.

The car started rocking a bit as more windows froze over, all while Arial's screams were somewhat heard from inside the vehicle. Sandra looked at it then to Marin as she pointed to the car with fright.

"I'm not getting in that thing! Are you crazy?" she cried out.

"I'm sure she'll calm down once she knows you can drive them. It'll be ok." Marin said hopefully as she started pushing Sandra towards the car with a nervous smile. Sandra shook her head and tried to scoot back as the car rocked around a bit in front of them while all the windows were frozen over. She wasn't sure if it was the cold chill from the snow angel or death itself she felt creep down her spine.

"Please! I'm too young and pretty to die!" she pleaded. Marin pushed her around to the driver's side door and knocked on the window. It slowly lowered as frost broke apart and fell out. Inside the car Arial was glaring at them with glowing white eyes as her hair was frozen over. Sun was covered in frost and was shivering, the siren having a frightful expression on her face as she shakily looked up at them.

"Sandra here will give you guys a ride, is that ok?" Marin asked. In a flash Sun bolted out the door, ran to the back door, and hopped in quickly. Sandra watched Sun strapping herself in quickly then looking to her and nodding eagerly. Arial growled loudly as she had her teeth bared, the human girl looking at her with fright.

"Wait, I don't know about this." She said nervously.

"You'll be fine." Marin said as she pushed her forward a bit, the woman then smiling at the group as Sandra looked back to her with pleading eyes. She opened her mouth to speak then looked back to see Arial glaring at her.

"C'mon! We need to go now!" the snow angel yelled, a cold chill then flowing out from the car and making the human girl tremble a bit.

_Oh my god…_she's _an angel?_

Sandra looked to Marin with worry then back to the scary angel, the girl then slowly getting into the car and buckling up. She looked to Marin with saddened eyes as the woman waved at them.

"Drive safe, and hurry back ok?" she said with a soft smile. Sandra slowly nodded and closed the door, then looked to Arial who was staring at her with glowing white eyes still.

"Drive." the angel growled through bared teeth. Sun looked at the snow angel with worry then glanced to Sandra, the human feeling like she was riding with a demon rather than an angel.

"Um…could you…defrost the windows first? I kinda need to see where I'm going." Sandra said nervously. Arial growled then waved her hand, the frost around the windows melting off and vanishing. Sandra started the engine and glanced back to Sun in the rearview mirror, the siren smiling weakly at her. The human whimpered a bit then drove the car down the road as Marin waved them off.

"Please be careful. And please come back in one piece." She said softly as she watched the car drive away.

From the top of the house a woman was watching the car drive off as well. She had short black hair and a black earring in her left ear. She had dark green eyes that had a shimmer to the edges and a sly smile on her face. She wore dark shoes, black dress pants, and a white shirt with a black dress shirt that was buttoned up to her bust. The woman watched the car drive off into the distance and tilted her head curiously.

"So that snow angel is protecting her is she? I guess I'll have to deal with her first, I won't make the same mistake as my predecessor." the woman said in a raspy voice. She chuckled and walked towards the edge of the building, the woman having a sly smile on her face as black feathered wings extended out from behind her. She took off into the sky as Marin walked back into the home, the woman hoping her friends would be ok during their rescue mission.

* * *

Inside Yokai Academy two witches were getting changed out of their dirtied school uniforms and back into their original academy outfits. They were inside Ruby's chambers as the elder witch had their old uniforms from when the girls left the academy, the two sisters getting changed before they joined their new boyfriends in rescuing their friends from the human world. Astreal was looking herself over in Ruby's mirror as Apoch was getting cleaned up in the elder witch's private washroom. The blonde haired witch checked over herself as she was once again wearing the academy clothing she always used to wear.

"I suppose Kyouko was right, this is our team's uniform." she said with a soft smile. She had worn this uniform through all the group's trials and battles, from the chaos at the school to the battle against Alucard. She brushed her hair a bit and smiled softly, the witch thinking about the fact that she had a new boyfriend in this timeline.

_I can't believe it…I actually found somebody for me in this time. I never would have guessed I would have found a mage in the human world of all places, but this is exactly what we had hoped for. We found our place in this world, we found where we belong._

She sighed happily and looked down with a gentle gaze as she put down the hairbrush. She had a new heart now, one that was beating faster at the thought of her mimic mage who she would be seeing again very soon. She looked to her hand, the girl focusing her magic briefly and causing her wrist to glow.

"I'll be your sword Leon, yours and yours alone." she said softly. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror then walked over towards the washroom door.

"Sister, are you about done washing up? We need to get going." she said glancing to Apoch's uniform that was still laid out on Ruby's bed. She waited for a response then opened the door slightly. Looking inside she saw Ruby's washroom, which had a shower, an elegant mirror over a sink, other commodities of a restroom, and a raven haired witch who was naked and holding her glowing sword. Astreal watched curiously as Apoch held her sword of light and struck a pose in front of the mirror, the witch looking at herself curiously. She posed another way in a daring stance and looked at herself in the mirror, the girl smiling softly with a blush. She giggled and posed again as Astreal watched with bewilderment. Apoch swung her sword around gently and struck another pose as she admired herself holding her blade. She glanced over and saw her sister, then jumped a bit and looked to her with a nervous smile as she quickly dissolved her blade.

"Sister, I…I was just getting ready to…um…" she stammered. Astreal looked at her puzzled as Apoch rubbed the back of her head with a nervous laugh.

"What…were you doing?" Astreal asked tilting her head. Apoch looked around nervously and shrugged.

"Um…just…getting cleaned up." she said quickly. Astreal looked at her for a moment then smiled amusingly.

"Really, with your sword?" she asked. Apoch blushed and looked down with embarrassment as Astreal giggled. Apoch looked away then quickly walked past her sister towards her clothes.

"It's nothing, forget about it ok?" she said quickly. Astreal smirked and walked over to her as Apoch was hastily putting her clothes on.

"You know, I've never seen you look at yourself with your sword before, not even after your shadow demon taught you how to use it." she said coyly. Apoch glanced to her then looked down timidly, the girl halting halfway through putting her shirt on.

"Well…it's just…" she said softly.

"It's just Mr. Render said you look…what was it again? Oh yes, 'pretty hot'." Astreal said with a smirk. Apoch blushed and glanced to her. She then smiled a bit and nodded as she looked back down.

"He seems to approve of my fighting abilities, and my swordplay." she said softly.

"He approves of you sister, with or without your sword." Astreal said looking at her sister with a small smile. Apoch nodded and finished getting changed into her Yokai Academy uniform.

"Well, to be honest I find it rather attractive that uses his swords too…" she said softly.

"I think you find more than that attractive, like when he enhances himself for combat." Astreal said with a giggle as she walked past her. Apoch blushed a bit as she thought about Render's combat form, the witch wondering how much muscle exactly was under that shirt.

"Well…I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind." she said looking away with a bashful expression.

_I wonder…how rough he can be…with me._

"You've always gone after the bad boys haven't you?" Astreal said with a giggle as she walked over to the door. Apoch smiled softly and shrugged.

"I can't help it…I like it when they're rough." she said as she finished getting ready. She couldn't deny it, she loved it when her previous boyfriend was a real demon with her, the girl growing used to his ways with great pleasure. Apoch giggled then walked over to her sister and smiled at her.

"Besides, you've always gone for the gentler type of boys, admit it." she said. Astreal looked up in thought about that. She had been attracted to Rason in her old timeline, the angel seeming so kind and caring just at first glance alone. With Leon he had a noble heart as well, one that once the witch saw she found herself being drawn to him as well. She smiled a bit then shrugged.

"I never thought about it like that, but maybe you're right. I guess we do have a 'type' after all." she said, the two sisters giggling then walking out of Ruby's room. They walked down the hall together, their movements perfectly in sync as they looked down a bit with gentle smiles. They were about to travel to the human world to save their friends from execution then possibly witness the monster human war starting all over again. Still, the fact that they finally found new boyfriends was a small bit of relief that they held onto tightly.

"I wasn't aware when we found boyfriends that we would be thrown into a fight with them so quickly." Astreal said looking ahead.

"We're monsters, there's always a fight around the corner." Apoch said looking ahead as well. Astreal nodded and glanced to her.

"Not to mention it sounds like being treasure hunters they're used to this sort of thing too." she said with a smile.

"Our boyfriends are daring treasure hunters and mages. I never would have guessed that's who we would be with in this timeline before, especially with us having moved to the human world." Apoch said with a giggle. Astreal nodded as she held in her giggle, the girls then turning the corner of the hall and walking towards the teacher's lounge.

"Do you suppose they found any clothing that would fit them alright in the lost and found?" Apoch asked curiously. The girls got to the door and opened it, then looked in with wonder.

"What…are they wearing?" Astreal asked with a raised eyebrow. Leon was standing near the window looking outside with a calm expression. He was wearing a Hawaii flower style short sleeve button down shirt that was left undone to show his white t-shirt, a pair of frayed ended blue jean shorts, and worn tennis shoes. Render was stretching out his arms a bit as he was looking around the room with a casual expression, the boy wearing black steel tipped leather boots, black jeans, a white t-shirt with a black and red checkered jacket over it that was left undone. He looked over to the girls and waved at them.

"Hey, we were waiting for you two. All set?" he asked with a smile at Apoch. Leon looked back to them and smiled a bit as the girls looked at them curiously.

"Where did you find those clothes?" Astreal said puzzled.

"I've never seen those worn around here before." Apoch said as the girls walked in. The boys looked to their outfits then to the girls.

"We just found them in the lost and found room. Lucky break huh? These are just like ours back at our place, what are the odds right? I mean seriously, it's like these are the _exact_ same clothes I wore before, so wild." Render said looking at his jacket with a curious smile.

"They fit perfectly as well, can't complain about that." Leon said with a shrug. The girls looked at the very unique clothing style by the boys then to each other. After a pause they looked back to the boys as each one walked over to their girlfriend.

"You look great Astreal, so this is your old uniform from here?" he asked. Astreal nodded slowly as she looked over her boyfriend. She had never seen anyone wear such colorful clothing before.

"I'm loving the color scheme, and the girl wearing it." Render said with a wink. Apoch stopped eyeing him over curiously then slowly looked up into his eyes, the girl blushing a bit as the boy smiled at her. She saw a flicker of that aura again, the girl feeling herself drawn to his confidence suddenly.

Astreal looked over her boyfriend's clothing choice then up to him with a small smile.

"So…are you two ready then?" she asked. Leon nodded then looked to the side, the boy then raising an eyebrow and shaking his head.

"Well I am, give them another minute apparently." he said dryly. Astreal blinked then looked over to see Apoch kissing Render passionately, the witch having jumped into his arms and having her legs wrapped around his waist while her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"Wha…sister! What are you doing, now's not the time for that!" Astreal said shaking her head. Apoch broke from her kiss and looked at Render with loving eyes, the boy looking at her with a surprised smile as he didn't expect the witch to just lunge at him with a kiss like that.

"Um…thank you Apoch." he said unsurely. The girl nodded and slowly touched back down on the ground.

"Sorry, I just…couldn't wait." she said softly. He smiled at her curiously and shook his head a bit.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, I could get used to that actually." he said. The girl smiled softly then looked to see Astreal staring at her with an inquisitive expression. Apoch glanced away and straightened out her skirt.

"Anyway, let's get going. The others will be waiting for us." she said, the witch then looking back to her new boyfriend with a smile. He nodded and the two walked out as Astreal and Leon just watched them.

"She's not normally so…impulsive like that." Astreal said shaking her head.

"Maybe it's that aura she mentioned earlier." Leon said casually. Astreal nodded then looked at him curiously.

"But I didn't sense anything from him that time, I'm not so sure he has any such aura." she said puzzled.

"Well, I've certainly felt better about being in a fight with him before in the past, I'd say he can help boost morale pretty well. Whether or not that's actually him causing that effect I'm not so sure on, but with what's coming our way I hope he can help us all feel more confident about running into a fight." Leon said with a nod. Astreal smiled a bit and looked at her boyfriend.

"I already feel confident Leon, I'm with you." she said softly. He smiled gently and held a hand to her cheek, the girl loving the feel of his touch as she gazed into his eyes.

"Having you by my side makes me feel better about this as well Astreal." he said gently.

"I'll let you use my magic whenever you need Leon, I'll be by your side the entire time." she said as she blushed a bit.

"I appreciate you letting me borrow your magic Astreal, but that's not why I'm feeling better about having you by my side." he said as he gently pulled her closer. She looked at him curiously as he brushed the hair around her ear and held her gently.

"Leon?" she asked softly.

"I feel confident because I have a girlfriend to protect, and I intend to with all my power." he said before he pulled her into a kiss. She closed her eyes and held her boyfriend close, the witch feeling her heart beating even faster for the mimic mage. The mage held her gently as he kissed her, the boy swearing not to let this girl fall before him. After the kiss broke she smiled at him softly.

"Thank you Leon…" she said as she looked into his eyes. He nodded and held her gently.

"Thank you Astreal." he said softly.

"Leon…" she said with loving eyes.

"Astreal…" he said with a gentle expression.

"Leon…"

"Astreal…"

"Again?" Render said from nearby. The two looked to the doorway, where Apoch and Render were looking at them with amused smiles.

"Seriously, what is it with you always doing that?" Render asked with a laugh. Leon smirked a bit and shrugged as Astreal held him close with a soft smile. Render looked at them and shook his head a bit.

"So, you were thinking the same thing too eh buddy?" he said with a snicker as Apoch giggled.

"Again, no. I gave Astreal a proper kiss, not…what you just did." Leon said as Astreal smirked at her sister.

"Hey, my girl likes a bit of kick in her kisses, nothing wrong with that. A kiss has to have energy in it after all." Render said with a shrug. Apoch smiled arrogantly as Astreal gave her a dull stare.

"I prefer to have more feeling in my tokens of affection, nothing wrong with having a bit of class." Leon said shaking his head a bit. Astreal smiled arrogantly while Apoch rolled her eyes. Render and Leon glanced to their girls then back to each other.

"Let's get going and take care of this little problem ahead of us, then we'll finish this little discussion when we get back, buddy." Render said with a challenging smile.

"Whatever you say, pal." Leon said with a similar smile. Apoch and Astreal glanced to their boyfriends then to each other with cocky smiles, each one thinking that their boyfriend was the better kisser. The two couples walked out of the lounge and down the hall, with each girl holding onto their boyfriends' arm. Apoch and Astreal finally had boyfriends of their own, ones that cared for them just the same. Each girl felt like they had found their proper place in this timeline now, and were determined to protect that with all their might.

* * *

Outside Yokai Academy by the front gates Ruby was looking up at the sky with a distant gaze, the witch wishing that she could be spending more quality time with her boyfriend rather than tackling yet another crisis that managed to creep up. Last she saw her treasure hunter she was counting the seconds until his return so they could be together, but this wasn't exactly what she had in mind for spending time with her new boyfriend.

Next to her Rin was leaning against the fence as she looked down at the ground, the siren worried about her sister that would be executed later that night. She already had one sister taken away from her when Ren volunteered to watch after Tsukune in Paradise, and now it seemed her other sister was taken from her after she had followed the group into the human world to be near her hero Ahakon.

Standing near them Gabriel was looking upward with worry. He had to find Arial quickly and get her back to heaven before she was killed and gone forever. That and he had to find the snow angel before she found out that Dark was with Mizore, otherwise there would be no telling how much havoc the snow angel would cause in her fury. Well, there was a pretty good assumption given her last episode which involved a great deal of the monsters heavenly city being frozen solid. The angel sighed a bit and looked at the ground with worry, the boy also worried about Luna's fate. He had to return Arial back to heaven, and then he was determined to find and bring the chronofly out of the darkness that she bravely ventured into, no matter what.

Near the front gate Falla was looking up with worry, the girl also worried about her sister's dark fate. She knew that if her sister flew into the darkness she went straight into the clutches of the evil monster that would use her to breed more chronoflies, something Falla was desperately trying to believe wasn't true. Her sister was the queen of time, so surely she could avoid capture by anyone. At least that's what the red eyed chronofly was trying to believe. She was also worried about Moka and the others, as well as Tsukune with his vampire's condition. It seemed like even though she regained her magic and eye and found a new boyfriend, everything else was falling apart around her.

Next to her Ceal was looking down at the ground with his arms crossed before him, the boy leaning back against the fence as he had a dull expression on his face. His goal of finding and slaying Fafnir was being pushed further and further away as more distractions and conflicts were arising, something that was causing him great annoyance. He was trying to keep focused, to complete this task of saving these captured monsters and trying to prevent a war from breaking out in the human world, however his ambition to slay the dragon that he had sought for so long was causing some restlessness in the boy. It was only the thought that Falla would be saddened, or perhaps even killed, if he did not complete these new tasks that was keeping the boy from breaking off from the group.

And next to Falla was Kyouko, the human girl wearing the Yokai Academy uniform while she was looking around with worry. Her cousin was in a strange land fighting an ancient condition of vampires that took generations to surpass, the human world was moving towards war with the monster world, her friends were scheduled to executed that night, and some mysterious monster in the darkness was threating everybody with untold numbers of minions and followers ready for conquest of the world. The human girl was trying to keep calm and collected about all these events happening at once, the girl telling herself over and over again that her friends could take care of this mess, however she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread for what may be coming up in addition to all the chaos that was already taking place.

Gin and Kokoa were also standing with the group, the couple trying to take in all the horrible things that had been happening that day. They had witnessed Apoch and Astreal being healed with new hearts by strange newcomers after the girls were apparently shot in the human world, watched with shock as their friends were arrested in the human world and scheduled to be executed that night, were told about the return and demise of the evil witch sisters and the dark side of Falla, learned with horror the dark fate Luna may be in as well as the danger for Falla who had her magic and eye restored again, and were tasked with saving their friends and trying to stop a war from breaking out in the human world. It was a lot to deal with, something that the couple had no idea they would be tasked with when they attempted to skip their classes and engage in a little roleplaying in the woods.

As the group was waiting for Razico to return with their ride into the human world Apoch, Astreal, Leon, and Render walked out of the academy and towards them. Falla glanced over to them then looked with a raised eyebrow.

"What…are you guys wearing?" she asked as everybody looked to seeing the four walking up to them. Render looked at his outfit and shrugged.

"We found some clothes in the lost and found, what's wrong with them?" he asked puzzled. Ceal merely glanced to them and shook his head. Ruby looked at them curiously and smiled a bit.

"Well…they're certainly…unique." she said. Apoch looked down with a scoff and held onto her boyfriend's arm.

"There's nothing wrong with how they dress." she said firmly. Astreal did the same and nodded.

"Yes, they have unique tastes in style, what's so wrong about that?" she asked. They twitched and looked to see Rin snickering.

"What's so funny?" the sisters barked out. Rin pointed to Leon and Render's clothing then burst out laughing. The boys looked to each other puzzled then to the siren who was holding her sides.

"They look like something you see in a cheesy manga story!" Rin said as she held herself and keeled over a bit laughing. Apoch and Astreal growled as Render and Leon raised an eyebrow each.

"Hey!" Apoch yelled out.

"They do not!" Astreal yelled out.

"Um…they kinda do." Kyouko said with an amused smile.

"Nobody asked you!" the sisters barked out together.

"I think they look alright, isn't that how people dress in the human world?" Gabriel asked curiously.

"They do if you're part of a street gang or going to the tropics." Gin said with a smirk. Kokoa giggled as Apoch and Astreal growled furiously. Render and Leon looked at their clothes and shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is, I like wearing clothes like this." Render said scratching his head.

"Comfortable, stylish, and unique. Nothing wrong with a little variety." Leon said glancing to the wolf. Apoch and Astreal growled and held onto their boyfriends' arms tightly.

"There's nothing at all wrong with you dress Render." Apoch said firmly.

"Yes, besides the look suits you." Astreal said assuredly.

"Yes, they're both idiots." Ceal said looking away. Rin dropped to the ground laughing while the group looked to him with dull expressions, except for Falla who had a weak smile.

"Stop calling our boyfriends idiots!" Apoch and Astreal yelled out.

"You really do have an attitude problem don't you?" Ruby asked putting her hands to her hips. Falla looked at her boyfriend with a tired smile then down to see Rin rolling around laughing. As she did Falla noticed her headphones, and again something poked in her mind about them.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that you saved my girlfriend's life, were helping us avert another war in the human world, helping us with saving Falla's friends, and were helping us open Pandora's Box, we would have a problem with you buddy." Render said with a narrowed glance. Ceal looked back to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Wow, on that thin of ice am I?" he asked flatly. Render twitched a bit then growled as Leon shook his head.

"At least we have more variety than just wearing black, for somebody who lacks creativity you sure are one to talk." he said. Apoch and Astreal smiled coolly at the catalyst mage as Falla looked back to him. Rin slowly got up and calmed down then looked to the mage. He smiled slyly, which caused the group to jump a bit.

"I don't like it when he smiles like that." Kokoa said worriedly. Kou nodded a bit on her shoulder as he too didn't like the look in the boy's eye.

"Lacking creativity? Oh I doubt that. You'd be surprised how creative I can be dismembering people I dislike." he said with a slight bite. Apoch and Astreal looked at him worriedly as Render looked up in thought.

"Oh yeah…our original third." he said. The group looked to him as he shook his head, the boy then looking back to Ceal.

"You didn't have to massacre him like that just to get the key from him." he said. Falla looked to Ceal with surprise as the mage shrugged.

"He had what I wanted. Wrong place, wrong time." he said. Falla looked at him with concern then down with a weak smile. She knew her boyfriend had a heart, it was obvious by the way he cared for her and saved her friends. Still, based on how he acted cold sometimes and how he claimed he wouldn't let anything stop him from opening Pandora's Box, she wondered just how brutal he was before she met him.

"Must you always be so cold?" Gabriel asked curiously. Ceal glanced to him as the angel shook his head.

"We're your friends here, we're after the same goal. Why must you be so harsh to everybody?" he asked.

"He's not harsh to Falla." Leon said glancing to the chronofly, the girl smiling a bit and looking at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, she's the only one I've seen him actually be nice to." Render said looking at the girl curiously.

"It's obvious you care for her and her friends, why not try being a bit nicer around them?" Gabriel asked.

The group looked to Ceal as he merely gave the angel a dull stare.

"Nicer? I've saved those witches' lives angel. I've given Falla her magic and eye back. I'm agreeing to put aside my own quest that I've been after my whole life to help her save her friends. I'm tolerating being around those two idiots longer than I should have had to. I'm dealing with distraction after distraction after distraction, and I'm not killing you to relieve the growing stress. Are you saying that's not nice enough?" Ceal said coldly with a glare. The group looked at him worriedly as Gabriel gulped a bit. Ruby blinked then looked to Falla.

"This guy's your boyfriend?" she said in disbelief. Falla nodded with a timid expression.

"Yeah." she said softly.

"Well…I mean…when you put it like that…" Gabriel said looking down a bit.

"Let me make something clear here angel, I'm only doing this to make sure Falla remains safe. I don't give a damn about those that are captured right now, and I could care less if the humans want a war. I only want to slay Fafnir, and I will have my wish fulfilled." Ceal said coldly. Gabriel looked at him worriedly then to Falla, the girl looking at Ceal curiously.

"But you do care Ceal." she said softly. The boy glanced to her as she smiled at him.

"I know you do, I can tell. You saved Apoch and Astreal's lives without ever having to. You were the one that organized us going to the human world to get my friends back. You even offered your own key to me so I could go after my sister as well. I can tell you care Ceal, you don't have to act so cold anymore." she said gently. The group looked to her as she walked up to Ceal and gently put her hands against his chest as she leaned in closer to him.

"And I want to thank you, for helping us like this. I don't know what I'd do without you Ceal." she said softly. He looked at her with a calm expression then glanced to the others.

"She's right Ceal. I'm not afraid of you anymore, I know you're one of the good guys like them." Kyouko said.

"Again, he mercilessly slayed dozens of other treasure hunters to get to Pandora's Box. He slaughtered the guy we found as our third before we met Razico. He ripped them all to bloody pieces without a care." Render commented. Falla smiled softly and shrugged.

"They were in the wrong place, at the wrong time." she said softly.

"We've spilled a bit of blood going after the keys as well Render, although I'm sure it wasn't anything in comparison to what he's done." Leon said simply.

"He's doing what he has to, that's all." Falla said with a shrug.

"He used those icky tentacle things on us." Rin said with a tremble. Falla giggled and looked back to her.

"That's just his pet, Xarai. He's not so bad." she said softly.

"His pet?" Rin asked worriedly.

"How on earth did you get something like that for a pet?" Ruby said shaking her head. Ceal glanced to her and held up his gloved hand.

"He followed me home, and I just couldn't send him away." he said flatly. Falla giggled and looked to her boyfriend.

"Show them, show them he's safe. Let them see you're on our side." she said softly. He looked to her as she smiled gently him.

"Please, show my friends you're not some cold hearted killer. Like I know you aren't." she said. Ceal looked at her with a dull expression then to the others. They were all looking at the boy cautiously as Falla stepped back a bit.

"Please Ceal, for me." Falla said softly. Ceal glanced away with a low growl, the boy then snapping his fingers with his gloved hand. The group watched as from the ground below dark tentacles started to sift up through rifts, the limbs swaying around slowly as a low groaning sound was heard from below. The group tensed up a bit as Falla held out her hand and gently brushed one of them.

"You see? He's not bad, he's actually friendly when you get to know him." she said.

"Friendly? This thing tore apart so many hunters like they were nothing." Render said looking around at the limbs cautiously. Rin watched them sway around with fright while Kyouko looked around at them worriedly. Render and Leon watched them move around carefully while Apoch and Astreal moved behind them a bit. Ruby, Gin, and Kokoa watched the dark limbs from below with a bit of surprise as Gabriel looked at them with a bit of fear.

"Xarai." Ceal called out while still looking away. The group looked to him as the necro monster groaned a bit from below.

"Do not attack them. They are…_friends_ of Falla." he said flatly while crossing his arms. Falla giggled a bit and looked to Rin.

"It's alright, come here and touch it. Really." she said. Rin looked at her fearfully and shook her head.

"No way, I'm not touching that thing." she said with a shiver. Kyouko looked around at them then walked over to Falla, the human looking at the dark appendage with a careful eye. She glanced to Falla who nodded then back to the limb.

"Kyouko don't touch that thing, get back." Ruby cautioned. Kyouko showed a forced look of determination then slowly reached out, the girl then touching the limb as it swayed by. It coiled around her hand a bit then let go, the human looking at it with wide eyes. The limb swayed around in front of her then moved away. Kyouko looked to Falla who smiled, the chronofly reaching out and brushing one of the limbs gently.

"You see? Harmless." she said.

"Harmless?" Render said with disbelief.

"I wouldn't go that far Falla." Leon said shaking his head. Falla shrugged with a smile then looked to Rin.

"I promise you they won't hurt you, it's alright." she said. Rin looked at her worriedly then to Ceal, the mage still looking away with a bit of annoyance. The siren looked at the chronofly then at the limbs.

"Kokoa get back, don't." Gin pleaded as the vampire walked forward to the other two girls. She looked at the limbs then to Falla worriedly. The girl nodded as Kyouko just watched the dark limbs sway around them. Kokoa looked at them then slowly held out her hand.

"Ms. Kokoa, don't do it, please!" Kou squeaked. Kokoa paused then glanced to Ceal. After a moment she reached out and gently brushed the dark limb, the girl recoiling back and watching as the appendage merely swayed around a bit. She looked at it then to Falla who smiled at her.

"I told you, he's on our side." Falla said assuredly. Render and Leon glanced to each other then walked over as well. The witch sisters watched them worriedly as they walked up to the limbs. Gin looked around and walked up as well. The three boys slowly reached out and let the limbs brush against their hands, then watched as they swayed around carelessly.

"Well I'll be…you tamed a necro demon." Render said looking to Ceal.

"How is it that you can control this thing?" Leon said looking at the mage. Ruby and the witch sisters looked to each other then slowly walked up as well. Falla explained how Ceal's wish to slay Fafnir with his own hand backfired and cost him his hand, and how he replaced it and his eyes with those of a necro demon. How with his new hand he was bound to this necro monster from the underworld, and had complete control over it. The witches gently touched the limbs with wonder, all of them amazed that this monster of darkness would be acting so gentle and calm right now. Gabriel walked up as well and touched one of the limbs as it swayed by, the angel watching with wonder as a monster from the underworld was so gentle to everybody.

_Rason was certainly right, even the darkest monsters can be friendly if allowed the chance._

"It's amazing, it really is friendly." Ruby said in wonder. She looked over to Rin who was watching with worried eyes.

"Rin, it's alright. It won't hurt you." she said gently. The group looked to the siren who shook her head.

"No way, I'm not touching that thing." she said nervously. Falla looked at her with a worried smile then to Ceal. The boy glanced to her as she tilted her head towards the siren. Ceal rolled his eyes and growled a bit, then walked towards the frightened girl. Rin watched worriedly as he walked up towards her, the girl backing against the fence with wide eyes.

"No, get away, I don't want to!" she cried out. He stopped before her and looked at the girl with a dull expression.

"Listen up siren." he said, bringing everybody's attention to him.

"I'm trusting you to guard Falla while I'm away, something I wouldn't trust to anybody if I had a choice in the matter." he said with annoyance. The girl looked at him worriedly then to Falla.

"I'm leaving her safety in your hands, not because I want to mind you, but because I have to." he said firmly. She looked at him worriedly as a black tentacle came from the ground next to him and swayed around gently, the siren looking at it nervously. The boy reached out and took hold of her hand, the girl looking with fear as she tried to pull it away.

"However, I will thank you for offering to protect her siren." he said, the girl looking at him worriedly as she stopped moving. Falla looked at her boyfriend with loving eyes as the group watched him curiously.

"If I'm going to trust you with her life even though we've never met, the least you can offer is to trust me." he said as the limb slowly moved towards them. Rin watched with wide eyes as he held her hand out towards it, the girl looking from the limb to the boy with fear. He removed his hand from hers and nodded.

"It will not harm you, I promise." he said. The girl looked at him then to the black limb swaying about gently. She gulped then slowly reached out and touched it with her fingers, the limb then slowly coiling around her arm. She trembled with fright and watched with wide eyes as the limb gently brushed around her arm. She looked to the others then to the limb, the dark appendage then letting go of the girl and swaying around in front of her. She blinked then gently brushed it again.

"His name is Xarai siren, and he's going to help bring your sister back to you." Ceal said. The girl looked at him with wonder then back to the limb.

"He is?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Feel pity for those that stand in his way siren, those that would be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Ceal said walking away from her. Rin looked at the dark limb with wonder as it swayed around, the girl thinking how this dark monster would be helping bring her sister back to her. Falla smiled at her boyfriend and walked up to him, then hugged him with the girl resting her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you Ceal." she said softly. After a pause he slowly held the girl as well, the group looking at them with gentle smiles then around at the dark limbs. Falla sighed happily then looked to her friends.

"You see? Ceal's on our side. So is his pet." she said proudly.

"A catalyst mage and a necro demon helping us, makes me feel a bit better about the situation." Gin said with a bit of a smile. Kokoa nodded and looked to Ceal.

"Thank you, for helping bring my big sis back to me." she said softly. Ceal looked at her then away.

"Yes, thank you Ceal, for helping us like this. We could really use all the help we can get." Ruby said with a gentle smile. Falla giggled and held her proud boyfriend with a smile.

"He's just doing what he has to." she said softly. Ceal snapped his fingers and the dark limbs vanished, the group then watching them disappear back into the ground. Rin looked around at the ground then to Ceal.

"You're…really going to help us?" she asked worriedly. Ceal glanced to her as the group looked to him.

"Know this siren, my only goal is to slay Fafnir and to keep Falla safe." he said. The siren looked at him curiously as he nodded.

"And if that means I must kill the one responsible for all this, then I'll do so. Ripping monsters to bloody pieces is my specialty after all." he said with a slight smirk. Rin smiled and nodded eagerly as the group smiled at him a bit. He may seem like a cold hearted killer, but he did indeed have a softer side, one that would protect Falla no matter what. And it just so happens that keeping her safe meant having to help the group tackle this upcoming crisis.

"We'll stop this guy from causing a war, and we'll get our friends back." Gin said with a nod.

"Yeah, them and Luna too." Gabriel said with a focused expression. Falla nodded and held onto her boyfriend tightly, the girl worried still about her sister's fate. She looked with wonder as Ceal lifted her gaze up to his, the boy looking into her two red eyes.

"If he laid a hand on your sister Falla…" he said, the group looking to him as Falla held onto him tightly.

"I'll show you just how brutal I can really be." he said. She smiled softly and nodded, then buried her face into his chest again. Ceal held the chronofly then looked to the others, the group looking at him with focused expressions as well. They all had to move quickly, to save their friends, to save Luna, and to save the world. They were brought together by chance, and were bound together by a common goal.

Ruby looked over to see an HDA truck driving towards them, the witch readying her wand as she looked back to her friends. They all looked to see Razico driving up to them with their ride, then to each other.

"It's time." Ruby said.

"Yes Ms. Ruby." Apoch and Astreal said.

"Here's hoping they give us a good fight." Render said with a smirk.

"Good fight or not, they're not going to win this." Leon said confidently.

"Please, bring them back safely." Rin said worriedly.

"We'll be waiting here for when you get back." Kyouko said.

"Don't worry, this won't take long." Kokoa said cracking her knuckles, her pet bat squeaking in agreement.

"We've dealt with crises before, we can handle this one." Gin said assuredly. Falla looked to Ceal and smiled softly.

"Come back to me soon." she said softly. Ceal nodded and glanced to Rin.

"Guard her with your life siren, or else." he said. The girl jumped a bit and trembled with a nervous smile as Falla smiled lovingly at her boyfriend. Gabriel looked at the truck then to the sky, the boy hoping Luna would be alright until they could go after her.

Razico parked the truck in front of the group and waved to them.

"Hey, let's head out guys, can't keep our friends waiting." he said. Ruby smiled and hopped into the front passenger seat with him, the witch smiling at her boyfriend. The warlock smiled and brushed his hand gently against her cheek, the witch holding it with a blush.

"Well then, shall we go play?" Render said looking to Apoch. The witch giggled and nodded, then they walked to the back of the truck and climbed in. Leon looked to Astreal and smiled gently at her.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded with a gentle smile.

"With you, of course." she said. They then walked towards the back as Kokoa and Gin looked to Falla.

"We'll bring them back, and then we'll get your sister back as well. Whoever did this is going to pay dearly." Kokoa said firmly. Falla nodded and waved to them gently.

"Thank you, and please be careful out there." she said softly. They nodded and walked back towards the truck as Gabriel followed.

"Gabriel." Falla called out. The angel looked to see her smiling at him.

"Thank you, for helping us like this." she said softly. He nodded with a small smile.

"It's my job as a guardian of the human world after all. And don't worry, we'll get your sister back, I promise." he said. Falla nodded with a small smile as the angel walked towards the back of the truck. She then looked to Ceal as he started walking towards the truck as well.

"Ceal…" Falla said softly. The boy paused and glanced back to her. Rin and Kyouko watched as Falla smiled softly at the mage.

"I love you." she said with a tear forming. Ceal looked at her for a moment as the truck engine was going next to them. After a pause he walked back towards her, the girl looking at him with loving eyes. He brushed her hair around her ear with his gloved hand and pulled her into a kiss. Razico and Ruby watched with wonder as Rin looked at them curiously, the girl tapping her headphones as she forgot who they were again. Kyouko smiled a bit as she saw her friend stand there with her boyfriend, the human glad Falla found somebody to be with. When the kiss broke Ceal looked into her red eyes as she blushed a bit.

"Falla, I-" he started before Render peeked out from behind the truck.

"Hey, c'mon Ceal, let's get going. What's the hold up?" he called out.

Ceal showed a blank expression then snapped his fingers, and in doing so a black tentacle whipped out from the ground and grabbed the battlemage around the neck. The boy was thrown around and back into the truck with a crash as Falla glanced to it with surprise. Ceal snapped his fingers again and the tentacle vanished while groaning and shouting was heard from the back of the truck. Ruby and Razico glanced to each other then smiled a bit at the chronofly and mage. Falla looked back to him as he looked into her eyes again.

"Please stay safe Falla. For me." he said before he walked back toward the truck. Falla looked at him with wonder then smiled softly.

"Yes sir." she said with a nod. Ceal climbed back into the truck as Rin and Kyouko looked to Falla.

"He didn't say it back." Kyouko said with a bit of disappointment.

"Say what back? I blanked out during that." Rin said tapping her headphones with annoyance. Falla shook her head with a simple smile.

"It's alright, I know how he feels. I may have said it too soon anyway, but I just couldn't wait. Still, I know he loves me too, I'm sure he'll say it when he gets back." she said with a soft smile. Rin and Kyouko looked at her then to the truck. The three girls waved to them as Razico drove off down the path towards the gateway into the human world. Inside the truck the group was focusing on their task.

Ruby and Razico were reunited finally, but were being thrown into another conflict before they could even enjoy their time together. The witch however had been officially freed from her guilt-induced debt to the headmaster, and was able to follow Razico wherever he may go. The warlock had returned to the witch he loved and wanted to spend his life with, and was determined to keep the world from ending so they could have a future together.

In the back of the truck Apoch and Render were sitting next to each other, the couple readying their minds for combat as they were about to confront HDA forces to rescue the group of monsters that were scheduled to be executed that night. They each had found somebody to be with, and would fight with all their might to keep it that way. Render was more excited about the fighting than Apoch, although the witch was glad to be able to fight alongside her boyfriend in battle nonetheless.

Across from them Astreal and Leon were sitting next to each other, the couple determined to make it through this and to keep each other alive. Astreal finally found her place in this timeline, and wouldn't let anything take that away from her. And Leon had sworn to protect his new girlfriend and keep her alive no matter what, even if that meant preventing a global war and fighting a dark monster from another world.

Next to them Ceal and Gabriel were sitting next to each other, the boys focusing on their own tasks as well. The mage needed to keep the world from ending to keep his girlfriend alive, and to deal with the monster that was causing all this chaos that was keeping him from slaying his dragon. The angel needed to get Rason and his friends out of imprisonment before they were killed, and also had to find and get Arial back to heaven before the snow angel found out about Dark and Mizore. Not to mention he needed to find Luna and rescue her before she was doomed to a dark fate as a breeder for an evil monster in the darkness.

Across from them Gin and Kokoa were sitting together, the couple thinking about what was coming their way. They were about to break into the HDA command center, rescue their friends before they were executed, try to find a wayward angel and send her back to heaven before she found out about Mizore's existence, attempt to find Luna who was being held prisoner in the darkness by opening Pandora's Box which would set loose monsters sealed away by the Almighty himself, and try to stop the humans and monsters from waging another war. Seemed right on par for their usual crises they were being forced to deal with on a regular basis.

As the truck drove off the girls waved to them by the front of the academy gates.

"There they go." Kyouko said. Falla nodded as she watched the truck disappear down the path.

"Good luck." she said softly. She sighed then looked back to the girls.

"How about we head to the cafeteria, I don't know about you but I'm starving." she said with a weak smile. Kyouko nodded with a smile.

"Sure, I could stand to eat something. What kind of food do they serve here anyway?" she asked. Falla giggled and walked with them towards the academy.

"They eat human food here too Kyouko, don't worry. Tsukune did survive eating the food you know. It was the girls that nearly killed him." she said with a dry laugh. The girls laughed a bit as they walked towards the school, with Falla stopping to take one last look down the path.

_I love you Ceal, thank you for making us whole._

She smiled then walked after her two friends. She glanced to Rin curiously, the siren's long hair flowing behind her as she listened to her music. Falla looked at the headphones curiously, the chronofly still unable to place where she's seen this girl before. Still, something about her was driving at her mind furiously, she was positive there was something about this girl that was significant.

Something that was causing a cold chill to run down her spine.


	43. Convergence

Through the cloudy skies in heaven Complica was flying quickly along, the girl having a determined expression on her face as she gripped her bat tightly in one hand. She looked around carefully for any sign of guardian angels, the girl making haste towards her goal before she was spotted. She had flown out of her window and into the heavenly skies, the young chronofly angel desperate to find her missing sister and friend that vanished into a dark rift found in heaven. Although scared on the inside the girl was gathering all the courage she could to brave the darkness in order to find and bring back her friend and family.

"I'll bring you both back, I can be brave too. I can be just as brave as you sister, you'll see. I'll find you, and I'll bring you back." she said as she flew down into a cloudbank, the girl shooting out the other side as she looked around carefully. She had been searching for a while to find this anomaly while also staying out of sight of other angels. The monster souls brought into their city were to remain near their heavenly home, not to venture out into the endless skies away from their own domain. However the young angel couldn't sit by any longer while everybody she cared about was vanishing.

"Where was it again? I know it was over here somewhere." she said looking around carefully. She remembered having followed her sister and the elder this way when the living chronofly first came up to heaven, her sister's memory causing her some heartache while also pushing her forward.

After a while she came across a large cloud, and passing through it she came to a sudden stop. She darted back into the cloud and looked ahead to see what she had been searching for. She saw the dark rift in their realm, the gateway showing a bright darkness inside that rippled out erratically. Flying around it several guardian angels were seen, all of them wearing golden armor over their togas and holding shimmering white swords. They were keeping a safe distance from the anomaly while keeping a sharp eye on it. Complica looked around at the guards then to the rift.

"That's it, that's what my sister flew into. And…Arial as well." she said worriedly. She knew Arial turned up in the human world somehow, however her sister wasn't found anywhere in either realm after she went through the gateway.

"Maybe she's still in there, maybe she's lost in the darkness." she said with worry. She looked around at the guards then to the opening again, the girl gripping her bat tightly as she forced a determined expression.

"I can do this…I can do this…I can do this." she said as she took a few deep breaths. She focused her mind and shifted into the moment in time, the skies around her dulling in color as clouds stopped moving. All the angels stopped moving as well as the girl flew out towards the rift. However behind her the air seemed to distort wildly as she showed a strained expression.

_C'mon…focus. Focus!_

She flew towards the rift while her wings fluttered erratically. Her magic rippled around her and caused multiple rifts and tears to streak behind where her wings flapped through the air. She shifted out of the moment then back in instantly, the girl causing a spike of time to ripple out from where she was.

The guardian angels were flying around the dark rift, all of them keeping a close eye on it while they remained on alert. They had their swords drawn and were ready to fight whatever might try to come from the anomaly. As they circled it suddenly a trail of distorted space seemed to ripple wildly from the nearby clouds into the rift in a blur. The angels looked at it with surprise then around quickly as they readied themselves.

"What was that?" one of them called out.

"I have no idea. Two of you search the surrounding area, the rest of you stay here and keep a sharp on this thing." one said as he looked back down to the rift. Two other angels flew off towards where the distortion trail led to, the guardians unaware that they were only heading to where the distortion started, not ended.

Inside the rift Complica was flying downward, the angel looking around worriedly as there was nothing but darkness all around her. Her body gave off a faint greenish glow, the light rippling from her head to her feet before fading away.

"Where are you sister? Sister?" she called out into the void. She flew down as she held her bat tightly, the girl both scared and worried about what she was doing or where she might be going. After a moment she saw a crackling rift below her, the girl flying towards it as fast as she could. She flew down through the rift, then screamed as she veered up quickly, the girl seeing the ground suddenly rushing up at her. She struck the ground and tumbled into a roll, the girl then collapsing down onto a stone courtyard. She groaned a bit then slowly sat up, the girl looking around while shakily getting back up onto her feet. All around were dark swirling clouds high above, and nearby there was a large palace that was built right into the side of a dark mountain. Stone pillars were seen at the front of the building yet inside it was total darkness.

"Where…is this?" she asked looking around carefully. The wind was howling around above her as lightning crackled around wildly. She looked around and walked over to the edge of the large courtyard. She saw dark clouds swirling around the mountain below her, with small glimpses of light shining through every now and then. The girl looked around curiously as nobody seemed to be around anywhere.

"Ok…they both came here. Now where did they go next?" she asked herself quietly. She looked to the palace nearby and gulped.

"Of course, it would have to be a scary palace in a dark mountain surrounded by dark clouds and lightning where who knows what is lying in wait for anybody to venture in like this, that just figures." she said worriedly. She breathed out then focused her mind, the girl blinking then looking around curiously.

"What…what the?" she said as she tried to shift into time. She swung her other hand around and watched as nothing happened.

"My magic, why isn't it working here?" she asked nervously. She tried again and again to shift into time, the girl looking around puzzled as she wasn't able to do so.

"Why isn't it working? What…what is this place?" she said looking around nervously. She blinked then looked with fright as multiple red glowing eyes seemed to appear around the courtyard. Slowly dark figures shifted into view as the eyes were glaring at the girl still. They were all shrouded in shadows, some seeming to be small while others were as large as the palace itself. Complica trembled and backed up towards the edge of the courtyard with fear, the girl seeing dozens of strange beasts appearing out of nowhere. She shakily brought up her bat and looked around with fright, then over to see a figure walking up to her through the crowds of dark monsters.

"My my, what do we have here?" a man chuckled. He was dressed in dark shoes, pants, and a white shirt with a black dress shirt that was left unbuttoned. He had short blonde hair and black eyes, the man smirking at the sight of the angel. Complica looked at him with worry and shakily held up her bat. The man chuckled and crossed his arms before him as the monsters around the courtyard growled and snarled a bit.

"Another lost soul coming here uninvited. How annoying." he said with a laugh.

"I…I've come looking for my sister and friend…they came through here not too long ago." Complica said shakily. The man looked at her with an amused smile and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, those two. I see your wings look just like the other one's, how interesting. However, it seems you are dead already, so you are of no use to us." he said with a shrug. Complica looked at him with surprise as the monsters around the courtyard started to move closer a bit.

"Wait, you've seen them? Where are they? Wait…what do you mean no use to you? Where's my sister? Tell me now!" she said quickly. The man chuckled and walked towards her, the girl holding her bat closely and shaking a bit.

"She's safe child, she's enjoying her new role here as my lord's property." he said with a dark smile. Complica looked at him with shock then towards the palace.

"What? P…property?" she said shakily. She looked at the man with horror then shook her head.

"What have you done to her? Where is she? Give her back right now!" she yelled as she swung her bat at him. He caught it with one hand and chuckled, the man looking at the girl with a dark gleam in his eyes.

"Like I said, she's enjoying her new role here. You however have no role here, and are not needed." he said with a cruel smile. Complica looked at him with shock then tried yanking her bat away, the man holding it with one hand as the dark monster around the courtyard came closer. The man laughed and tossed the girl with her bat over into the courtyard, the girl tumbling down onto the ground as the dark monsters around growled loudly.

"Feeding time." the man called out playfully. Complica gripped her bat as she slowly started to get up, the girl's hair covering her eyes as she choked back her sobs.

"No…give her back…give her back…" she said shakily as she slowly started to get up. She gripped the bat in both hands as the man watched with an amused smile, the girl standing there as dark shadowy figures crept closer from all around.

"Give her back…" she growled, the girl looking up with a glare at the monsters.

"Stupid girl." the man chuckled as the monsters around her got ready to strike her down and tear her apart. Talons, claws, tails, and teeth were bared as the girl shook her head with anger. She glanced back to the man as he chuckled at her.

A large demon lunged down at her with his claws, the attack striking down and crashing into the stone courtyard. The man looked with surprise as the angel seemed to vanish and reappear in front of him, the girl being seen as she geared back with her bat with both hands while she was flying towards him. The air behind her seemed to distort briefly, the girl having jumped through time in a short burst. Before she swung at the man one thought crossed his mind.

_Impossible!_

WHACK!

The man tumbled to the side as the girl struck at his head with a powerful swing, a tooth flying out from his mouth as he tumbled to the ground while the girl hovered in the air with her wings. The air around her seemed to ripple around wildly as small tears and rifts appeared. The man held his mouth with one hand and stumbled back to his feet, then looked at the girl with disbelief as the other dark monsters looked over to her.

"How…how did you do that? You can't use your magic here in our world!" he yelled out. He blinked then looked at the girl carefully. Her magic was rippling around her wildly, the aura she was giving off seeming unstable and shifting around.

"What…what is this? Your monster energy…it's…" he said. The girl growled then vanished again, a trail of distorted space shooting from where she was to in front of him where the girl appeared again in flash.

WHACK!

The man was struck again in the face, and was shot backwards into a stumble as the girl growled loudly.

"Give her back! Give her back to me right now!" Complica yelled out. The man regained his self then looked at the girl with surprise. Her monster energy was flaring around erratically, but seemed to shift slightly as it swirled around her. She glared at the man with fury, the girl feeling her anger pushing her from hearing that her sister was being held here somewhere. Her power fluxed around, her magic seeming unstable as it caused miniature rifts and sears around her. The man stood upright again and wiped the blood from his face.

_Her monster energy…it's inconsistent. How is she doing this?_

"I said…" Complica growled, the girl gripping her bat with both hands. In a flash she vanished as a torrent of distorted air rippled out from where she was towards the man. In an instant she appeared as she swung down with her bat, the girl creating a spike of torn space that rippled around erratically.

"Give her back!" she yelled. The man watched as the wave of torn space seemed to break apart and twist around randomly around him, the monster looking with confusion then down to seeing Complica holding the bat down to the ground in front of him. She blinked then looked up to seeing her attack had completely missed him. She paused then swung her bat up, and connected it right to his crotch. He cried out as he dropped down holding himself with both hands, the man coughing out as Complica growled with frustration.

"You had enough yet? Give my sister back to me right now!" she yelled as she stood up with her bat in her hands. The man groaned a bit then slowly got up. As he did black feathered wings appeared from around his back as his face shifted to black scales with green ones below his red reptilian eyes. His nose pressed in and his face became flat expect for two large tusks that came from his lower jaw. His blonde hair vanished as his hands formed into claws.

"You little brat…I don't know what you are, but I'm through with this little game." he hissed. Complica looked at him with fear then forced a brave expression again. She then looked around to seeing the dozens of other red eyes of the monsters that were gathering around them. She gulped and looked around worriedly, her magic seeming to die down. The man looked at her carefully as he noticed her monster energy vanished completely again.

"Haha, what's wrong? What happened to that fighting spirit of yours?" he chuckled as he flexed his claws. Complica growled then lunged at him with her bat, the monster again catching it with one hand. She looked with surprise then started trying to yank it back. He looked at her carefully and saw no flicker of monster energy.

_Interesting, she was able to change her monster energy signature to temporarily avoid our suppression of their magic, yet now she seems unable to do so._

"That was a cute trick kid, I gotta say you surprised me. However funs over now, I have other things to be doing rather than babysitting." he said as he backhanded the girl. She tumbled back into a roll with her bat and smacked into the edge of the courtyard, the girl slumping against the stone bricks as she groaned in pain. She shakily got up and looked at the dark monster and the hordes of others behind him. She then looked to the palace behind them, the girl showing fear in her eyes.

"Sister…" she said softly. She looked back to seeing the monster and hordes of dark figures behind him moving closer towards her. She wavered a bit as her wings fluttered behind her, the girl wondering why she couldn't fight now. She had managed to use her magic before, but was unsure as to how she got it to work in this dark world.

"Looks like this is the end of the line for you my lost little soul." the dark monster chuckled as he readied his claws. He darted forward and struck at the girl, the chronofly screaming and swinging her bat up. The claws struck the bat and knocked the girl off the edge of the courtyard into a spiral. She fluttered her wings then looked to see the monster flying toward her with his claws outstretched. She screamed and dove down as the monster gave chase, all while the other dark beasts on the courtyard howled loudly. Complica flew around a bit then looked back to see the winged monster flying at her still.

"You can't get away from me little girl, now hold still!" he yelled as he swung at her. In a flash she vanished as distorted space trailed around the dark monster. He blinked then looked to see Complica flying away in the other direction around the mountain.

"What…how does she keep doing that?" he hissed as he took off after her.

"How did I do that?" Complica said as she looked around at herself. She wasn't sure how, but somehow she managed to dodge around the monster in a shifted moment of time before being kicked back out into the normal time. She looked back to see the monster flying at her and screamed, the girl then flying down towards the swirling clouds. A few rays of light were seen shooting through the clouds as the girl raced towards them.

"Please let that be heaven! Please let that be home! I can't do this, I can't do this!" Complica cried out as she flew towards the flickers of light she saw. She looked back to see the monster closing in on her again with his claws.

"No you don't!" he shouted as he lunged towards her. She screamed loudly, then vanished in an instant as a ripple of time erupted around her. The monster looked at the distorted air where the young chronofly was then around with surprise.

"Impossible…how….how does she keep doing that?" he yelled out. He looked around then spotted the chronofly flying off in the other direction a good distance from him, the girl flying downward toward the swirling dark clouds. She looked back to him with fright then forward as the monster gave chase again.

"Get back here you little brat!" he yelled out as he flew towards her.

The young angel flew down into the clouds as fast as she could, the girl having fear taking over her as the monster was close behind.

"I need to find help, I need to find help fast!" she cried out as she flew down towards the faint signs of light below the clouds. Suddenly a bright flash erupted and she shielded her eyes, the girl flying blind as she exited the dark clouds. She slowly moved her arm and looked to see white clouds everywhere around her against a blue sky.

"Am I back? Is this- AHH!" she screamed as she looked back to seeing the monster flying down from the rift behind her, the opening masked mostly by the moving clouds. Complica screamed and flew away as the monster gave chase. She banked into a cloud and flew around through it, the girl exiting it as the monster shot out behind her. She looked around franticly for any sign of the guardian angels, the angel only seeing the sun shining above and clouds below her.

"Help! I need help! Someone help me!" she cried out. She looked around franticly then down to see a human city below her.

"Wha…this isn't heaven. I…I'm in the human world?" she cried out. She looked up to see the dark monster flying out of one of the clouds, the monster looking towards her with glaring red eyes.

"You won't get away from me!" he yelled as he flew towards her. He geared back for a strike and attacked forward, the claw racing towards the chronofly. The girl shifted into time and dodged to the side, then looked at the monster with discontent. She looked at the frozen monster then to her hands.

"My magic…its working again." she said softly. She looked back to the monster then growled loudly.

"You…jerk!" she yelled as she swung her bat around towards him, the girl striking down and blasting off his head with a chrono infused strike. She looked with surprise as she had destroyed his head, the broken fragments and the blood splatter frozen in time. She looked to her bat then around curiously as she floated next to the destroyed monster.

"It really works again." she said in wonder.

Suddenly her power fluxed erratically and caused a burst of time to ripple around her, the wave tearing apart the monster and searing it away into shredded remains. She looked with surprise as she shifted back, the girl watching as the monster was annihilated by her burst of power. She blinked then looked around worriedly.

"Yep, just as unstable as ever." she said softly. Her magic was always prone to be far too unstable, the girl's mind always racing with way too many thoughts to properly control it. She looked around at the sky worriedly for any sign of the rift, the girl only seeing clouds floating by.

"Oh no…I need to get help. My sister's still trapped in that place." she said as she started flying around. She stopped and looked down worriedly.

"But…I can't go in there alone. I nearly got killed just arriving there, and my magic is even less reliable up there. Oh no, oh no no no no, now I'm stuck here too!" she cried out. She looked around her quickly then down to the human city.

"Arial…I need to find Arial. She needs to know she's in danger here…just like me now." she said fearfully. She flew down towards the human city, then stopped suddenly.

"Oh no, but where is she?" she said looking around franticly. She had no idea where in the human world her friend was, the angel then panicking and flying around in erratic circles with worry.

"This is bad. This is bad bad bad. I'm lost, I'm lost in the human world and Arial is lost in the human world and Luna's in trouble and I'm stuck down here and she's trapped up there and I can't go up there alone I don't know where to go down here and oh no WHAT DO I DO?" she cried out in frustration as she grabbed her hair. She shook her head then looked down at the human city below.

"Calm down Complica, calm down. Don't get worked up, you can't get worked up, calm down." she said to herself quietly. She looked down and saw a figure flying low over the city, a winged figure that was partially obscured by the light.

"Is that…Gabriel?" Complica said hopefully. She took off towards the figure, the girl shifting into time and causing an erratic wave of distortion around her. However she only went a few feet before she shifted out again, the girl looking around franticly.

"No…not now! C'mon, calm down Complica, focus. Focus! Please focus!" she cried out to herself, the girl trying to head towards the winged figure as it flew away over the city. She shifted into time and went a few more feet before she popped out again, the girl unable to keep her mind focused on her magic, especially when she was freaking out.

"Focus! Just please focus!" she pleaded loudly as she tried to follow the winged figure as fast as she could. She jumped in and out of time randomly, the girl very gradually gaining on the flying figure all while causing ripples of distorted air behind her.

* * *

Driving down the streets of a human city a car was moving along with traffic, the vehicle making haste as inside there were three girls trying to get to a nearby city as fast as possible. And by as fast as possible I mean at the posted speed limit as the driver was showing great worry while keeping pace with traffic. Sandra was trembling a bit in fear, not out of fear of being pulled over by a policeman or even the HDA themselves, but in fear of the little snow angel that was glaring at her with frustration.

"What are you doing? We're taking forever getting there like this!" Arial barked out.

"I can't go faster than this, we might get pulled over. If anybody sees you're monsters this little road trip is over." Sandra said shaking her head nervously. Sun was watching the two worriedly before looking outside at the passing homes and cars.

"C'mon, this thing has to be able to go faster than this! Put the pedal to the metal!" Arial yelled out.

"Hey, you wanted a ride there? Then I have to drive at the speed limit or else we're going to attract attention. And I'm not up for a high speed car chase." Sandra said looking at the girl worriedly. Arial growled loudly and thrashed around in her seat as Sun sighed tiredly.

"This is ridiculous, my husband is going to be executed and you're driving like an old lady!" Arial cried out.

"Hey, I didn't even want to be here, it's not my fault _some_ people never learned to drive." Sandra barked out while looking at Sun through the rearview mirror with discontent. The siren smiled weakly and shrugged in response. Sandra groaned with annoyance then looked back ahead.

"Besides, Ahwasa isn't that far, we'll get there in time. But if I may ask, how exactly are you going to break into that place and get your friends out of there? They're armed to teeth with human weaponry made to combat monsters, what are you two going to do against that?" she said glancing to Arial with a raised eyebrow. The snow angel glanced to her then looked down with a focused expression.

"You leave that to me. I'll get my Dark out of there, I won't let anybody touch him. Never!" she yelled out shaking her head and growling loudly. Sun looked at the girl curiously then down, the siren trying to think of an actual plan since the snow angel clearly had a one track mind. Sandra shook her head and looked back ahead with a dull expression.

"You're insane kid, I understand you want to save them but you don't stand a chance against the HDA alone. You would need an army of your own to break into that place." she said simply. Arial growled as the temperature dropped a bit.

"I'll save my Dark, mark my words. I won't let my husband die like this." she said as she bared her teeth a bit. Sandra and Sun shivered and glanced to her as Arial shook with anger.

"I'll kill anyone that tries to take him away from me, I won't let them lay a finger on my shadow demon. I'll show them that his wife is the ONLY one that can touch him!" she shouted out. She closed her eyes and calmed her breathing a bit as Sandra shivered loudly while Sun was rubbing her arms to keep warm.

"And then I'll rescue him from that place, I'll save him just like when I set him free before, only this time we'll be together forever." she said softly. The girls glanced to her as she looked down with a bashful expression and held her hands to her cheeks.

"And then we'll finally get married like we're destined to, then we'll have a home in the snow village and-"

For the next five minutes Sandra was looking ahead with wide eyes of shock while Sun had a stunned expression, both of them hearing how Arial planned on satisfying her demon in every way she could, which involved much more than a girl her age should even be aware about. After her long rant about how she planned to do every carnal thing she could with her demon Sandra slowly looked over to her with an open mouth.

"What…the…hell?" she said shaking her head. Sun looked at Arial with surprise and a slight blush as the snow angel had mentioned a few things that the siren never knew you could do in the bedroom. Arial blinked then looked to Sandra curiously.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What's wrong? How…how old are you?" Sandra cried out. Arial tilted her head curiously at the girl with a blank expression.

"I was 13 when I died. Why?" she asked simply.

"13? How…how the hell did you learn about all that stuff at your age?" Sandra said shaking her head.

"Internet." Arial said simply. Sandra looked at her with disbelief as Sun looked at her curiously.

"Internet? You monsters even have the internet in heaven? And just what kind of websites were you looking at anyway?" Sandra said with shock.

"Well I searched a lot of them, I wanted to make sure I knew everything there was to know about lovemaking for my honeymoon." Arial said looking down with a timid smile and blush. Sandra looked at her with shock then ahead with wide eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin telling you just how wrong this is." she said. Sun looked at Arial with a weak expression then down, the siren knowing trying to tell this angel anything was next to impossible.

The car slowly came to a stop at an intersection in front of a crosswalk, the human girl shaking her head while covering her eyes with her hand.

"First I get roped into driving you two on a suicide mission against the HDA, and now I'm assisting with a minor's attempts to have sex with a monster. What else is going to happen to me today?" she groaned.

From in front of the car a figure flew down and landed on the street, the three girls looking with surprise. It was a woman with black feathered wings. She had short black hair and a black earring in her left ear. She had dark green eyes that had a shimmer to the edges and a sly smile on her face. She wore dark shoes, black dress pants, and a white shirt with a black dress shirt that was buttoned up to her bust. She stood upright as Sandra looked at her with wide eyes.

"Oh c'mon, my luck can't be that bad can it?" she said trembling. The winged woman held her hand out and black lightning seemed to shoot out, the bolt crackling around as she grabbed it and cracked it like a whip. She geared back with the dark electricity snapping around as the girls gasped in surprise. The woman struck towards the car, with the girls ducking down quickly while Sandra screamed out of fear. The dark whip struck off the top half of the car with the windows and roof with a powerful strike, the glass and mangled metal flying off as people all around were screaming and running away in fear of a monster sighting. Other cars took off quickly while the woman cracked her whip back behind her.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sandra cried out looking back up at the dark monster.

"Get us out of here now!" Arial screamed. Sandra slammed her foot on the gas and floored it, the car shooting forward as the woman flew up quickly over them. Sun looked back around as the dark monster turned to fly after them, the siren looking at her with surprise as she resembled the previous two monsters that came after her.

"Holy shit, who is that?" Sandra cried out as she drove at high speed down the road. Following closely behind them the dark monster was flying after them while her whip crackled wildly behind her. Arial and Sun looked back to see monster chasing them then to each other.

"It's another one, why are they coming after us?" Arial said shaking her head. Sun looked at her then slowly pointed to herself with a worried expression and a shrug.

"You? But…why?" Arial said looking back to seeing the monster closing in. Arial aimed her hand and fired out a few ice shards, the projectiles being swatted away by the monster's dark whip. The snow angel fired out another shard before Sandra banked around a corner, the car just missing a passing truck. The girls looked back to see the truck blasting apart into flames as the dark monster flew by and struck her whip through the vehicle as she passed it. The monster banked around the turn and followed after the girls while laughing a bit.

"Holy shit, she's going to kill us!" Sandra cried out.

"Just drive faster!" Arial yelled out as she fired out another large ice shard, the projectile being destroyed by the dark monster's electrical whip.

"Dammit, I can't hit her." she said with frustration. Sun narrowed her eyes and turned to face the dark monster as she stood up slightly in the car. She then glanced around and saw other people nearby on the sidewalks and cars that were being franticly passed by Sandra. The siren growled silently with frustration then looked to Arial shaking her head. The snow angel looked around quickly then to Sandra.

"Get us somewhere where there are no people, hurry! Sun can't use her voice here, she'll harm everybody around us!" she yelled out. Sandra looked around and made a quick turn to the left, the car swerving around a corner as horns blared from stopping traffic. The dark monster banked around the corner and swiped by another car, the vehicle being torn apart by the electrical whip. The monster flew closer and cracked the whip towards the car, the vehicle swerving bit as Sandra dodged a passing car. The monster spiraled around in the air over it then flew towards their car again. She cracked the whip again, the siren ducking down to avoid it. It struck the front seat and blasted off the top half. Sandra screamed as she looked back to see half of her seat missing then ahead as she swerved around another corner. Arial fired off another shard, this one being swatted away with her arm.

"No…I can't shoot her down!" she yelled firing another. The dark monster spiraled around it then cracked her whip toward the siren again, the girl dodging it as the whip struck down at the car. It seared through the metal and took off the side door next to Arial, the girl being yanked to the side as Sandra grabbed her and pulled her away.

"Hang on!" she yelled as she turned the car around another corner, the girls holding on tight as the dark monster kept chase still. She cracked her whip towards the car and struck off the trunk door which flew off mangled and smoking.

"Do something!" Sandra yelled as they drove down the streets with people pointing and screaming at the sight. Arial growled then fired off another shard at the monster, this one also being swatted away by her arm.

"You won't get in my way this time girl." she said as she whipped her energy attack at her. Arial screamed and darted out of the car as the whip struck down and destroyed her seat which tore apart violently. Arial flew over the pavement and extended her wings, the girl banking into the air just barely as the car and dark monster raced down the street.

"No!" Arial cried out as she took off after them with people staring in shock at her frosted wings.

The dark monster laughed and struck her whip again at the car, the attack tearing apart the rear side door as Sun dodged to the side. The monster cracked her whip again towards her, the dark energy wrapping around her arm in a flash. The whip crackled as Sun tried to yank away, the energy whip shocking her as her eyes went wide. She opened her mouth as if she was screaming as Sandra looked back to her with fright.

"Sun!" she cried out as she grabbed her hand while the dark monster tried to yank the siren out of the car. The human held on tightly as she tried to drive with one hand as Sun was showing a strained expression and being yanked hard from the dark monster in the air. Sandra felt the electricity shoot into her as well, the girl trying to remain focused as she held onto her friend tightly.

"You're coming back with me siren, it's your destiny after all." the monster chuckled in a raspy voice.

"No! Let her go! Sun!" Sandra yelled as she swerved her car a bit, the girl holding onto Sun who was trembling wildly, the girl being shocked by the dark whip as it pulled on her arm. She couldn't even use her voice now, the girl's body becoming unresponsive as she was shocked. The dark monster snarled as she tried to yank the girl out of the car, her goal being to take the siren alive to her master. Sun thrashed a bit and looked back to Sandra with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry Sun, I won't let you go!" the girl yelled out as she tried to drive steady still. She spotted a tunnel up ahead and floored it towards it, the girl growling and glaring back at the dark monster.

"Fuck off already!" she yelled out. The monster growled then looked to see the tunnel entrance racing towards her. She yelled as she dodged down quickly, the wings clipping the tunnel wall and throwing her into a spiral. Sun was yanked hard and flew back out of the car, the siren tumbling across the car and into the air. Her wings came forth and she somewhat reoriented before the dark monster tackled her and they tumbled to the ground together.

"No!" Sandra cried out as she hit the brakes and screeched to a stop. The car was smoking and sputtering as it was mangled to pieces, the human girl looking back to seeing the dark monster throwing Sun around on the ground with her whip. The siren jerked about as the energy whip kept her stunned, the girl shakily looking up to seeing the dark monster walking towards her.

"You're coming with me bitch, this joy ride is over." she hissed. Sun opened her mouth to sing, the girl only coughing and shaking a bit as she couldn't use her voice properly now. The dark monster chuckled then looked over to see Arial flying towards her with her ice claws.

"Don't hurt her!" she yelled she flew towards the monster. The dark woman whipped out another black electrical whip with her other hand and snapped it at her, the snow girl banking around and firing off an ice shard toward her back. The shard struck and pieced into her back, her left wing cringing and twitching as it recoiled slightly.

"AH! You…little bitch!" the monster yelled as she struck her whip at the angel again. Arial banked around it then fired another shard, this one being swatted away by the monster's arm. The dark woman whipped her electrical attack and struck Arial's foot, the girl being ensnared and dropping to the ground screaming. She thrashed around as her foot felt like it was on fire.

"You're going to burn you little runt." the dark monster hissed.

"No!" Sandra yelled as she ran over to Arial, the girl dropping to her knees and grabbing the dark whip. She screamed as she was shocked but kept trying to yank it free from the snow girl. Arial watched with a strained expression while she cried out as Sandra tried to free her.

"You as well you filthy bug." the dark monster said as she whipped the snow girl over to the side, the angel taking the human girl over into a tumble before they slammed into the wall. Sandra cried out as she hit the wall while Arial landed on top of her, the angel looking at her with teary eyes as she screamed.

"Arial!" Sandra cried out as she saw the snow girl's pain. She grabbed hold of the dark whip and tried to remove it, the girl getting shocked again as Arial gripped Sandra's shirt in pain. The snow angel was then yanked over into a tumble as Sandra reached out for her.

"No! Arial!" she cried out as the snow girl tumbled over into the road screaming in pain.

"Haha, burn you little insect." the dark monster laughed.

Arial growled loudly as her eyes started to glow white.

"You…wont…keep…me…from…my…HUSBAND!" she yelled out as a blast of arctic air shot around her. The ground under her froze solid as the black energy whip froze over and shattered around her foot. The dark monster looked with surprise as Arial slowly got up, her wings shimmering snow as her hair frosted over. She was breathing heavily as she held up her ice claws towards the dark monster.

"Nothing…will keep me FROM MY DARK!" she yelled as she flew towards the monster with a frozen blast of air around her. The monster looked with surprise then snapped her whip around towards her. Arial darted up over it and fired out a shard of ice toward the monster, the dark woman blocking with her arm again. This time however the shard struck into her arm, the woman screaming as she looked with wide eyes. Sun and Sandra looked with surprise at seeing Arial's attack having connected, the snow angel then diving down toward her foe with frost trailing behind her.

"Impossible!" the woman cried out as Arial closed in, her claw being held back ready to strike.

"She's just a kid!" the dark monster yelled before Arial struck down with a powerful swipe, the attack creating ice shards that erupted from the ground around the impact zone. Sun watched with surprise as the attack unleashed a great deal of monster energy, so much that the tunnel all around them frosted over. Sandra watched with wide eyes as the snow angel connected a direct hit on the dark monster, the girl in awe of the sight of the little snow girl using so much power with her attack.

From the frozen spires of ice the dark woman flew back, her shirts bloodied and frozen as she tumbled back into a roll. The whip around Sun vanished, the girl coughing then slowly standing back up. Sandra shakily stood up and walked over to her as Arial was seen glaring at the dark monster. A torrent of chilled air circled around her as the girl growled loudly at the wounded monster.

"What…what the hell are you?" the dark woman said as she stumbled to her feet with frustration.

"My name is Arial Kuyumaya, the proud wife of the shadow demon Dark Kuyumaya. And you will not keep me from being reunited with my true love!" Arial yelled as the cold air flared around her. The dark woman growled and held her hands together, and from them a dark electrical whip extended out. It crackled wildly as streaks of fire raced along it. She snapped it back with one hand and glared at the snow angel.

"You little runt, you're nothing compared to me!" she yelled as she whipped her attack forward. It flared wildly as black and red flames flashed around it. Arial waved her hand fiercely and created a large ice spire that erupted from in front of her. The whip struck it and destroyed it with a powerful shockwave, sending frost and smoke around in a large cloud. Arial darted up over the attack and flew down towards the monster.

"No don't Arial! You can't go near fire!" Sandra yelled out. The dark monster cracked her whip in front of her creating a flash of bright red and dark flames, the fires swirling around brightly in front of the snow angel. She screamed and veered off to the side, the girl tumbling to the ground and rolling to a stop on the pavement. She coughed a bit then looked back, the girl then rolling to the side as the flaming whip struck down and sliced apart the road. The snow angel tumbled off to the side coughing as she felt dizzy, the heat from the attack making her feeling weak instantly. She growled then threw out an ice shard towards the woman, the attack being vaporized as the whip flew through the air around her.

"Your ice is weak you little insect, time to feel the burn!" the dark monster yelled as she struck her whip towards the snow angel. She rolled to the side as it struck into the ground, the attack melting way the ground and searing the air around it. Arial screamed as she rolled to the side, the girl breathing heavily as she felt lightheaded. She shakily tried to get up as the fiery whip snapped around, then back towards her.

"Arial!" Sandra cried out as she and Sun watched with wide eyes.

Suddenly the right side of the dark monster's torso and her entire arm blasted off into a bloody mess, the woman looking with shock as she stumbled off to the side. Her whip veered off and struck off to the side away from the snow angel, the girl along with her friends looking with surprise at seeing the dark woman lose her arm and part of her body. The air distorted around the dark monster wildly then a girl appeared next to her.

"What just happened? Who…is that?" Sandra said with surprise. Sun just stared with wide eyes at the sight, the girl equally as surprised.

"Complica?" Arial said in surprise. The chronofly was holding her bat with both hands, the girl looking over to the dark monster as she growled.

"You're not Gabriel." she said with frustration. The woman screamed as she was critically wounded, then looked to the chronofly with wide eyes.

"How…what…" she said shakily. Complica growled, then in a flash the dark monster seemed to violently blast apart into pieces as the chronofly shifted over with her bat being held off to the side. The air around her warped around wildly, the ground below them being torn apart fiercely as the bloodied remains flew off and splattered across the road. Sandra and Sun looked with shock while Arial stared with wide eyes. Complica looked around then over to Arial.

"Arial!" she cried out running over to her.

"Complica? What…how…" Arial said looking from the destroyed remains of the monster then back to her friend.

"There you are! What are you doing down here Arial? You can't be here!" Complica cried out. Arial slowly stood up with her friend's help as Sun and Sandra walked over to them.

"Who is this?" Sandra said looking at the young butterfly monster. Sun looked at her with wonder then over to where the little girl apparently annihilated the dark monster with nothing more than a baseball bat.

"Complica, what are you doing here? And how did you do that?" Arial said looking to the remains of the dark monster.

"Never mind that, what are _you_ doing here? This is the human world! You can't be here Arial!" Complica cried out.

"That was amazing Complica, was that how your time magic works?" Arial said looking to the destroyed monster with a big smile. She was grabbed then shaken by Complica as the chronofly looked at her with frustration.

"You can't be here Arial! You're dead! You're dead, this is against the rules!" she cried out. Arial looked at her with surprise as Sandra and Sun looked at the new girl with puzzlement.

"Who is this anyway?" Sandra said pointing to the butterfly girl. Arial broke free from her grip and looked at her puzzled.

"What are you talking about? I came here to be with my Dark of course. Why are you here?" she asked straightening out her shirt. She was again grabbed and shaken franticly by Complica.

"Why do you think? I'm here to bring you back! You can't be here Arial. We're dead! We're DEAD! We have to stay in heaven!" she cried out. Sun and Sandra looked to each other then back to the two girls.

"Wait, she's an angel too?" Sandra said with wonder. Arial broke free from her friend's grip again and looked at her with annoyance.

"Hey, knock that off already. I'm not going to stay in heaven when I can be down here with my husband. There's nothing wrong with that." she said firmly. Again she was grabbed and shaken by Complica franticly.

"EVERYTHING is wrong with that!" she cried out.

"And I'm thinking it's more than just the age difference." Sandra said flatly as she and Sun watched Arial being shaken repeatedly by the chronofly. Arial broke free from her friend's grip once more and growled at her.

"Knock that off already! Give me one good reason why I can't be down here with him!" she yelled out.

"Because if you die down here you're gone forever!" Complica cried out. The girls looked at her with surprise as Complica showed signs of fright.

"What?" Arial asked softly.

"You're a soul Arial, you can't be down here. If you die down here your soul dies and if your soul dies you don't go back to heaven and you're gone forever!" Complica cried out loudly. Sun and Sandra looked at them with surprise as Arial looked at her friend with wide eyes.

"Wh…what?" she said shakily. Complica looked at her worriedly and nodded.

"We're dead Arial. We aren't supposed to be down here. If you die outside of heaven your soul vanishes, you'll be gone from existence forever." she said. Arial looked at her with surprise then down at her body as Sun and Sandra looked to each other.

"I…I will?" Arial asked fearfully as she looked back to her friend. Complica nodded and looked around worriedly.

"Gabriel came down here looking for you, but…but…" she said as she started to cry.

"Complica? What is it?" Arial asked. The chronofly broke down crying and hugged her friend as the human and siren watched them with worry.

"Oh Arial it's horrible my sister didn't come back out of that tear in heaven she didn't come out and then you went in and then you came out but she didn't so I went in there looking for her and all these dark monsters were in there and one said they were keeping her prisoner there and I couldn't use my magic so I ran away and came down here and now I'm trapped down here as well and now I could die and you could die and we could be gone forever and my sister's still trapped in the darkness!" she cried out loudly. Arial held her with a surprised expression as Sun and Sandra watched with wide eyes.

"Holy shit...there wasn't a single comma in that entire sentence." Sandra said shaking her head. Sun looked at the girl with worry as Arial held her crying friend.

"What? She never came out? Oh no, she must have run into those dark monsters too." Arial said looking down with concern. She looked over to Sun, the siren looking at her cautiously. She looked back to the bloody remains of the monster, then over to the angel again with a questioning expression. Arial glanced to the remains then nodded.

"Yeah, just like the two you killed before." she said as she made the same connection that Sun did. Complica looked at her with worry then at the other two girls. Sandra merely waved to her a bit while Sun looked at her with concern. Complica looked at them then back to Arial.

"What other two?" she asked.

"I was chased out of that dark place as well, Sun here killed the monster that followed me out. And then another came after her, she killed that one as well. Those things seem to be after her for some reason." Arial said looking to Sun. Complica looked to the siren with surprise as the girl nodded. The chronofly then looked back to Arial with worry and shook her head.

"We need to get back into heaven Arial, we can't stay here in this world. And I need to tell Gabriel and the others where my sister is, we need to save her!" she cried out.

"I can't go now Complica, Dark needs me. He's going to be executed tonight, I have to save him!" Arial said shaking her head.

"What? Executed? Why?" Complica asked with surprise.

"Monsters are attacking us kid, the governments have declared war on your kind." Sandra said. The chronofly looked at her with surprise then over to Arial, the snow girl nodding worriedly.

"What? But…why?" she asked in disbelief.

"I don't know why, but Dark's being blamed for it. He's being treated like a criminal along with the others that stopped Alucard, they're going to be killed tonight. I need to save my husband before it's too late." Arial said worriedly. Complica blinked then jumped a bit.

_The ones that stopped Alucard…that means…Mizore!_

"No!" she cried out. Arial looked at her with surprise as the chronofly shook her head quickly.

"No! We can't do that Arial, we can't go after them. We have to get back into heaven right away and tell the elders about all this!" she pleaded loudly.

"Didn't you hear me? Dark's going to be killed! I'm not going anywhere but straight to his rescue Complica, I'm not going to let my husband die!" Arial said franticly. Complica stammered something then shook her head again.

"No way! We're not supposed to be here, we need to go back right now! If we die now then we're gone forever, and I still need to get my sister out of the dark place! I have to get help for her!" she said urgently.

"Then go back to heaven Complica, get help for her. I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, I really am, but I'm staying. I'm not going to leave now when I'm so close to being with my Dark again." Arial said firmly.

"But Arial, she's saying you could die for good. I mean gone forever, you should listen to her and get out of here." Sandra said worriedly. Arial growled loudly and stomped her foot down, the girl creating ice that spread out from the point of impact.

"I'm NOT LEAVING MY HUSBAND!" she yelled out. She growled and shook her head furiously.

"He needs me, I need to save him. And I need him, I need to be with my soul mate!" she yelled out. She trembled and looked back to Complica with frustration.

"I don't care if I could die forever, I don't care! I won't abandon my husband! I'd rather die and vanish forever then ever forsake him. I'll never give up trying to get my Dark back. Never!" she cried out. She backed up and cried a bit as the others looked at her worriedly.

"But…I don't know how to get back to heaven on my own." Complica said with tears forming. The girls looked to her as she sniffled.

"I don't know how to fly back up to heaven from here, and I can't go back into that dark rift thing again, I can't go in there alone." she said fearfully. Sun looked back to the destroyed monster then back to the angels with worry. It seemed that however these two angels came to the human world, they passed through some sort of darker world, a world where somebody was after her for some reason.

Complica choked back her sobs and looked down with worry while holding her bat tightly in her hands.

"What do I do now? I have to save her, I have to save my sister somehow but I don't know how." She said worriedly. Arial looked over to the destroyed monster then to her friend.

"Then help us." She said. The girls looked to her curiously as she waved to the remains of the fallen monster.

"Whatever you did to that monster was amazing, you could help us get Dark and the others. You could help us save them all." She said hopefully.

"What? No! We can't go there Arial, we…we can't be seen by them. You can't be seen by them!" Complica said shaking her head.

"Sure we can, we can bust in there and break them all out of there together. We can do this, I mean look what you did to that thing back there. With you on our side we can handle this no problem." Arial said confidently. Complica shook her head franticly and looked around. Sun and Sandra looked back to the destroyed monster then to the butterfly girl curiously.

"We can't do that Arial! We need to get help for my sister, she needs me! She's trapped in the darkness still!" she cried out.

"We can do that too. I'm sure Dark and the others could help with that, they took down Alucard after all. They can help save your sister too, I just know they can." Arial said hopefully.

"But…but…but…" Complica stuttered quickly.

"Please Complica, I need to save him before it's too late. We don't have time to go looking for Gabriel, Dark needs me right now! Please, help us!" Arial begged. Complica looked at her with concern then down.

"But…" she said shakily. She knew if Arial found Dark she would also find Mizore, and then all hell would break loose. Not to mention if Arial got involved in a fight she might die, and then she would be gone forever. The snow girl looked at her with concern then down with frustration.

"Fine, don't help me. But I'm not going to let Dark be executed. I'll save him all on my own if I have to." She said clenching her fists.

"But…Arial…" Complica said worriedly looking back to her friend.

"Just run along and find Gabriel if you want, but I'm not going with you. I can't leave Dark to be executed, I need to save him no matter what." Arial said sternly. Complica looked at her with worry then to the others.

"I don't think you're going to talk her out of it kid, she's really…insistent on seeing him again." Sandra said tiredly. Sun nodded slowly in agreement. Complica looked to Arial then to the other girls again. She looked down with frustration as her eyes darted around in thought.

_Not good, not good. I can't let her go anywhere alone, and I can't let her be seen by Dark and the others. This is a disaster, I don't have time to be dealing with all this! What am I supposed to do?_

"C'mon, we need to get going before it's too late." Arial said to the other two girls.

"Well we're not going anywhere in that thing." Sandra said looking over to the mangled car which at this point was barely standing still. Arial growled with frustration, the ground around her freezing over as the temperature dropped.

"Dammit we need to get there now!" she yelled stomping her foot down, the girl creating ice shards shooting up from around her. The girls watched her growl with concern then looked to see a car driving towards them. It screeched to a stop as it saw the damaged vehicle, the splattered remains of a monster, and four girls standing in the road, three of which had wings.

"What the…holy shit it's monsters!" the man yelled out before he stepped on the gas. The car moved a bit before the wheels ran into an ice patch and slid around, the vehicle swerving and bouncing into the wall. The driver looked around franticly then over to see Arial holding her hand out towards it. The snow angel ran up to the car and opened his door.

"We need this, it's an emergency!" she yelled out.

"Is Arial carjacking that man?" Sandra said in disbelief.

"Get out of the car now!" Arial yelled out, the human watching her with fright and holding his hands up.

"Yep, she's stealing it alright." Complica said shaking her head. Sun nodded then glanced back to the bloody remains of the monster.

_What is going on here? Why are all these dark monsters coming after me like this? And where exactly are they coming from?_

She looked to the butterfly monster then to the snow angel, two girls that had come from the dark world where these evil monsters had come from.

_Wherever that place is, it's between heaven and the human world, but…where exactly is that?_

"I said get out now!" Arial screamed. The human screamed in fright then darted out of the car, the man running away screaming as Arial jumped into the car and over into the front passenger seat.

"C'mon!" she called out to the girls. Sandra sighed and looked to Sun.

"And now I'm an accomplice in a carjacking. Perfect." She muttered. Sun nodded with a weak smile then looked to Complica. The chronofly was looking at Arial worriedly then to Sun.

"You can't let her go, she can't see Dark." she said worriedly. Sun looked at her puzzled as Arial honked the horn repeatedly.

"Hey! What's the holdup? Let's go let's go let's go!" she yelled out.

"Alright, just calm down already, and would you turn down the cold already?" Sandra pleaded as she ran over to the car. Sun kneeled down next to Complica as the girl held her bat worriedly.

"You can't let her see Dark. She doesn't know. She doesn't know at all. She can't know." She said. Sun looked at her curiously then glanced to Arial. Complica looked over to see Sandra getting into the car while Arial was screaming loudly at them. Sandra pulled the car back out of the ice patch as Complica looked back to Sun and shook her head.

"Please, we can't let her find out. Dark…has a girlfriend." she said. Sun looked at her with wide eyes and slowly glanced back to Arial. Complica trembled and looked over to the car.

"We couldn't tell her in heaven, she would have gone on a rampage. If she finds out…" she said shakily. Sun looked back to her, the siren having a good idea just how bad the snow angel might take it.

"Hey! Let's go Sun! We don't have much time!" Arial yelled out. Sandra looked to the siren worriedly as Complica held the girl's hand with fear.

"We can't let her go." She said worriedly. Sun looked at her with concern then motioned to the car. Complica looked to it then back to her with fear.

"No, we can't. I can't. I have to find my sister. I have to find Gabriel. I have to-" she said before Sun held a finger to her lips. She motioned to the car with pleading eyes, the chronofly looking at her then to the car with worry. Sun took her hand and led her towards the car, the two getting into the backseat as they retracted their wings.

"She's coming too?" Sandra asked looking in the rearview mirror. Sun nodded as she buckled up, with Complica holding her bat worriedly and looking from Sun to Arial. The snow girl looked at her friend and smiled.

"Thank you for coming with us. I know we can save my husband with your help." She said softly. Complica smiled nervously then glanced to Sun who was writing down something on her sketchpad. Sandra drove off down the road as Arial was looking ahead with a focused expression. As they traveled out of the tunnel Sun showed the chronofly her pad.

I understand your problem, but there's no stopping her now without causing her to go ballistic. We have to help her save those monsters before they're executed.

Complica looked at it with worry then to Arial. She knew the snow angel would never stop searching for her demon, but was fearful of what would happen when she actually found him. Sun wrote down something else and showed her.

All we can do is try to save those that are innocent while we can, and hope Dark can talk some sense into her. If anybody could talk to her, it would be him.

The chronofly looked at the pad then to Sun with worry. She wasn't so sure even Dark could calm the snow angel down should she find out about Mizore's existence. Sun showed a remorseful expression then wrote down something else.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. But Arial is right, the heroes that faced Alucard would be our best chance on fighting whatever evil has her. We need to save them if we are to stop this threat.

Complica read the pad then a few tears welled up. The girl sniffled and looked to Sun, the siren showing a sympathetic expression before writing down something else.

We'll help you Complica. I promise.

The chronofly nodded then hugged her, the girl burying her face into her shirt as the siren held her gently, the chronofly weeping softly for her sister's fate. Sandra looked back to them then ahead with worry while Arial looked back to her friend.

"Don't cry Complica, we're going to fix all of this. You'll see." she said softly before looking ahead, the angel worried about her friend's sister and fearful time was running out for her demon. Sandra looked around at everybody then back ahead.

"Something tells me this day is about to get a whole lot worse." she said quietly.

* * *

Jenner was sitting in his chair inside of his office, the man looking out the window at the sky as it was slowly turning to dusk. He had a scowl on his face as he leaned back in his chair, the man looking out at the city below with discontent.

"I warned you fools from the start, yet you didn't listen. It's a shame it took the blood of our youth to get you to see these things for how they are." he said shaking his head.

From behind him two HDA soldiers walked into the office and up to his desk, both of them saluting before standing at attention. Jenner glanced back to them with a raised eyebrow.

"Are they secure?"

Inside the HDA command center below Jenner's floor were the holding areas for monsters that were captured or arrested, with the large building structured like a prison with an atrium. There were cells lined along the sides of each floor with secure chain link fences that enclosed the walkways from the middle opening. Armed guards were patrolling around the sectors as they kept their weapons held at the ready, the walkways circling around the floors large enough for four soldiers to walk side by side easily. The cells had industrial strength bars and walls inside, each only having a simple cot and no window. There were other monsters yelling and shouting from within some of the holding cells, all in human form under threat of being shot if they changed into their true form.

"Yes sir, they are all being kept under constant guard." a soldier said with a nod.

Towards the top of the atrium soldiers were stationed and holding their guns constantly at a few holding cells, all of them keeping their fingers on the triggers as they were guarding a special group of monsters that were recently arrested.

"Good. Don't let them out of your sight for a moment, these monsters are crafty, they'll try to play us for fools again." Jenner said looking back out his window.

Inside one of the cells Ran and Yukari were against the wall looking at the soldiers with fear. Yukari's wand had been taken from her and was on the belt of one her guards, the two monsters being told if they even said a word they would be shot. Yukari was looking fear at the rifles that were being aimed at them while Ran was looking at the humans nervously, the siren frightened for both her safety and her hero's.

"Yes sir, we'll have them under constant watch until tonight's execution." the other soldier said firmly.

Inside another cell Mizore and Kurumu were watching the guards as they were by the far wall as well. Kurumu was looking at them with fear and disbelief that she was actually being arrested like this, the succubus having her arms crossed before her while she trembled a bit. Mizore had a cold glare in her eyes as she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed before her, the snow maiden harboring a grudge against those that shot her demon in the leg.

"They've been saying that they didn't cause that attack in our city, that another monster is responsible for the attack." one of the soldiers said with a smirk.

In another cell Dark and Rason were looking at the soldiers with discontent. Rason was leaning against the wall looking at the guards with narrowed eyes, the angel angry that they were being blamed for something they didn't do and that these soldiers were rough with his girlfriend. Dark was sitting on the bed moving his leg a bit, the demon having a bandage over his bullet wound as he was growling quietly. He was glaring at the soldiers with discontent, the demon frustrated that they were being arrested and that these soldiers dared to touch his fiancée.

"Another monster doesn't make a difference, they are all to blame. They're merely trying to play the part of 'heroes' again just as they did with that Alucard thing they set loose in our world." Jenner said with discontent.

Another cell had Moka and Ahakon standing against the far wall, the pink haired vampire looking with disbelief at the weapons being held on them while Ahakon was looking with fright. They had tried to explain on the way to the command center that they didn't cause the attack on the school, but nobody would believe them and threatened to kill them if they didn't shut up. Moka was afraid she would never see Tsukune again while Ahakon was worried he and his girlfriend would be dead before anybody came for them.

"Sir, the dark lord Issa Shuzen and his two daughters escaped our custody. They've vanished and are suspected to have fled back into the monster realm." one of the soldiers said cautiously.

At Yokai Academy three girls were seated at a lunch table together. Falla was looking out the nearby window at the cloudy sky with worry, the girl fearing what her sister may be going through as well as the fate of her friends in the human world. Kyouko and Rin were talking causally then looked to her with concern. They looked to each other then back to the chronofly, all of them hoping their friends and family would be safe again soon.

"Running like the coward that he is, I knew that vampire couldn't be trusted. Even their dark lords are just as underhanded as the rest of their filthy kind. It seems they've shown their true colors, fleeing when their surprise attack against us was put to a stop." Jenner said bitterly.

Inside Paradise a monster's howl was heard before a large crash echoed out. In the forest of the strange land a giant brute collapsed down into the trees as Tsukune landed down from his kick, the boy glaring at the monster with black and crimson eyes as his aura flared around him wildly. Nearby Ren was watching the boy with amazement, the siren feeling her heart beating faster at the sight of the powerful vampire. She wasn't sure how long Tsukune would be confined to this world during his trials to overcome his bloodlust, but she hoped to spend every second of it with him.

"We should have executed them when we had the chance. Damn monsters." one of the soldiers said with a grunt.

Down the street from the HDA command center Arial, Complica, and Sun were getting out of a car, the three monsters looking to each other worriedly then towards where the humans were keeping Dark and the others. They saw the chain link fences and guard patrolling around the concrete barrier surrounding the tall structure, with a large metal gate guarded by two HDA trucks parked on both sides of it with more soldiers walking around nearby. Sandra looked around at the girls worriedly then down, the human not wishing for any of them to be in danger like this. Sun clipped her sketchpad to her side then smiled a bit at her human friend, the girl smiling worriedly and nodding. The three monster girls ran towards the HDA command center near several other buildings, the girls then ducking into an alleyway and vanishing from sight before they were seen. Sandra sighed and put the car into park, the girl waiting for her friends should they need an escape car in a hurry.

"We have one of his daughters here in custody though, do you think they'll strike back? What if they come here looking for her?" the other soldier asked cautiously.

On the other side of the HDA command center was a lone HDA truck seen several blocks away. Inside of it Razico and Ruby were looking at where their friends had been taken to for their execution. They glanced to each other then held hands, the two smiling softly at each other as they prepared to rescue their friends. They gazed into each others eyes for a moment then looked to the group in the back of the truck.

"What if they come here looking for her?" Jenner asked glancing back to the soldiers.

Apoch and Render held hands, the couple nodding as they were ready to dive headfirst into the fight to save their friends. The witch felt his aura of confidence again, the girl feeling ready to follow him into battle without question. And Render was ready to leap into a fight without question as always, the battlemage ready to put his skills to good use to save the innocent monsters that were held inside.

"This building has the finest defenses and weaponry available to kill these accursed things."

Astreal and Leon held hands, the two looking to each other and preparing for their fight against the humans, followed by whatever monster was hiding in the dark world. To confront those who were responsible for this chaos, together. The mimic mage wouldn't be seeing any magic from the humans, however the witch was more than ready to be his 'sword', to aid him in their mission to save their friends.

"Our soldiers are trained to combat these otherworldly monsters, to kill them, to show them why we are the dominant race of this world."

Gabriel looked down with a focused expression. He was a guardian angel of the human race, the angel's job having been to protect humans from otherworldly threats. However he was now joining in with a group of monsters on an attack against the humans, the angel feeling conflicted while still trying to remain determined to save his friend and the innocent monsters that were being held captive.

"If any of them dare to show their faces here, we'll exterminate them just like we're going to do with the rest of their kind. They'll learn that this is _our_ world, and nothing will take that from us." Jenner said with anger.

Kokoa and Gin were also holding hands, the couple ready to charge into battle with their new friends. Kokoa wasn't about to let anything happen to her big sister, and was ready to use all her strength to free her family and friends from imprisonment alongside her boyfriend. Even her pet bat Kou was ready for the upcoming fight, the familiar resting on his mistress' shoulder awaiting her command. Gin was remaining focused as he could, the wolf still surprised at just how much crap the group has been exposed to ever since Dark and Rason first came to Yokai Academy.

Razico revved the engine of the truck, the warlock holding the wheel with both hands as Ruby held onto her seat firmly.

"Well, this is going to be rough." he said glancing to his girlfriend.

"We'll get through this. We'll save our friends, and remind the humans that they can't treat us this way." Ruby said confidently.

"No." Ceal said from behind. The group looked to him as he was flexing his gloved hand in front of him, the boy removing the glove to reveal his reptilian hand and claws. It glowed a black hue as the boy glanced to the witch with cold blue eyes.

"We're going to remind the humans why we're called 'monsters'." He said coldly.

Razico floored the gas pedal, the truck then taking off down the road towards the metal gate that was guarded by HDA soldiers. It raced down the road as the group prepared to dive headfirst into a fight with the humans.

On the other side of the building three winged figures flew over the fences and barrier, the girls landing down on the ground inside the compound next to a few smaller structures. Sun and Arial looked around quickly as Complica ran towards the concrete wall of the large building. She geared back with her bat as she prepared to shift into time, the girl hoping to find help to save her sister who was trapped in the darkness. Arial's claws frosted over as did her hair, the snow angel ready to take down anyone that got between her and her demon. Sun's wings arched behind her as she looked around with a cool glare, the siren ready to use her voice if need be to save the innocent monsters that were being held here.

"Hang on!" Razico yelled as the truck raced towards the gate, with the human soldiers watching with surprise and jumping out of the way. Some open fired on the truck as it barreled towards the metal gate into the surrounding compound of the command center.

"Here we go!" Complica yelled as she shifted into time, the girl striking towards the wall with a chrono infused swing of her bat.

Up in the sky two large crashes were heard echoing out by two separate groups breaking into the command center to find and rescue their captured friends.

Two groups of monsters, all converging together by fate.


End file.
